The Northbrook Artillery Issue--A Heedless Rant
I received the following e-mail this morning. It was sent out to those on the e-mail lists of peace activists in the suburban Chicago area. I am sure that the person who sent it out and the folks who are planning the “action” mean well. But in the face of an intransigent administration bent not only on escalating the war in Iraq but quite likely preparing to widen the war to Iran and Syria, being well meaning is not enough. I am afraid I dumped on the hapless peacenik in harsh terms seldom heard by the daisy in the rifle barrel crowd. Was my rant completely out of line? You be the judge.
First, the original e-mail:
NEW ISSUE: ARTILLERY IN NORTHBROOK
The American Legion post in Northbrook just sold their property. For decades, they had a World War II era Howitzer cannon on their front lawn. They have donated the cannon to the Village of Northbrook. The Village staff decided that they would put the cannon on permanent display outside Village Hall, next to the flagpole and the plaque that commemorates our veterans. This location is next door to the public library and across the street from Greenbriar Elementary School.
A number of objections have been raised to this display, including:
· Displaying a cannon on village property is intolerant of and offensive to individuals who have religious and moral objections to violence and warfare.
· A weapon is not a fitting memorial to those veterans who have been wounded and killed in wars. Their memorial should be adorned with symbols of the peace they yearned for.
· It inappropriately injects a military presence into a residential area. The symbol of our democracy should be the Village Hall where local democracy functions, not a tool of war.
· School children should not have a cannon overlooking their schoolyard.
· Individuals who have come to Northbrook from parts of the world where they experienced warfare should not have to be reminded of that trauma when they visit the library, Village Hall, or school.
The Village Board did not consider any of these objections. In fact, they never discussed the matter. It was never on their agenda, and no public notice was ever given. I have been in touch with the village president and several village trustees to ask that this display not be permitted unless there has first been a full discussion involving all interested members of the community.
We have been invited to attend a regular village board meeting to voice our concerns. The next meeting is on Tuesday, January 23, at 8:00 p.m. Please come to the meeting and stand firm against this inappropriate public display. The flagpole, plaque, and flowers are an appropriate way to honor our veterans that does not cause pain to our neighbors. We didn’t need machine gun practice on our Great Lakes, and we don’t need a cannon as a symbol for our town. The gun can be donated to a military museum or sold for scrap iron with the proceeds being sent for Hurricane Katrina reconstruction or some other worthy cause.
Please get in touch with me if you will be able to attend the village board meeting. We will need to discuss how we will prepare for the board meeting and how we will present our concerns
Next, my response:
I've been in the peace movement for forty years. I went to prison as a draft resistor. So I can say with some confidence--This is one of the stupidest misuses of time and effort I can imagine! Like it or not, there is a long tradition of using such weapons as public monuments and memorials. When challenged it is just the sort of thing that gets ordinary folks to roll their eyes and dismiss “those hippies.” Worse, it rallies gun nuts and war aficionados and garners them the support of folks who just plain resent being lectured to and told what to do by snooty know-it-alls. Would that the all energy the storm-und-drang that this stupid initiative will drain away could be used to actually convince ordinary folks to stand up and oppose the real war that we have on our hands! God save us from this sort of counter productive idiocy.
Patrick Murfin,
A member of but not speaking for
the McHenry County Peace Group
What do you think?