9/09/05: Baraboo News Republic: In The Eye Of The Beholder - Myra Furse
In The Eye Of The Beholder
Friday, September 9, 2005
Some of you may have seen coverage on TV last night of the step made at the Barrymore Theatre by a group Marty Preston calls the Camp Casey Caravan from Crawford to Congress.
That afternoon their bus bearing about 10 members of various groups such as Military Families Against the War made a side trip to visit the Midwest Arlington Memorial two blocks from the Delton Fire Station in Lake Delton.
Marty, a local peace activist you may see marching on the square in Baraboo sometimes accompanied by Burt Sylvander maker of the white crosses one sees entering the memorial grounds, introduced the group.
All had been deeply and personally affected by the current war in Iraq and had gone to Crawford to support the young mother who went down to confront President Bush asking "Why did my son die?" Some spent eight days there protesting and asking that our troops be pulled out as soon as possible and that this disastrous conflict not be our conflict on into eternity.
Al Sopora, a striking grey-haired lean man, was there with one of his sons. Another of his sons was what he considered to be mindlessly and needlessly killed in Baghdad in 2004.
A woman spoke of her son's belongings sent back after he had spent 284 days in combat and being killed.
Another lost her child and had great difficulty when her turn came to enunciate the names and ages of those Wisconsin and Illinois service people the crosses lying before us represented.
One whose husband was soon to be deployed said: "There often is about 12 inches of plywood between him and a suicide bomber."
A member of Veterans of the Iraq War who served two years and may be deployed again said: "I don't see an end in sight. 25,000 Iraqis have been killed and many more disfigured for life. There is no military solution to this war."
You may have seen Patrick Resta from Philadelphia being interviewed at the Barrymore Theatre event. Patrick is a medic trained at the Army Medic School and is representing the National Guard. "We are having to drive rescue vehicles from Philadelphia down to the New Orleans disaster area because the 7,000 National Guardsmen and women who should have been available down there are over in Iraq."
Hiroshi Kano lowered the flag to half-staff as the names of the dead were read. Crosses were presented to Al Sopora and Karen, who had lost her only son, to be left there at the Midwest Arlington. Al placed a pair of empty combat boots next to his cross representing the "empty lives left behind when people are killed in a war."
Burt Sylvander, maker of the crosses, is a Vietnam vet and has two grandsons currently serving. He's not anxious to have to make hundreds more of these crosses.
Three busloads of the protesters are driving across the country stopping in various places. If you watch the news, you may be able to follow their itinerary. They plan to participate in the rally in Washington D.C. Sept. 24 and 26.
We are somewhat paralyzed by the needs for help everywhere. For most of us, it's not an option to rush down to help. But we can give financially as much as we can and follow and support the progress of people like Marty Preston.
Myra Furse is a long-time Baraboo resident and local peace activist.