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Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream!
By mickielynn on 2010-05-09 15:54:44
To everything, turn, turn, turn.
There is a season, turn, turn, turn.
And a time for every purpose under heaven.
A time to gain, a time to lose.
A time to rend, a time to sew.
A time to love, a time to hate.
A time of peace: I swear it’s not too late!
{Words from Ecclesiastes, adapted by Pete Seeger, music by Pete Seeger} Last night I had the strangest dream. Pete Seeger
(famous peace activist folk singer) made a guest appearance singing "Turn, Turn, Turn." As so often happens in dreams, Pete
wasn’t 91 years old (as he is now) but was the Pete Seeger of my childhood. Actually it’s not so surprising that particular
song appeared in the dream, since it opened yesterday’s Grannies For Peace fifth annual Stand in the Park for Peace vigil at
the Albany Tulip Festival. Some of our vigils have been silent. The very first was actually leafleting rather than a vigil. This
year we had music and singing which seemed to have engaged the interest of tulip peepers and drawn them into
conversations, comments of appreciation, and picture taking. Another special feature of the vigil this year was that it
honored the work of two Grannies who died during the past year. Their photos were present as an affirmation of their many
years of work, worship, community service and bonds of family and friendship, contributed to leave a better world for the
world’s children and grandchildren. It also reminded us that the work won’t be completed in our lifetimes but will need to be
passed on to other generations. This year’s focus was on ending the war in Afghanistan and especially the increasing civilian
deaths taking place during the past several years. Here’s the leaflet that we handed out:
War Breaks Grannies’ Hearts, May 8, 2010
Grannies For Peace are standing with our families and friends for our fifth annual Tulip Festival. On this weekend
celebrating renewal of life and the holiday of Mother’s Day we are standing for all the world’s children and grandchildren.
Our message this year concerns deaths in Afghanistan.
We need to change the "surge" policies that have been leading to more deaths each year. We grieve for the deaths of our own
troops that have now passed the 1,000-person mark in the Afghan war. Since the increase of US troop deployment, the
campaign in Marjah, and increasing aerial bombings civilian casualties jumped by 33 percent in a recent month-long period.
173 civilian deaths were reported between March 21 to April 21, 2010. Militants were responsible for the majority of the
deaths but an increasing number were at the hands of U.S. and foreign forces. Civilian deaths keep increasing in
Afghanistan. 2009 was the deadliest year of the war for civilians and foreign troops. In September of 2009, the United
Nations mission in Afghanistan recorded about 1,500 civilian deaths in the first six months of 2009, a 24 percent increase
over 2008, and a record in the eight-year-old war. The UN report said that most civilian deaths are caused by NATO air
strikes, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and suicide bombings. The UN counted 80 different air strikes that resulted in
200 civilian casualties. 2,118 deaths, the number of Afghan civilian casualties in 2008 was the highest recorded by the UN
since the ouster of the Taliban in 2001. An almost 40 per cent increase over 2007. Our troops and treasure need to be safely
withdrawn and replaced with a plan for a negotiated peace that will stop the killing. What can you do to help bring this
about? There’s a new bill, (HR 5015) the bipartisan McGovern-Jones Exit Strategy bill. It would require the president to
present Congress with an exit strategy by the beginning of next year, and report to Congress every 90 days on implementing
the strategy. So far it has 64 sponsors in the House. Representative Paul Tonko and Representative Scott Murphy haven’t
signed on yet. Please contact your Representative and urge him to co-sponsor this bill. Congressional switchboard: 1-202-
224-3121 Grannies For Peace, a project of Women Against War, PO Box 505, Delmar NY, 12054, 518-426-0710
www.womenagainstwar.org ** Since this leaflet was written the bill (HR 5015 now has 82 sponsors) but not our local
representatives in districts 20 and 21.
