Massachusetts Peace Communities Statement of Support
for Veterans for Peace inclusion in St. Patrick’s Day Parade
We the undersigned
represent a number of peace organizations across the religious spectrum,
interfaith and ecumenical, who wish to express our deep concern about the grave
injustice, disrespect and clear discrimination against veterans who are voices
of peace, through their exclusion from Veterans for Peace from Boston’s Annual
St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
It is our conviction
that the history of such exclusion in Boston is based on secular and political
maneuvering. Such posturing prevents our veterans from expressing the
ravages and trauma of war and their collective statement about their
experiences and wounds, both physical and mental, in a public forum such as the
St. Patrick’s Day Parade, meant, ironically, to honor veterans. Visible
reminders of the scourge of war such as members of Veterans for Peace bring to
the public forum are consistent with our work as peacemakers in our
war-addicted society.
We are aware that The
Saint Patrick’s Peace Parade is currently mired in a debate about the exclusion
of LGBT sisters and brothers from the main St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
As communities of peace,
we wish to make a clear and consistent statement of support of our veterans,
across the gender spectrum, as peacemakers whose civil rights are violated, and
who by turning from war, characterize a conversion from killing, to
peacemaking, honored by all faith traditions.
We note that St.
Patrick, the Irish Catholic saint, after whom this parade is named, renounced
war emphatically when he said in his writings: “Killing Cannot Be of
Christ.”
The Boston Chapter of
Veterans for Peace, known as the Smedley D. Butler Brigade, is part of a
national veterans’ organization of the same name with 140 chapters around the
country, members from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan.
For the past ten years,
members of Veterans for Peace have attempted to walk in the St. Partrick’s Day
Parade, and in 2011, they were denied participation by the parade organizers,
one of whom stated: “We do not want to have the word peace associated
with the word veteran.”
We echo and support the
words of Veteran for Peace, Tony Flaherty, LT, USN, Ret. of WWII, a member of
the Boston Chapter, and one of its most eloquent spokespersons as an Irish
Catholic who has renounced war, spent his entire life in South Boston, and who
recently penned the following words to Mayor Walsh of Boston:
“Vets for Peace has been
banned, simply for advocating peace and a dedication to offering our children a
message that war is not the answer at spectacles glorifying militarism since
2003 (invasion of Iraq) and since initiating the Peace Parade in 2011, have
been subjected to insult and calculated obstruction in which City Hall has been
complicit. …”
Peace Parade key
organizer, Pat Scanlon, a decorated Vietnam Veteran, comments that veterans
experience this obstruction as an insult, especially, “to those of us who have
experienced the horrors of war and know the real cost of war.”
Veterans, some in their
eighties, have waited for hours in the blazing sun, to march after street
cleaners and other public employees finish their post-parade obfuscating and
deliberate degradation of impact—under the guise of cleanup. They are
greeted, sometimes with applause, often with jeers and sullen stares, by the
handful of dwindling numbers of parade participants. A court order
has altered these delay tactics, but the exclusion remains.
Veterans for Peace have
clearly stated their desire: “One parade, welcoming and inclusive of any
group.”
We representatives of
Peacemaking Communities in Massachusetts want to make clear our support of the
Veterans for Peace and our desire:
It is our desire to make
visible to the wider community, the black and white flags carried by the
Veterans for Peace, heralding their rejection of war.
We wish to make
visible the nobility of the nonviolent tradition through the centuries,
carried by great American peacemakers: Lucretia Mott, George Fox, John Woolman,
Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day, Daniel and Philip Berrigan, Sr. Megan
Rice, Howard Zinn and the countless numbers of the great cloud of witnesses who
live on nationally and internationally, across the faith spectrum.
We the undersigned peace
communities and individual peacemakers represent the voices of hundreds, if not thousands of our
peacemaking brothers and sisters, who are appalled by the blatant disregard for
the movement of conscience, the display of courage and nonviolence embodied in
the lives of our brother and sister Veterans for Peace.
Signees for
Mass Peace Communities Statement of Support for:
Veterans
for Peace inclusion in St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday March 16th
at 1:00pm in Boston, MA
1.
Arun
Gandhi (grandson of Mahatma Gandhi), Gandhi Institute, Rochester,
NY
2.
Patrick
Tracy, Director of Campus Ministry, St. Joseph’s College, Patehogue, NY
3.
David
O’Brien, Worcester, MA
4.
Jeanne
O’Brien, Worcester, MA
5.
Walter
Cuenin, Chaplain, Brandeis University
6.
St.
Susanna Parish Peace & Justice Committee (Pastor: Fr. Steve Josoma, Chairs:
Pat Ferrone, Maureen Hearn, Sally Gould, Fr. Bin Kremmell)
7.
Patricia
McSweeney, Taunton, MA
8.
John
Schuchardt, House of Peace, Ipswich, MA
9.
Carrie
Schuchardt, House of Peace, Ipswich, MA
10.
Peace
& Social Concerns Committee, Friends Meeting at Cambridge
11.
Patricia
Kirkpatrick
12.
Justin
Duffy
13.
Maureen
Hearn, Needham, MA
14.
Rev.
Molly Buskette, Lead Pastor, First Church, Somerville
15.
Bill
Gural
16.
Rev.
Anne Bancroft, Consulting Minister, Universalist Church of Weymouth
17.
Marie
Ebacher, Worcester, MA
18.
Rev.
Maddie Sifantus, Unitarian Universalist Church of Wakefield, First Unitarian
Universalist Church of Milford
19.
Rev.
Kim K. Crawford-Harvie, Senior Minister, Arlington Street Church, Unitarian
Universalist, Boston
20.
Dick
Kirk
21.
Deborah
Kirk
22.
David
Kay-Webster
23.
Erica
Kay-Webster
24.
Severyn
Bruyn
25.
Rev.
David M. Bryce, Senior Minister, The First Church in Belmont, Unitarian
Universalist
26.
Rev.
Wendy von Zirpolo
27.
Maryellen
Kurkulos, Bridget for All Southcoast, Fall River, MA
28.
Agape
Community Mission Council, Hardwick, MA
29.
Teresa
Wheeler, Worcester, MA
30.
John
Paul Marosy,Worcester, MA
31.
Bob
Wegener, Quincy, MA
32.
Alden
Poole, Quincy, MA
33.
Janet
Poole, Quincy, MA
34.
Catholic
Deacon Bill Toller
35.
Rev.
Dr. Dorothy May Emerson
36.
Arthur
Roberts
37.
Barbara
Roberts
38.
Rev.
Susan A. Moran, Unitarian Universalist Society of Rockport
39.
Rev.
Bruce Taylor, Minister of First Parish Billerica
40.
Hazel
Dardano
41.
Skip
Schiel
42.
Paul
McNeil
43.
Rich
Bachtold
44.
Suzanne
Shanley
45.
Brayton
Shanley
46.
Rev.
Diane Miller, Unitarian Universalist Minister, Carlisle, MA
47.
Edmund
K. Summersby, Cambridge, MA
48.
Professor
Judith Phaqun, Saint Joseph College, Long Island
49.
Catie
Scudera, Intern Minister, Arlington St. Church, Unitarian Universalist, Boston,
MA
50.
Rev.
Dr. Victoria Weinstein, Lynn, MA
51.
Kevin
& Joyce Lucey, Proud parents of Cpl. Jeffrey Michael Lucey, Forever 23
years old. Succumbed to the Hidden Wounds of War, March 18, 1981 – June 22,
2004
52.
Debbie
Lucey, Proud sister of Cpl. Jeffrey Michael Lucey, a 23 year old forever,
Succumbed to the Hidden Wounds of War, March 18, 1981 – June 22, 2004
53.
Joseph
Miller
54.
Beryl
55.
Dr.
Robert Emmet Morris, USN/USMC Vietnam 1969-1970, International Health
Consultant, South Boston Residents for Peace
56.
Howard
Hayward
57.
Rev.
Meg Soens
58.
Rev.
John Gibbons, First Parish, Bedford, MA
59.
Rev.
Art McDonald, PhD., Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Essex
60.
Bobbie
Goldman, Merrimack Valley People for Peace
61.
Barbara
Corbett-Flavin
62.
Pat
Ferrone, Regional Coordinator of Pax Christi MA
63.
Nancy
C. Arthur
64.
Justin
Rocha, Occupy Fall River
65.
Rev.
Rebecca Froom, Assistant Minister, First Universalist Society, Franklin, MA
66.
Caroline
Cole, Merrimack Valley People for Peace
67.
Boryana
A. Tacconi, Merrimack Valley People for Peace
68.
Sr.
Katie Flaherty, South Boston Residents for Peace
69.
Rev.
Amy Freedman, Consulting Minister, Unitarian Universalist First Church in
Boston
70.
Jeff
Klein, Dorchester People for Peace
71.
Linda
Jacobs
72.
James
Roy
73.
Dee
Halzack, Lowell, MA
74.
Jane
Cadarette, Merrimack Valley People for Peace
75.
Rev.
Ralph Galen, Transformative Justice and Violence Prevention Ministry
76.
JA
Canonico, N. Chelmsford, MA
77.
Dr.
Thomas Lee, Goffstown, NH
78.
Eileen
Lee, Goffstown, NH
79.
Beth
Elliott, Gilbertville, MA
80.
Rev.
Dr. Judith Wright, Unitarian Universalist Minister, Northborough, MA
81.
Lou
Bernieri, Merrimack Valley People for Peace
82.
Dudley
Hartung, Veterans for Peace
83.
Chris
Astephen, Stonehill College
84.
Rev.
M. Lara Hoke, Consulting Minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation in
Andover, MA
85.
Rev.
Wendy L. Bell, Harvard Unitarian Universalist Church
86.
Dan
Philip
87.
Diana
E Philip
88.
Rev.
Harold H. Babcock, First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist, Newburyport,
MA
89.
Jean
Doran, Clarksville, TN
90.
Rev.
Judy Deutsch
91.
Faye
George, Bridgewater, MA
92.
Rev.
Dr. Michelle Walsh, Tuckerman Creative Ministries for Justice & Healing
93.
Brenda
McCarthy, N. Andover, MA
94.
Randy
Kehler, New England War Tax Resistors, Colrain, MA
95.
Betsy
Corner, New England War Tax Resistors, Colrain, MA
96.
Eleanor
Maclellan RSCJ, Agape Mission Council
97.
Gayle
Aroian, Barre, MA
98.
Bob
Aroian, Barre, MA
99.
Brian
Quirk, Merrimack Valley People for Peace
100.
Rachel
Ravina, Boston University Graduate School
101.
Rev.
Clyde Grubbs, Tuckerman Creative Ministries for Justice & Healing
102.
Teresa
Shanley, Seabrook, NH
103.
Patricia
Hynes, Traprock Center for Peace and Education at Greenfield Community College
104.
Annie
Wuelfing, Spencer, MA
105.
Michael
True, Professor Emeritus. Assumption College, Worcester, MA
106.
David
Gill SJ, Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley, CA
107.
Claire
Schaeffer Duffy, Saint Therese and Saint Francis Catholic Worker House,
Worcester, MA
108.
Scott
Schaeffer Duffy, Saint Therese and Saint Francis Catholic Worker House,
Worcester, MA
109.
Philip
L Milgrom, The Centered Place, Warren, MA
110.
Nancy
A. Nowak
111.
Deacon
Kevin McCarthy, Blessed Sacrament/All Souls Parish, Springfield, MA
112.
Donna
Marosy, Worcester, MA
113.
Pax
Christi, Boston, MA
114.
Beth
Ingham, Noonday Farm, Winchendon, MA
115.
Bob
Jennings, Noonday Farm, Winchendon, MA
116.
Carolyn
Whiting, Merrimack Valley People for Peace, Reading People for Peace
117.
Ann
Grady, St. Mary of the Angels Parish, Roxbury, MA
118.
Fr.
John Patrick Sullivan, LaSalette Pax Christi National Shrine, Our Lady of
LaSallette
119.
Rev.
Katie Lee Crane, Interim Minister, First Parish Unitarian Universalist in
Needham, MA
120.
Karen
Hinchen, St. Mary of the Angels Parish, Roxbury
121.
David
Hinchen, St. Mary of the Angels Parish, Roxbury
122.
Courtney
Schlosser, Barre, MA
123.
Sue
Coles, Barre MA
124.
Merrimack
Valley People for Peace
125.
Pax
Christi MA Board (Pat Ferrone, Chair, Mike Moran, Sally Markey, Jeanne Allen,
Sue Malone, Brian Ashmankas, Irene Desharnais, Nancy Carapezza, Ron Holman,
Jeanelle Wheeler)
126.
Swanna
Champlin, L’Arche Irenicon, Haverhill, MA
127.
Larry
& Leah Shea, Quincy, MA
128.
Kitty
Vallely and Joe Vallely, St. Mary of the Angels Parish, Roxbury
129.
Eileen
Gorman, St. Susanna's Peace and Justice Committee
130.
Judith
Rich, Pax Christi MA
131.
Cole
Harrison, Mass Peace Action
132.
Rev.
MaryHelen Gunn, Spiritual Advisor, Unitarian Universalist, Center for
Spirituality, Dialogue, and Service, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
133.
Nanette
Eckert
134.
Rabbi
Joseph Berman, Jewish Voice for Peace Boston Co-Chair
135.
Edward
Downes, PhD, Agape Community
136.
Eileen
Reilly, MD, Agape Community
137.
Jeff
Brummer, Jamaica Plain
138.
Alan
O’Hare, Life Story Theatre
139.
Kay
Walsh, Dorchester, MA Neponset
140.
Melida
Arredondo, Military Families Speak Out
141.
Carlos
Arredondo, Military Families Speak Out
142.
Jeff
Merrick, Military Families Speak Out
143.
Pat
Alviso, Military Families Speak Out
144.
Pax
Christi MetroWest (Charles Gobron, Fr. Rocco Puopolo, Nancy Carapezza, Louise
Bolles, Faith Madzar)
145.
Yvette
Bellerose
146.
Peter
Wuelfing, Spencer, MA
147.
Fr.
Robert D. Bruso, Pastor, St. Anthony Parish, Fitchburg, MA
148.
Dave
Ascher, Newton Dialogues on Peace and War
149.
Carol
Proietti
150.
Shirley
H. Young
151.
Rev.
David J. Miller, Unitarian Universalist, Holden MA
152.
Octavia
Taylor. New Braintree, MA
153.
Christina
Abbey, Pax Christi Boston
154.
Louis
Abbey, Pax Christi Boston
155.
Alice
Kast, Pax Christi Boston
156.
Cornelia
Sullivan, Pax Christi Boston
157.
Susan
Harden, Pax Christi Boston
158.
George
Payne, Gandhi Institute Rochester, NY
159.
Suzanne
Ewing, Pax Christi USA
160.
Burke
Oppeneheim, Stonehill College
161.
Prithak
Chowdhony, Stonehill College
162.
Lauren
Ireland, Stonehill College
163.
Katherine
Bryer, Stonehill College
164.
Peter
Croke, Stonehill College
165.
Matthew
Crawford, Stonehill College
166.
Meghan
DeCarvalho, Stonehill College
167.
Melissa
Mardo, Stonehill College
168.
Micah
James, Case Western Reserve University
169.
Hayden
Abene, Case Western Reserve University
170.
Joseph
Swanson, Case Western Reserve University
171.
Newton
Dialogues on Peace and War
172.
Rev.
Edwin A. Lane, Minister Emeritus, First Parish in Waltham
173.
Linda
Davis, Needham
174.
Andrew
Larkin, MD, Northampton, MA
175.
Hilda
Carey RSCJ, Cambridge, MA
176.
Nancy
Kehoe RSCJ, Boston, MA
177.
Emily
Jendzejec, Creatively Maladjusted, Boston, MA
178.
Bennett
Comerford, Creatively Maladjusted Boston, MA
179.
Maine
Voices for Palestinian Rights
180.
Anne
Johnson, Sacred Heart St. Dominic Parish (Portland, Maine) Social Justice and
Peace Commission member
181.
Erik
Johnson, Sacred Heart St. Dominic Parish (Portland, Maine) Social Justice and
Peace Commission member
182.
Kathleen
Connelly Legg, Auburn, MA
183.
Emily
Ferrara, Worcester, MA
184.
Pam
DiDente, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Bend, Oregon
185.
Tom
DiDente, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Bend Oregon
186.
Mariann
Burke
187.
Maria
Wessman-Conroy, Creatively Maladjusted, Boston MA
188.
Patricia
Reid, RSCJ
189.
Robert
Bowers, Quincy, MA
190.
Roy
Bourgeois, SOA Watch, Viet Nam Vet, Navy
191.
Susan
Regan, Psy.D.
192.
Veronica
O'Brien, Long Island
193.
Better
Future Project, Cambridge, MA
194.
David
Bonner, Lexington, MA
195.
Jeffrey
K. Boudreau, USCG (E6), Arlington, MA
196.
Eva
Moseley, Mass. Peace Action (Cambridge)
197.
Tim
Corrigan, Boston, Catholic Worker, Warrior Writers
198.
Rev.
Erin Splaine, Senior Minister, The First Unitarian Society in Newton
199.
Winston
Bolton, Halifax, MA
200.
Dr.
Steve James, Limbe, Haiti
201.
Nancy
James, Limbe Haiti
202.
Lee
Rule, Burnsville, NC
203.
Kirsten
Rule, Burnsville NC
204.
Asia
Heller, Asheville, NC
205.
Luke
Heller, Asheville, NC
206.
Mimi
Swinger, Asheville, NC
207.
John
Swinger, Asheville, NC
208.
Carrie
James Tibbits, Celo, NC
209.
Matthew
Tibbits, Celo NC
210.
Lloyd
James, Audobon, PA
211.
David
James, Audobon, PA
212.
Jackie
Wattenberg, Melrose
213.
Nancy
Lee Wood, Taunton
214.
Ed
Kinane, Syracuse
215.
Ann
Tiffany, Syracuse
216.
John
Amidon, Albany
217.
Haley
Abene, Clayton, NC
218.
Micalita
Shatswell
219.
Sr.
Megan Rice
220.
Greg
Boertje-Obed
221.
Michael
Walli
222.
Kathleen
Murphy
223.
Sr.
Teresa Mee, Dublin
224.
Caroline
Burwell
225.
Eric
Martinez
226.
Sam
Kielwein
227.
Jack
Gilroy, Binghamton, NY
228.
Judy
Homanich, Binghamton, NY
229.
George
Homanich, Binghamton, NY
230.
Constance
Preston Scanlon, Andover, MA
231.
Christopher
Doucot, Catholic Worker, Hartford, CT
232.
Jackie
Allen, Catholic Worker, Hartford, CT
233.
Richard
Hudak, Andover, MA
234.
Nancy
Mulvey, Andover, MA
235.
David
Grober, Andover, MA
236.
Lissa
Stuart, Wayland, MA
237.
Ray
Mack, West Bridgewater, MA
238.
Charles
Petty, WW II infantry vet, Lexington, MA
239.
Andrea
Vallario, Methuen, MA
240.
Chas
Bicking, RN, Andover, MA
241.
Sharyl
Strong
242.
Nathalie
Hoke, Camp Hill, PA
243.
Deva
Jasheway, Boston, MA
244.
Danny
Perkins, VFP, Concord
245.
Military
Families Speak Out
246.
Phil
Dunkelbarger, Westwood, MA
247.
Abbie
Jenks, MSW, Pelham, MA
248.
John
Firmin, Somerville, MA
249.
Paul
Del Junco, Toronto, Canada
250.
Pax
Christi New Jersey
251.
Sara
Kirk, Amherst, MA
252.
Laura
Evonne Steinman, Arlington street Church - Director of Religious Education /
Artist in Residence - Boston, MA
253.
Rev.
Dr. Beth Johnson, Minister, Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Vista,
CA
254.
First
Parish UU Church of Bridgewater, Social Justice Committee
255.
Rev.
Dr. Anita Farber-Robertson, Bridgewater, MA
256.
Joan
S. Livingston, Eastern-Mass. No Drones Network, Codepink Greater Boston, UNAC,
IAC (international Action Center), Alliance for Global Justice
257.
Maria
Termini, proud friend of the late Lt. Col. Matthew Martin Cordes, USMC
258.
MaryAnne
Cappelleri, Campus Minister, Stonehill College
259.
Rick Gaumer, Norwich, CT
260.
Joanne Sheehan, Norwich,
CT
261.
Marabeth W. Nally,
Rochester, NY
262.
Leslie A. Fraser,
President, Interfaith Council of Franklin County, Multifaith Chaplain, Mount
Holyoke College
263.
Suzanne D. LaVoie
264.
Jesse Jaeger, Executive
Director of UU Mass Action
265.
Rainbow Times Newspaper
266.
Gricel Martinez,
Publisher, Rainbow Times
267.
Nicole Lashomb, Editor,
Rainbow Times
268.
Bonnie Gorman, Mass.
Gold Star Families for Peace
269.
Sandra Peevers
270.
Mass Peace Action
271.
Wendy Lewis, Caerphilly,
Wales, UK
272.
Councillor Ray Davies,
Chairman, Wales Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND Cymru), Caerphilly,
Wales, UK
273.
Leah A. Brown, Roxbury,
MA
274.
John Murray, Somerville,
MA
275.
Tony Fernandes, Co-Chair
GALLAN/Pride@WorkBoston, SEIU national Lavender Caucus
276.
Mary McCarthy, Grace
Church Peace Fellowship, Amherst, MA
277.
Bob Hawley, Grace Church
Peace Fellowship, Amherst, MA
278.
Linda Clark, Sterling,
MA
279.
Molly Hannon,
Roslindale, MA
280.
Alyson Hayes, Quincy MA
281.
Mahtowin Munro, United
American Indians of New England
282.
Karen Springer, Proud
Bostonian
283.
Gerry Scoppettuolo
284.
Linda Jenkins, street
medic and Community Church of Boston
The way we
raise and spend our taxes tells us a lot about what our country has become.