In my immediate previous post, titled “Memorial Day,” I shared with you some of my favorite speakings-out against militarism and war.
I see a lot of us Boomers who identify somewhere along the “liberal” spectrum ranting and meming on their social-media pages about how awful the “red” politicians are. And stating or implying that the “blue” ones are going to save us.
I don’t feel represented by so-called “liberal” candidates who continue to promote and feed war. And feel dismayed when fellow liberal Boomers seemingly are not acknowledging this aspect of the “blue” mainstream.
It’s like we forgot that we really are anti-war. It’s like we forgot that being truly, deeply, adamantly anti-war is very much an option. And a necessity, for the environment as well as for people.
I cringe when I hear fellow “Woodstock Boomers” say that they have grown up since their idealistic days of the 60s. As if being absolutely anti-war were immature, idealistic, impractical.
Just about every mainstream Democrat I can think of who has run for office in recent times, are far too entrenched in the war complex. Hearing that President Biden spoke to the graduating class of West Point, with some verbiage of the “protecting our freedom” sort, was just one recent cringe.
And yet, recognizing the gravity of the situation, I still mostly suck it up and vote for these types of so-called liberals, just to avoid the even worse alternative. It’s a tricky thing though, and I see both sides of the vote argument.
But, just when I risk going totally down the rabbit hole of “oh well, nothing I can do,” last year I somehow started getting emails from Veterans for Peace. And found out that civilians can join. And so last year I joined, as a life member. VFP are a breath of fresh air, a lifeline, a reminder that it is indeed valid and realistic to be absolutely anti-war. They help me hold my center so I can more clearly see the militaristic gaslighting of even the “blue” politicians.
The red politicians, you can see them coming. The blue ones are much less obvious and thus potentially much more dangerous.