By Eve Trook and Paul Schaefer
In July Big Bend Veterans for Peace, Chapter 151, initiated a weekly HONK TO IMPEACH action in Alpine, Texas, population 6,000. This fall we expanded the action to include twice a month demonstrations in another small town, Marfa, Texas, population 2,200, 26 miles west of Alpine.
We are a small chapter, 11 of us, chartered in August of 2007, covering three large counties in a remote rural area on the Texas-Mexico border. In a region dominated by cultural conservatism and living in small towns where it seems like everyone knows each other, we’ve had to struggle with our fears about losing friends and jobs if we speak out publicly.
There has been some polarization and there have been moments of confrontation but our peace community has grown. Big Bend citizens, including other veterans, have come to stand with us and hold banners, marveling that there are others who share their beliefs. Tourists from the East and West Coasts have stopped and expressed their surprise and delight at finding that an isolated spot has engaged with issues of impeachment and peace.
Previously isolated people now work with us to make papercrete tombstones, paint them, and help clear catclaw from two rangeland acres for our regional Arlington memorial. They are helping us surround the memorial with an electric fence so that range cattle will not deface the tombstones.
The local public radio station and the local newspapers have interviewed us about HONK TO IMPEACH and Arlington Southwest. None of us expected the local papers to even mention our activities; the reality is that HONK TO IMPEACH made the Alpine front page in full color photo plus text. By our counts, using clickers, 27-37% support impeachment. Less than 1% have indicated overt opposition.
Big Bend VFP believes it has locally pushed back some of the national attempts at fear and intimidation against the peace movement but realizes that local peace efforts must also be connected with regional and national, even international, work.
· Chapter members Eve Trook, John Tuck, and Paul Schaefer participated in Camp Casey, Easter 2006.
· Member Jim Goodnow, Terlingua, has been on the road for almost two years with his Yellow Rose Peace Bus (www.yellowrosepeacebus.com), taking IVAW members to East Coast bases, providing transport to marches and demonstrations across the country and creating a highly visible symbol of protest.
· Paul Schaefer, a member of the core crew of Cindy Sheehan’s Journey for Humanity and Accountability, July 10-29, from Crawford to New York City, was arrested in John Conyers’ office with 45 others after Conyers refused to initiate impeachment.
Big Bend Veterans for Peace invite you to join us in dedicating Arlington Southwest (4 miles east of Alpine, Texas, on U.S. Hwy 90), November 11, 2007, Veterans’ Day.
Alpine is 55 miles south of I-10 and 100 miles north of Big Bend National Park. November can be one of the best months for visiting and camping. For information, call Big Bend Veterans for Peace at 432-837-7150 or email pcschaefer@yahoo.com
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WELCOME
Photo: Tom Curry
