A Letter to the Editor: Today – September 11, 2014

September 11, 2014

Submitted by Nancy Asbedian

Today is 9/11, but it’s 2014, and last night our President announced his plan for dealing with ISIS.

As I approached Bedford Common around 7 am this morning, I saw the American flag at half-staff. It seemed lower and sadder than on the many previous times that Bedford has mourned publicly. This was indeed a joyless morning. The flag and the President’s statement weighed heavily on me..

The Bedford Citizens for Peace slowly gathered for our regular peace vigil.

Get The Bedford Citizen in your inbox!



We displayed signs stating

Speak Out for Peace
War is not the Answer
Honk for Peace
War is Expensive, Peace is Priceless
PACE,
printed on a rainbow flag

The weather was appropriately cloudy and damp, well-suited to my mood. And the response from commuters racing by was overwhelming silence. What could have been a symphony of supportive “Honks for Peace” on this day of remembrance was just the opposite.

I looked down Great Road toward the mournful flag sagging in front of the fire station and glimpsed our diligent members.  All of us are Senior Citizens trying desperately to create a response from drivers who were balancing coffee and cell phones. (And incidentally, how DO they do that?)

Are commuters aware of the significance of 9/11?  What, if anything, does it mean to them? Did they even hear the President’s  message last night? What are they thinking as they pass by?  Some stare rigidly ahead, avoiding our eyes…Others seem to glare back in disagreement.

Many times our group has tried desperately to grow our numbers and to urge younger folks to join us in vain. We have found no one to whom we can pass our torch for peace…

We are tired…

Then I watched a gentleman driving a tan van “flash” a police car to allow him to turn in front of him in the intersection…then he honked, waved and smiled at us! Amazing!  One kind and caring person appeared and the mood changed and the silence broke. Others followed and the honking began. The day became a success.

Over the years of our vigil we have witnessed many rude and crude gestures and comments, but the goodness of people has always prevailed. One woman  driving by said, ” I am a nurse at the VA.  I see the devastating results of war every day.  Keep up the good work.” Her words still sustain me.

Why do we continue? Because we can — in memory of those who gave us that right. Because we hope that those who honk agree with us and perhaps those who don’t honk might think about why they don’t.

Buses filled with Bedford students stare as they pass by.  Perhaps they are still waking up, or perhaps they are so absorbed in their cell phones that they don’t see. But occasionally one will smile or wave; perhaps we have planted a seed here or there.

As the clock on Bedford Common strikes 8, we all agree. We will be back.

Editor’s note: This group has held a peace vigil along Bedford Common between 7:15 and 8 am for more than 10 years. Residents who would like more information are invited to email The Bedford Citizen ([email protected]) and we will forward your message to the organizers.

Later this morning, the Bedford Rotary Club held its annual 9/11 memorial ceremony along the road to Springs Brook Park - Image (c) David Lance, 2014 all rights reserved
Later this morning, the Bedford Rotary Club held its annual 9/11 memorial ceremony along the road to Springs Brook Park – Image (c) David Lance, 2014 all rights reserved

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Subscribe
Notify of

2 Comments
Newest
Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Joseph C Damery
September 11, 2014 11:12 pm

Dear Nancy, You and Your Friends Brought this Somber day to a very-stark-reality… All too many Years I’ve simply watched TV and Bought a newspaper, lest the day pass me unnoticed… As I type right now, the 11 o’clock News is playing Taps at NYC… Imagine its been 13 years since people died in several parts of our, Beloved Country… Thank You ALL for Being a Reminder…

Bob Alexander
September 11, 2014 7:46 pm

I’m curious about what, if anything, you would suggest the US do about Iraq, Syria, and ISIS.

The way I see it, peace is not an option. Oh, we can turn our back on the situation and stay out of it, and WE’LL have peace, but war is already happening. Innocent people are being brutally murdered, the lucky ones are merely being harshly oppressed, and the bad guys seem to be winning. So do we care about peace around the world, or merely peace at home? Isn’t it possible that if the US intervenes, the net result will be less war and more peace around the world?

Now, there are valid arguments for non-interventionism. I myself am a non-interventionist – for various esoteric reasons – and nothing I say here should be construed as support for the US getting involved in the Middle East. But I think it’s hard to make an argument that non-interventionism always promotes worldwide peace. In fact, you sometimes have to be pretty hard-hearted to be a non-interventionist.

All Stories

What’s Bedford Thinking about the Red Sox?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Junior Landscaping
Go toTop