Nov 11

Nov 11 Veterans Taking a Stand

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Parades, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

As has become customary, several Chicago-area veterans groups held a rally at Chicago’s Vietnam War Veterans Memorial located along the Chicago Riverwalk today to celebrate Veterans Day. In theory, those taking part oppose all wars after having experienced combat first hand.

Unfortunately, the rally was a mishmash when it came to messaging. Those who organized the rally seemingly assumed that everyone who attends an anti-war rally is singing from the same hymnal when it comes to a variety of issues, including Trump’s overall agenda, Immigration Control and Enforcement’s treatment of undocumented migrants, the Federal government shutdown, billionaire tax breaks, Big Tech, extending health care benefits, opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza, public education, union rights, and a handful of other issues. To my mind, those who lean Left hijacked the podium. By being about everything, the rally turned out to be about nothing.

The speakers had more than enough military-related topics to cover without the need to address a litany of topics unrelated to the military and war. Specifically, the speakers could have focused on the renaming of the Defense Department, the military’s budget, the competence of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, the demotion or termination of several women who held important military-related positions, Trump’s bombing of the fishing boats in the Caribbean, Trump’s move toward war with Venezuela and related threats against Columbia and even Mexico, veteran health care needs, and Trump’s threat to restart nuclear testing.

The sign that resonated most with me was the large red, yellow, and blue banner that read, “No War on Venezuela.” it brought to the fore the single issue that galvanized the veterans in attendance—avoiding war. Given Trump’s recent actions in the Caribbean and threats against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, those who brought the banner were on message.

Of all the speakers, I was most impressed with Illinois National Guard Captain Dylan Blaha, who is now a candidate in the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District. Blaha has indicated that he would refuse to obey deployment orders from Donald J. Trump to deploy to Illinois because such orders would be illegal under the current circumstances. Baha told People Magazine, “As members of the U.S. military, we swear an oath to defend the Constitution and protect the American people. I did not raise my right hand to be used as a pawn and activated against my community.” Not surprisingly, he takes what might best be described as populist positions against Trump and billionaires, as he also revealed during his remarks.

Both CTU President Stacy Davis Gates, who was recently elected the President of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and Congresswoman Delia Ramirez spoke. Gates once again showed that she is more interested in turning the CTU in a political party than advocating for her member’s economic interests. Ramirez remarks were passionate, while also being anodyne when it came to substance.

Chicago poet and musician Adam Gottlieb brought a large ensemble to the rally, which included a drummer, electric guitarist, a tabla player, a ukulele player, and even a bagpiper. Gottlieb and company are always a positive addition to the any rally, lightening the often somber mood. Today, the ensemble was given more time than usual to perform.

After about an hour of speeches, the 150 or so demonstrators marched to Federal Plaza in the damp and cold. Kneeling on the wet pavement during the speeches, I realized I once again will need a couple of weeks to become acclimated to the Chicago winter. It is all downhill until at least March.

At Federal Plaza, the group held a short ceremony that involved veterans laying white carnations at the base of the Plaza’s flagpole. I was surprised by the large number of veterans who participated in the ritual. Probably the most moving aspect of the rally came when the man playing bagpipes played Taps. His performance also provided further evidence about the cold. Midway through one solo, the bagpiper had to stop because his lip was either too cold or had frozen, making it impossible to keep playing until his lips recovered.

Following the ceremony, I headed to another demonstration.

Note About the Attendance Figure: Two Chicago media outlets put the crowd size at 300. While I was unable to make an exact count, I did a quick headcount using one of my photographs. The number of people pictured in the frame was nowhere near 300 people. Naturally, I missed some people who were on the demonstration’s periphery, but I concluded that the number was closer to 150 that 300,

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]