Mar 21

Mar 21 Dead Children

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

On February 28, 2026—the first day of Donald J. Trump’s war on Iran—a U.S. Tomahawk missile slammed into the Shajareh Tayyiba elementary school in Minab, Iran, leaving at least 175 people dead. Most were children. Video evidence shows the Tomahawk missile exploding. The U.S. military’s investigation preliminarily concluded that the U.S. is responsible.

Reflexively, Trump first lied, denying knowledge of the incident. Then he attempted to deflect blame, claiming Iran launched the Tomahawk missile despite the fact that the U.S. has never sold Iran Tomahawks.

The targeting error was most likely due to the military’s reliance on outdated targeting maps. Standard protocol requires a review of targeting information and maps before missiles are launched. But in his effort to eliminate “wokeness” from the “Department of War,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did away with the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, which in the past reviewed plans before implementation in an effort to minimize civilian casualties. “Lethality” was Hegseth’s top priority. No need to review targeting maps.

Regrettably, Hegseth and Trump met Hegseth’s objective at the expense of more than 175 innocents. Both have blood on their hands as a result of what likely is a war crime.

I had learned that at noon today there would be an anti-war demonstration in Chicago’s Federal Plaza. I expected to encounter members of Chicago’s far-Left gathered in front of the same banners that I have seen countless times before.

Much to my surprise, there were only a few people in Federal Plaza when I arrived shortly before noon. Instead of demonstrators with signs, I encountered children’s backpacks, toys, clothing, and shoes scattered throughout the plaza as disrespectful skateboarders weaved in and out of what was a memorial for the children and teachers who were killed as a result of Pete Hegseth’s gross negligence.

The far-Left organizers should take note. The memorial was far more effective than their tired, Marxist-infused chants.

One Iranian man was behind the vigil, together with a violinist who played somber, funerial music as she walked among the objects, seeming to serenade the toys and backpacks.

I asked the man whether he was an Iranian monarchist or a member of one of the other Iranian factions. ‘Nope.’ He explained that he was not taking sides. He deplored all wars, hoping to highlight the victims. In his view, military action was unnecessary because the dispute could have been resolved without resort to violence. He never did explain how.

For him, today was about the dead children and teachers. In one display, he included Palestinian and Ukrainian flags. He told me he was equally disturbed by the deaths of children in those conflicts.

I spent about 45 minutes in the the plaza as I listened to the violinist. Except for the skateboarders, everyone who entered the plaza was quiet and respectful. Toward the end of my stay, the skateboarders left. Maybe they finally realized this was a solemn space, at least for now.

Notably, I did not see a single CPD officer in or around the plaza.

Kudos to the man who organized the memorial.

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