Published: 11/13/2022 7:30:44 PM
GREENFIELD — About 40 people from across the Pioneer Valley gathered on the Greenfield Common on Saturday, the day after the federal holiday honoring veterans, to issue a united call for peace.
“It’s such a natural and intuitive thing — to honor the sacrifices of veterans by celebrating and promoting peace rather than glorifying war,” Kate Pousont Scarborough, an organizer with the Massachusetts Poor People’s Campaign, said at the Armistice Day rally. “When profits begin to speak louder than the voices of those who have sacrificed, it’s about time we got our priorities straight.”
The rally was sponsored by the Traprock Center for Peace and Justice, Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution, and Veterans for Peace. Among the speakers was Traprock member Liz Kelner.
“The abolition of war is the only way to go,” she said. Although some wars in U.S. history, such as the Civil War and World War II, are considered “good” wars, Kelner pushed back against this idea. “There are no good wars.”
Attendees all spoke about the use of non-violence to push back against war, with some conveying the message through song.
Annie Hassett sang her song, “Rise Up,” which spread a positive message that sharing love is the answer to fighting war. Lynn Waldron and Tom Neilson sang their song called “Making a Killing Off Killing.” The lyrics discuss how defense companies, like Raytheon, make money off wars and promote wars to keep taking place.
“As long as NATO’s got a war/That is what they are fighting for,” Waldron and Neilson sang to the crowd.
Saturday’s main speaker was Veterans for Peace member Nick Mottern of Northampton. Mottern shared his “frightening” experience witnessing a nuclear airburst in 1962 while he was in the Navy, and pushed for “no more weapons in Ukraine.”
He claimed that the United States pushes European countries to spend more money on their military, and creates an artificial fear of Russia. He noted that the military spending of NATO members far exceeds Russia’s spending, and argued there is no real threat.
“It is down to us to cause war to stop,” Mottern said. “Our leaders won’t do it.”
Ukraine was not the only ongoing war people spoke about at the rally.
“I just returned from a month in Palestine where there is no peace,” said Sherrill Hogen, a member of the Massachusetts Poor People’s Campaign who lives in Charlemont. “In fact, it is a testing ground for weapons.
“When we act for women’s rights, for Black lives, for Indigenous rights, when we cry out for the migrants flooding our borders, we demand an end to war, we need to mention Palestine,” Hogen continued. “It is part of one long struggle for freedom, for justice and for armistice.”
Contact Bella Levavi at blevavi@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.