Mourning the Soldiers and Civilians
Since October 7, 36,000 Palestinians have been murdered with the U.S. government’s blessings as it continues to send billions in military aid and armaments to Israel, despite polls declaring that two-thirds of the U.S. population wants a ceasefire. In addition, last Friday, the United Nations International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt military operations in Rafah, where some million displaced Palestinians, including 600,000 children, are desperately seeking shelter.
I did not think Israel’s assault on the unarmed population of Gaza could get any worse, but it has. After viewing live images of the Rafah tent massacre and injuries to hundreds of refugees, I felt I had to do something. On Memorial Day, I joined three brave Veterans for Peace on East Ojai Avenue holding my sign, which read “Remember the Millions of Innocent Civilians Who Have Died in the Name of ‘Democracy.’” American flags lined our main street while we stood with our respective flags and signs marking the national day of mourning, not only for our soldiers, but for the millions of innocent civilians who have died in the many wars sponsored by the United States to protect our “freedoms.”
As a college student in the ’80s, I studied international relations and learned of the deadly covert wars the U.S. had sponsored in numerous countries around the world. Today on our phone’s news feed, we are exposed to the daily horrors of war on Palestine and other countries. Some days I just read the statistics because I can’t bear to see another dismembered child. Children account for 44 percent , about 16,000, of those killed in Israel’s war on Palestine. One would imagine that with a live-streamed televised genocide, world leaders would stop the madness, but they have not. Instead, the military industrial complex continues to rake in the profits as it lines the pockets of world leaders, including numerous members of our government including our Congressional Representative Salud Carbajal, who I ran against in the March primaries for the Democratic nomination.
Why is it that we do not have money for health care, housing, or education for our own citizens, and yet we have billions of dollars to murder innocent people around the world? In 2023, the U.S. spent $885 billion on the military budget for the upkeep of 500 military bases domestically and another 800 in 80 countries. Our beautiful, liberal state of California tops the list with 123 bases and numerous weapons manufacturers supporting our economy here in Santa Barbara.
The time has come for us to stop passively watching the killing of an entire generation of Palestinians paid for by our taxes. This is a summons for every person of conscience to stand for justice and humanity. Call your representatives, join a pro-Palestine group at the UCSB student encampment, protest for peace at a local action, or join the Veterans for Peace Chapter in Santa Barbara. You don’t have to be a veteran to join the organization to educate the public about the real costs of war at home and abroad!
We can hold our elected officials accountable to our country’s ideals, but only if we come together to dismantle the system based upon fear, hatred, and greed. If war could bring peace, wouldn’t we have had peace by now?
Helena Pasquarella is chapter secretary for Veterans for Peace, Chapter 112.