Truth and Reconciliation

ello Brian,

I usually agree with your columns. However I think you missed the mark on the one thatyou ended with "lets get together for a protest and march to cancel 2020. Assuming we can find a place to park." First of all the Confederate flag bearer was parking in a non-parking space. However, I have been protesting for every Sunday for last couple of months and plan to continue every Sunday as long as able. My purpose is to help end the re-ignited Civil War non-violently.

I believe, like Biden, that violence is not acceptable from Left or Right.

How? I march as a Veteran for Peace supporting Black Lives Matters. I believe "All lives matter,

when Black Lives Matter?" I do not march on either side, I march in the middle, on the public

sidewalk with a large Veterans for Peace flag. Our whole National Veteran for Peace org. support

Black Lives Matter. The BLM protestors do not necessary belong to the BLM group. The ones I

know and that is most of them are from three peaceful groups, Voices United, a non-profit run

by Erica Cokley who are very active in Voter Registration. Justin Hunt, is president of

other very diverse group called Stand as One. Rev. Thomas Dixon is a peaceful activist with

a group called "The Coalition, Bringing our Community Together". He is an elder mentor

to younger activists, and he asks "not to engage with the Confederates."

I have been supported by the Indigo Sangha, a Mindfulness Community and the Unity

Church at Dorchester and Leeds and of course Veterans for Peace with over 25,000

members. We support veterans, however not veterans that fought against our country.

The monument there maintains "To the Confederates Defenders of Charleston". My belief

is that the Federal Soldiers the victims at Fort Sumter, when fired upon from the Battery

are innocent and should the celebrated. Not the soldiers who started the war, which in

reality did not "defend" Charleston, but really "offended" Charleston leading to our

beautiful city's destruction and the deaths of many, including my mislead ancestors

four of five brothers and five of Six on paternal side of family, all from S.C.

Therefore, I believe like the Calhoun Statue, this monument should be removed

but not violently by mob violence. HIstory has been white-washed here and most

of South. I have been a Volunteer at the V.A. and one function was to interview

veterans for the Library of Congress. I have interviewed several courageous

local WW 2 veterans locally, and was shocked at of the brutality of their stories.

African American veterans have especially very tragic stories of their treatment even

as valiant soldiers fighting for U.S. Subsequently, I have been an avid student of

WW 2, and know how much Nazis are NOT honored in Germany. Treated as

traitors in their home country, as Confederates ought not to be honored here.

Furthermore, a big reason I am pro-peace, is that my dear Brother was killed in Nam, with

only 2 weeks left in combat a day after his 22nd party. He loved the Vietnamese people

and preferred to fly his helicopter on medi-vac missions, which he was on when killed.

I was in training to go, but he advised me not to go, so I ended up in the medical corps

in Alaska. I have had a very hard time with "survivors guilt" and deep grief since, even

after all these years. I am not "anti-war" as wars happened and some appeared to

be necessary, esp. the Civil War and WW2. However I am fervently pro-peace, as if

"there is a World War 3, WW4 will be fought with sticks and stones" (Albert Einstein)

I believe was are all born innocent, but taught toxic and sometimes violent ways to

solve problems. My family in a village about a hundred miles from here, were subtly

racist, and I never heard of the KKK growing up in the Fifties. However it was aparthied

time, with "separate but equal schools". There was one all purpose athletic field, however

it was sadly segregated. Behind the tall outfield fence was the Black Community of

unpainted houses and dirt roads. A few miles away was a poor white community with

mostly unpainted homes and dirt roads. One time,at about 8 or 9 years old, I watched

some of my friends tossing rocks over the outfield wall toward the unpainted houses,

while yelling racist slurs. Wanting to be accepted, I joined them. Very soon later, a

white policeman (the only one in town) drove up and told us if we ever do that

again, he would throw us in jail. This scared me enough to never do that again. However,

l learned the lesson of mob mentality, and have been against it ever since.

Sadly I learned racism growing up and have been working to unlearn it, and help

other veterans and colleagues to see the darkness and harm done by Systemic Racism.

To sum up, I believe the first step in non-violently ending this re-ignited Civil War is to

remove this president and disband the GOP as it is. Plus I disagree with you about "cancelling

2020 but to be grateful for the uncovering the racist shadow of this county and to

have Black Lives Matter voices heard with peaceful protests continued. I believe

as in Germany, Nazi Swastika and Confederate flags and white supremacist groups

need to be banned. And park in only legal places. yours in Peace, Ron A.