Having grown up in Philadelphia, the 4th of July has always been a day of colorful celebration. However, for the past six years I have observed this American holiday in protest against the war that took the life of my oldest son, Sgt. Sherwood Baker. I have stood in front of the Liberty Bell surrounded by empty boots depicting the fallen of Iraq, or in a field of white tombstones each bearing the names of some loved one lost to the senseless wars of Iraq and Afghanistan. Tonight I joined a small group of faithful Peace people who declared their Independence from war, oil and corporate power. A fluid audience of tourists and curious watched us as we tolled a bell for the lost, reported on the deadly oil spreading across the gulf, and shared our thoughts about the power of big oil and the power of big war. These are the remarks I made tonight. Thank you Kos friends for letting me share them with you.
I have stood with many of you many times before; you know that my son Sgt Sherwood Baker was killed in Baghdad on a futile mission to find the weapons of mass destruction in 2004. He was the 720th soldier killed in Iraq, and the first from the PA National Guard.
He is dead now six years two months and 6 days-
Sher was not a perfect person, but he was good and kind hearted. He was our hero not for his death, but how fully he lived. One of the hardest things to think of is that he was the oldest of my three boys, and now they have grown past him, he will always be 30 years old.
On that first 4th of July after his death, I stood here and spoke at the Eyes Wide Open tribute- a display of the boots of soldiers killed in Iraq, seven soldiers died during the days that display was up- we left that weekend with the number at 865.
Six years later there are 4411 Americans who have been killed in Iraq- the display of boots can no longer be trucked around the country, it has grown far to large- and that is a pity – now the numbers are more easily hidden more easily forgotten
The families who loved them never forget, their beloveds are in the dawn of every day, in the passing of every celebration and in the quiet assaults of anger and grief that always come. It does not really matter any more if their families supported the war then or now, the hope held for those lives has been extinguished.
Somethings to consider as we stand here in the birth place of American democracy- the 5th graders who watched the invasion of Baghdad are now graduated from high school, and some will take their place in outposts of Iraqi roads.- and some will add to the numbers of the dead- Many of the soldiers now in Iraq will pack their gear and head to the wide open theater of Afghanistan- Americas longest war now approaching its 9th birthday. Will the nine year olds you know still be fighting this war when they graduate from high school?
Even though promises were made to remove the soldiers from Iraq by August, 50,000 will remain as the name of the war changes from combat operations to stability operations- but some things seem to be the same- no one can give a coherent answer as to why the United States went to war with Iraq. Does any one give a coherent answer as to what success will look like in Afghanistan?
This year 41 American soldiers have died in Iraq more from suicide than combat. In Afghanistan the numbers are grimmer still, 203 this year, and there too suicide takes many. Injuries, PTSD, dismemberment, shattered bones and minds, the legacy of these wars without reason will go on for ever.
No one can ignore the enormous cost in lives and future of the Iraqis and Afghans- hundreds of thousands of lives- blown up, burned up, all hopes hollowed out- the legacy of wars with no reason.
I would never say that conflict is easily solved. And I can not deny that there are many in the world who have great hatred for the United States- but if hundreds of thousands of lives lost, and 1 trillion 6 billion dollars have not brought conflict to an end then I am sure there must be another path to follow to find a road to peace that could be sustained.
So tonight we are declaring our independence- and I would ask that as a nation we declare our independence from those who profit from the endless war, who manufacture weapons to arm anybody, who create ever more seductive ways to kill other human beings and who wrap their intentions and motives in patriotic flags, of one nation or another, Their flag is global greed and perpetual conflict to sustain the business- lets be free of it.
The other request is much more personal, I ask you to declare your independence from the protective apathy that allows us everyday to ignore the agonies of war -that allows us to send 1% of our fellow citizens to carry the weight of our collective military decisions.
The decisions that seem to have no basis in reason, no predictable conclusion, no real goal of peace.
We are still a democracy even if it does not feel like it – we are still responsible and bear the consequences - of the actions of this Democracy-
So I would ask you tonight as you sign this new declaration to look into the eyes of those around you and commit in the name of all you love for these are indeed, Our lives, Our fortunes, and Our sacred honor"
Celeste Zappala
Mother of Sgt Sherwood Baker, KIA 4/26/04
Gold Star Families Speak Out/Military Families Speak Out
(to sign the declaration of independence from Corporate Dominance go to www.theshalomcenter.org)