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Grandmothers for Peace InternationalActivism > Other Granny Groups > Grandmothers Against the War |
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Grandmothers for Peace InternationalActivism > Other Granny Groups > Grandmothers Against the War |
“New York Granny Chicks” Helen Miles, Joan Wile and Rosemarie Jun singing on Martin Luther King Day at Holy Name Church, Manhattan
“I founded Grandmothers against the War in November 2003 because I could no longer bear to read the daily toll of Iraqi and American casualties, who were being slaughtered and maimed for a war I considered, to quote Martin Luther King’s words about Vietnam, ‘Unjust, abominable and evil.’ I believed it was time to do more — to attempt to help make a dent in the concrete wall of deceit and misconception that separated President Bush from reality and which enabled him to continue his criminal policy of decimating a sovereign nation which had meant us no harm.
“Thus began a year of vigils, which we hold every Wednesday in front of Rockefeller Plaza on Fifth Avenue. It is hard to know specifically what we accomplish by these actions, but I am convinced that our being there radiates positively in many unseen ways. Hundreds of foreign tourists pass us each week, and often stop and thank us. They reveal their disdain for the war and their hope that we can turn it around. Many Americans do the same. We believe it is important to send the message here and around the world however we can that there is a resistance in America to these destructive policies, and we feel certain that our little vigil helps accomplish that.
The New York Granny Chicks, accompanied by pianist Tommy Goodman
“Before we begin the next song, I want to introduce my co-singers. Helen Miles is a veteran of recording studios, cabarets, and Broadway as a performer and director. Rosemarie Jun was for many years the number one jingle singer in New York and a regular featured vocalist on the Perry Como Show. Our tee shirts, which say Grandmothers for Peace, in case your eyes are as bad as mine, represent Grandmothers for Peace International, of which we have become the New York City affiliate.
“The next song is one which I wrote to try and express our deep concern about the direction America is going and our intense desire for an immediate end of the occupation. I hope this song reflects not only our commitment to peace but yours, as well.”
The group then sang “I’ve Got to Take Back My Country”.