War and Afterwards

The widespread jingoism which arises on Memorial Day usually sends me into hiding so as not to ruffle star-spangled feathers of sentimental hawks. Yet this  year, I'm going out on a limb and perch next to a few hawks and remind them of a history that I think deeply enriches this day and makes room for those who have served their country in the armed services and room for those who have not served with a weapon but who do the hard work of peace-making.

The original title of Memorial Day was Decoration Day. Started after the Civil War it had the twin purposes of Remembrance and Reconciliation.  Remembrance was a call to remember those soldiers who, on both sides of the conflict, lost their lives; Reconciliation was to build a peace, peace on an ongoing basis.

My father is a WWII Veteran. He is proud of his service. It was service that contributed to the halt of fascism. It came at a great price. He was lucky in that he was not physically wounded. His wounds did not show in a missing limb or worse. He was able to move on with his life, or so it appeared. His wounds emerged with a temper wired to a hair trigger tripped by domestic incidentals such as missing car keys, a crookedly mowed lawn, a spot on his trousers, spilled milk. Then and at other seemingly insignificant occurrences his anger would spill out in a loud, profane utterance and he would be white-lipped with rage. He would try to displace responsibility for his own emotions onto his children, onto his wife, onto some "goddamnsonofabitchincocksucking" other. Later, he would seek solace in the garage or in his garden. Still later he would collapse into his recliner and withdraw behind a curtain of newspaper.

Disorder was an enemy, yet the range of what was proper and correct was so narrow and so ill-defined at the same time that my brothers and I were constantly trespassing upon the minefield of his emotions. His scars were passed onto us; his trauma--transfigured, yes--became ours.

His trauma was vague  to us and all encompassing. We grew up seeking clarification, some clue from Dad, some essential architecture upon which we could hang what had become our emotional baggage. Sadly, he was unable to even admit to his confusion and the currents of alienation he experienced from his own family.

Memorial Day became, for me, an obstacle to working this stuff out. I worried about sounding ungrateful regarding Dad's and other veteran's sacrifices. I worry less about that now. I know that any observance of war time duty that does not at the same time seek reconciliation is a glorification of war and a justification of policies, often policies based on greed or fear, that serve not the American people but the narrow interests of a few who remain, by and large, the storm makers for the weather we all end up facing.

Jousting at a Windbag

In Minnesota a despicable bill has passed wherein the electorate will vote on proposed changes to the Minnesota Constitution that will define marriage as between a man and a woman.

I sent a letter generated by the Human Rights Campaign to the Minnesota Legislature urging them to vote against this procedure. I received an answer from Senator Parray. And then I replied.

Dear Senator Parry,

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I take heart and thank you for pointing out that "there is nothing currently in state law or the state constitution that would prevent the legislature from enacting addition rights for same-sex couples or authorizing civil unions." Can I count on you to sponsor such a bill or to support such legislation in the near future assuring parity of civil unions with marriage?

Sincerely,

Gregory Chamberlin

--- On Mon, 5/23/11, Sen.Mike Parry <Sen.Mike.Parry@senate.mn> wrote:

From: Sen.Mike Parry
Subject: Re: Your actions have consequences
To: "Sen.Mike Parry"
Date: Monday, May 23, 2011, 10:03 PM

I want to first thank you for your email. I know that it has been a frustrating time these last few weeks, and I am happy to see that you are still willing to participate in dialogue with your legislators.

While I am sure you understand that the “Marriage Amendment” bill puts the decision to amend the constitution on the 2012 ballot, I want to be clear that this bill does not change a single state law or have a single impact on the existing civil rights of any Minnesotan. Furthermore, there is nothing currently in state law or the state constitution that would prevent the legislature from enacting addition rights for same-sex couples or authorizing civil unions. A "yes" vote on the bill means, yes, the legislator wants all Minnesotans to decide whether or not to amend the constitution. A legislators' vote on the bill says nothing about their position on same-sex marriage, but will say a lot about their interest in letting the people have a voice in this issue that is important to many Minnesotans.

I would also like to take point with the idea that we are somehow neglecting our jobs. While I can understand that it may look this way on the outside, it’s just absolutely not true. Being the chairman of the State Government Innovation and Veterans Committee, I can tell you that I worked with senators and staff day and night to provide a budget for Governor Dayton that would right-size state government, promote agency efficiency, and do so without raising a single dollar in taxes. We are increasing spending by 6%, something the other side of the aisle has been very quick to mislead the public about. And all the while, the DFL has not offered any budget bill to speak of, any redistricting map to speak of, and they voted against Dayton’s tax increases.

While I can certainly understand your frustration because I share that same frustration, it is not in us that you should find it. The majority party sent a complete budget package to the governor’s desk, and he has decided that he will not sign them. But even worse, he won’t even work with our offices to find a solution that he will sign. We have been transparent in our entire budget process, and the Governor refuses to work with us on any points.

Again, I do understand your frustration; I don’t want a special session either. I would suggest that in these final hours of the legislative session, you contact the Governor’s office (which he has shut down for the night on the last night of session) and tell him you want him to work with us just as we are trying to work with him.

Again, thank you so much for your email. I really appreciate you taking the time, and I hope that we can continue to keep the dialogue open.

Senator Parry

Senator Mike Parry  SD 26

State Capitol Building 309

75 Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd

St. Paul, MN 55155

(651) 296-9457

My Reply:

Dear Senator Parry,

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I take heart and thank you for pointing out that "there is nothing currently in state law or the state constitution that would prevent the legislature from enacting addition rights for same-sex couples or authorizing civil unions." Can I count on you to sponsor such a bill or to support such legislation in the near future assuring parity of civil unions with marriage?

Sincerely,

Gregory Chamberlin

As of yet, Senator Parry has not replied.