[Peace-discuss] 4th of July - AWARE float (or sink?)

[Stuart Levy]

Today, Saturday the 15th, is the postmark deadline for entering AWARE in 
the 4th of July parade.

Again, the year's theme is "United We Stand, Proudly We Serve".

Among the ideas suggested -

  -  honoring our public servants (school teachers, librarians, ...) 
whose support is being ever further cut to feed our insatiable 
military/industrial/surveillance war machine, whose importance grows 
more and more difficult to question - thanks to Merlin

   - honoring our constitutional rights being dramatically violated, and 
constitutionally limited powers exceeded, by current government - thanks 
to Carl (see https://www.facebook.com/groups/305897426305/?fref=ts)
           (I want a sign, 'where's the 4th amendment on the 4th of July?')

    - even if we don't construct a float, we should carry a banner, as 
we did last year (thanks to Theresa and Rohn)

There's also the prospect of the No More Jails entry from C-U Citizens 
for Peace and Justice and others, which will be in the parade this 
year.   If we didn't have an AWARE entry, perhaps some of us would want 
to march with them.   But even if we do our own thing, there'll be 
themes in common between protesting mass incarceration and protesting 
militarism / supporting constitutional rights, as Rohn points out.

I started out composing this note feeling disheartened.  Now I think we 
really ought to try again this year.
If you're game to think further on this or help work on it, please write 
back.