HOPE EXPLODING
Terror Unleashed
Last week, I attended a performance of the rock opera Hair. I was reminded of the social upheaval during the Vietnam War, but also of the hope raised by protesters of the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Women’s Movement. Despite the carnage abroad, it was an era of inspiration. We sang-=Let the Sunshine In. Open up your heart, let it shine. And, we sang to Aquarius, to a time when humanity would take control of Earth as its rightful heritage–This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius with Harmony and understanding, Sympathy and trust abounding, No more falsehoods or derisions, and Golden living dreams of visions. Friends and I were horrified by the death and destruction brought about by war and thought we could create a peace-loving, compassionate generation. I’m sad that we failed.
Not only is the U.S. consistently involved in wars abroad, but its citizens have to worry about terrorists creating havoc at home. With so many people armed to the hilt, cities have become battlegrounds for militias, the drug trade, and uneducated masses believing fake news and conspiracy theories put out by politicians craving power. power. Jews, Palestinians, and the LGBTQ community live in fear as antisemitism and hatred are at all-time highs. Fanatics bully migrants seeking shelter from poverty and war and are mean to those with political, cultural, or religious positions that differ from theirs. They want freedom from government intervention as long as it is their brand of freedom and don’t care it their brand of freedom impinges on their neighbors.
I blame myself and my contemporaries who protested for love and peace without finishing the job. We made strides with civil rights and women’s issues, but what happened to peace? Where did we go wrong? Why doesn’t peace reign triumphant? Why can’t I walk city streets at night and feel safe? Why do I worry about an armed shooter attacking my grandchildren at music festivals or while in school? Why do scope scope out places to hide when attending church or synagogue? And why lock doors at night for fear of being robbed and murdered? I never had these concerns when my children were young.
What does it mean to be an American in the land of the free? President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned the nation about the military-industrial complex becoming too powerful, but we let it happen. Industries supplying ammunition and military equipment, including lobbyists like the NRA, spread fear, manipulating us for their financial gain.
The United States has been in continuous wars since the 1960s. The Veteran’s Administration reports there are more than 18 million living veterans, 6 percent of the adult population. Though fewer American lives have been lost since Vietnam, the destruction and deaths on foreign soil from the wars we participate in are beyond my comprehension. Imagine the terror of hearing a stealth bomber overhead.
Wars since 1961
Bay of Pigs -1961
Vietnam War-1964-75
Laotian Civil War -1959-75
Permesta Rebellion in Indonesia -1958-61
Dominican Civil War -1965-66
Korean DMZ conflict -1966-69
Cambodian Civil War -1967-75
Multinational Intervention in Lebanon -1982-84
Grenada -1983
Bombing of Libya -1996
Tanger War in the Persian Gulf -1987-86
Invasion of Panama -1989-90
Gulf War ( Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Israel ) -1990-91
Iraqi No-Fly Enforcement Operations -1991-2003
First I.S. Intervention in Somali Civil War -1992-95
Bosnian War and Croatian War -1992-95
Intervention in Haiti -2994-1995
Kosovo War – 1998-1999
War in Afghanistan – 2001-2021
American Intervention in Yemen – 2002-present
Iraq War – 2003-2011
American intervention in the War in North-West Pakistan – 2004-2018
Second U.S. Intervention in the Somali Civil War – 2007- present
Operation Open Shield in the Indian Ocean (war on terror) – 2009 – 2016
International intervention in Libya (war on terror ) – 2011
Operation Observant Compas in Uganda – 2011 – 2017
American military intervention in Niger – 2013 – present
American -led intervention in Iraq – 2014-2021
American-led intervention in Syria – 2013 – present
Global Coalition to defeat Isis – 2014 – present
American Intervention in Libya – 2015 – 2019
Israel-Hamas War – 2023 – present
Famous war paintings.
Stealth by Peter Kalhkof Guernica by Pablo Picasso
Reference:
To see a listing of all U.S. wars, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_United_States
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HOPE EXPLODING by Marilynne Eichinger is a 30” x 24” x 2” Acrylic on Canvas painting. Available for 4495. Sipped free within the continental U.S.
If you want to purchase a canvas print in time for the holidays from the tree collection, now is the time. Go to Https://www.eichingerfineart.com/works Click on the canvas print Tree section.
To see a listing of all U.S. wars, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_United_States