Michael T. McPherson
This article was originally published on May 29, 2023, and has been republished to mark this year's Memorial Day.
Like most Americans, I am tired of the daily news reports of gun violence and murder. It is excruciating. But unlike most people in the United States, I have seen the pain and suffering that follows violence. My experience over more than 20 years has taught me that whether it's war, street violence, police killings, mass shootings, or suicide, the pain of losing a loved one is the same, and people always ask, “Why?”
Michael McPherson speaks at a temporary memorial called “Eyes Wide Open” in Washington, DC in 2009. The “Eyes Wide Open” memorial was created by the American Friends Service Committee. (Photo by Michael McPherson)
I have had the good fortune and misfortune of meeting people who have lost loved ones to various forms of violence. Trying to console them is impossible, but the effort is always appreciated. They include military personnel who lost comrades in combat and Gold Star families who lost loved ones in war. I have met Iraqi families whose loved ones were killed by U.S. troops in the invasion and occupation of our country. I have met Israeli Jews and Palestinians whose loved ones were killed in that conflict. I have met many families, mostly parents, who have lost loved ones in the streets and to police violence. And I personally know people who have committed suicide by gun violence or lost loved ones in the same way. All of these experiences shine a different light on Memorial Day. The murder of George Floyd on Memorial Day, May 25, 2020, meant that I could no longer separate the violence of war overseas from the violence of my community at home. I know too well the human suffering caused by these deaths to pretend that these distinctions are anything more than compartmentalized coping mechanisms to protect myself from deep grief and feelings of helplessness, and to rationalize away in order to feel morally righteous.
Having witnessed the deep pain caused by violence and realized the insanity of war, I can no longer accept the spectacle of Memorial Day without looking beyond it. It is more than a holiday filled with sales, barbecues, and war movies, or a day when attention is focused on politicians publicly laying wreaths to show gratitude and patriotism. Yes, I still think about my fallen veteran comrades. Some died of old age, others were haunted by the wars they brought home to their homelands. But the suffering of Iraqi families I have witnessed demands that I honor all those who have died in America’s wars, especially the civilians caught in the crossfire between combatants. Moreover, after meeting with Iraqi veterans who were my “enemy” in the Persian Gulf War, I thought of the estimated 30,000+ Iraqis who died in that war, some of whom I helped kill. Enemy combatants, like me, had families to love. And like me, they too followed the orders of their political leaders and did their duty. It is by the grace of God that I am here today. I must respect that.
And because I can no longer accept that there is no connection between wars overseas and the violence we face in our communities, I also pay tribute to all those killed by violence at home.
The Arlington West Project is a memorial that is set up every Sunday by members of Veterans for Peace in Santa Monica and Los Angeles, California. Most of the symbols are crosses, but the Star of David and crescent moon are also used to represent Jewish and Muslim deaths. Red represents 10 deaths and blue represents those who died that week. (Photo: Michael McPherson)
I'm not saying you should stop going to barbecues or taking advantage of Memorial Day sales — if you see something you want and it's on sale, buy it — but I am asking you to think more deeply about the meaning of this day. I am asking you to reflect and ask yourself how we can end war. I am asking you to consider how wars overseas are connected to what many consider to be our own wars at home.
In the lyrics of Tupac Shakur's song “Ghetto Gospel,” he writes, “Before we find world peace, we must find peace and end the war in the streets.” He saw the connection. And as Martin Luther King Jr. said in his 1967 “Beyond Vietnam: Time to Break the Silence” speech, then because of the Vietnam War, and now because the United States dominates in global arms sales and no other country has dropped so many bombs on other countries in the past 20 years, the violence we export abroad is surely a result of the violence we do to each other at home.
What is noteworthy here is that two men, King and Shakur, who were at opposite ends of the spectrum in their relationship to violence, were killed by guns in our country.
My friend, Jean Glazier, a World War II veteran medic, who died of natural causes a few years ago, used to end many of her anti-war speeches with the words, “We must honor the dead by protecting the living.”
His words are interpreted differently by different people. Spending time with Gene and listening to his anger about war, I realized he was saying we must save lives by finding ways to resolve conflicts other than violence and war. This sounds idealistic, and it is. But idealism is one of the traits that separates us from the beasts of nature. We are at our best in the pursuit of a higher purpose and the greater good. To honor those who died in our name, we must ensure that their deaths have a higher meaning than living a comfortable material life while violence continues. We must step up and challenge ourselves to be better people.
Casey Sheehan, son of Gold Star mother Cindy Sheehan (center), was killed when his unit was attacked in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 4, 2004. Standing to Sheehan's left is Eugene Glaser, a World War II combat veteran and sitting to his left is Moses Fishman, who fought in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade during the Spanish Civil War. New York City, New York, November 11, 2005. (Photo by Michael McPherson)
This Memorial Day, after enjoying a good meal and a day off with friends, shopping some bargains, and remembering those who died if you can, think about what you can do to make the world a more peaceful place, both at home and abroad. And be the peace you want to see in the world.
The South Seattle Emeralds are committed to ensuring there is space for diverse perspectives within our community, with the understanding that differing points of view do not negate mutual respect between community members.
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by contributors on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of Emerald, or the official policies of Emerald.
Michael T. McPherson is Emerald's Executive Director. He is honored to serve the community by listening, learning, and helping Emerald achieve sustainable growth. As co-coordinator of the Ferguson/St. Louis “Don't Shoot” coalition and leading delegations to support the people of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, he recognizes the important role of community media in social change. He has testified before Congress, currently serves on the American Friends Service Committee's Nobel Peace Prize Recommendation Task Group, and serves on the board of directors of the ACLU of Washington.
📸 Featured Image: The Arlington West Project, installed every Sunday by members of Veterans for Peace in Santa Monica, California, and Los Angeles (Photo: Michael McPherson)
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