For the fourteenth year, peace activists will address the public display of warships and warplanes in our community.
Why would we demonstrate for peace at a Seattle maritime festival? Because the celebration of warships in our harbor helps bring about the normalcy of modern war.
The fleet arrival at Seafair is a public relations and recruiting event for the U.S. Navy. Previous years have brought Trident nuclear submarines complete with nuclear warheads and Navy warships used to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles in the first and second Wars on Iraq and the War on Afghanistan. The fleet is displayed for four days in downtown Seattle at tremendous cost to taxpayers while crucial social services in education, health care, and transportation are being cut for lack of funds.
“War has become just another ‘issue’ in modern society, like pollution or other problems. We measure the cost of war in dollars and lives and decide whether it is ‘worth it.’ War should never be seen as a normal means to solve problems. War is the problem and the weapons of war in downtown Seattle should not be glorified or honored in any way.”
Peace Fleet sailor Glen Milner
Please See the Fact Sheet.
