It is now Labor Day evening, bringing to a close three days of yours truly promoting peace at the annual Cleveland National Air Show at Burke Lakefront Airport, as I have done for the past several Labor Day weekends. The event attracts folks who more or less rubber stamp everything the military does. In other words, it's a tough crowd, but I did my best during four hours of presence on each day of the long weekend to win "hearts and minds." I felt there needed to be a voice for peace to serve as a counterweight to the star-spangled, red-white-and-blue dog-and-pony show that is the air show--which essentially is a public relations and marketing ploy that also serves as a recruiting tool.
As usual, I positioned myself at the optimal spot for maximum exposure of my peace message to people in vehicles and pedestrians, standing at the northeast corner of the intersection of East Ninth Street and North Marginal Drive, across from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
I embraced a more pro-actively friendly tack this time. Rather than simply smiling and nodding to pedestrians as they approached as I have done for years, I took the initiative of cheerily saying, "Good Morning! Beautiful day, eh?" or "Good Morning! Gorgeous day, eh?" In the afternoon I would cheerily say "Hi!" or "Hello!", followed by a comment about what a fine day it is.
My rationale for this approach is rooted in two old sayings, "It is easier to catch flies with a spoonful of honey than with a barrel of vinegar" and "kill 'em with kindness."
As a result of my approach, no one became antagonistic, although I have to say, it was more than a little disheartening that so many people simply ignored me totally. It was as if they were deaf. Some attendees responded in a friendly manner, though, especially women. A handful of people said they "like" or "love" my peace flag and a few had their pictures taken with me, especially women.
Still, even among those ignoring me, I'm sure that the image of a war veteran in his dress uniform carrying a peace flag is not one they will soon forget. I said to many people, "I'm just trying to give people something to think about--that some war veterans are pro-peace."
To a woman bicyclist who said she liked my flag I said, "I wish everyone did. I wish it flew over the White House."
A few people did not understand the peace symbol and I explained it is the semaphore signals for the letters "N" and "D" superimposed on one another, originating in Britain in 1958, with the letters standing for "Nuclear Disarmament." It has since become a generic peace symbol.
One young man wearing a white Trump-Pence tee shirt, while walking by me and referring to my flag, grumpily said, "It's supposed to be stars and stripes."
I shouted as he walked away, "The stars are in hiding." He was out of earshot before I could finish my thought, which would have been, "They are in hiding because they are ashamed and embarrassed about the death, destruction and instability we have caused in the Middle East."
Many people thanked me for my service, even though I sensed they did not like my flag. One attendee who was especially appreciative of my presence expressed his deep gratitude a few hours later when our paths happened to cross on Euclid Avenue at East Ninth Street as I headed to the RTA Rapid Transit station in Tower City for my ride home. He said, "Thank you for your service TODAY!"
To a few folks of like mind I said, "The peace flag ought to be the American flag. We need more peace, civility, mutual respect and tolerance--here and around the world." One army veteran said the peace flag ought to be the national flag for all countries around the world. Amen to that.
On a lighter note, I had a little fun this morning with a U.S. Air Force officer walking a little ahead of me on East Ninth Street as we headed toward North Marginal Drive prior to the air show. When we reached North Marginal, I noticed the black embroidered officer insignia on the top of the right shoulder of his one-piece olive-drab flight suit.
I cheerily said, "Captain, I like your 'onesie!!' It's a lot bigger than the first 'onesie' you wore." The two young blond women walking with him laughed and he said, "Well, it is what is is." I patted him once on his captain's bars, saying, "I know, I know--regulations."