Might as Well Put Up a Monument to the French!

This is in no way a "peace monument," despite what supporters say. Would you call a statue of men who chose not to fight in the Civil War, and fled the country, a "peace monument?" No, you would rightly call it a coward monument.

Why honor cowardly actions? To encourage others to do the same?

I won't be going back to Nelson, B.C.

Reuters: Plans for US draft dodger sculpture revived---

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - Peace activists have revived plans for a sculpture to commemorate Vietnam War draft resisters who fled to Canada, a proposal that had drawn the ire of U.S. veterans groups and conservatives.

The activists, who are also organizing a reunion for "draft dodgers" in July, said Tuesday the proposed monument is still needed to warn Americans and Canadians about the dangers of militarism.

"It is very important educationally that we have specific peace monuments," said Isaac Romano, an American who immigrated to Canada and now lives in British Columbia's Kootenay region where many U.S. war resisters settled.

The plan for a monument in Nelson, British Columbia, was originally announced in 2004, but quickly dropped after it was denounced by the U.S. Veterans of Foreign Wars and conservative media commentators.

Nelson city officials withdrew support for the sculpture to avoid a threatened U.S. boycott of the area's important tourism industry.

Romano said the activists have not decided on a location for the planned sculpture, and welcomed proposals from both Canadian and U.S. communities.

"It could be that there is a group in the States that sees it as an opportunity to remind Americans that they are not locked into the militarism. That there is an escape valve," Romano said.

The proposal calls for a sculpture of two Americans, a male and a female, crossing an imaginary border where a Canadian figure is waiting to welcome them.

It has been estimated that 125,000 draft-age Americans fled to Canada to avoid Vietnam and prosecution under U.S. law, although about half returned home after President Jimmy Carter granted amnesty in 1977.

A reunion of cowards.

And what is with the woman crossing the border? Were there women draft dodgers? Have women ever even been drafted?

Stupid!

You can tell the City of Nelson you won't be visiting here.