Well, it finally happened! Last night by a vote of 5 to 2 in favor, we now have the “Peace Bridge of Bend!”
I want to thank all of you for helping to convert this “loony idea” into a symbol for peace. When you have a chance, take a stroll downtown and head for the Portland Avenue Bridge. While there visit Pacific Park, which we adopted last year and is adjacent to the bridge. This is a special place. Think about what it means to have a peace bridge in our town. What does it mean to you?
Check out the My Nickel’s Worth pieces by Janet Whitney and Meg Brookover in the Bulletin (12-18). Think about writing your own letter. Then see what the Bulletin had to say about this bridge vote under their coverage of Wednesday night’s city council meeting. But you’ll have to look real hard, because it rated a mere single sentence at the end of their article (Local section, page C5).
One final note: I was told last night that the new council can easily overturn this proclamation. Let’s hope they don’t try. But we need to stay alert to the possibility.
Again, thanks to all for supporting this 17-month long struggle. Now think about peace bridges…everywhere!
Peace,
John Schwechten
This article appears in Dec 25-31, 2008.
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“What does it mean to you?”
Not a darned thing. Get back to me and let me know what this has done for the cause of peace.
I can’t figure out why the Bulletin editorial board has such a hair up its collective ass over this. Any ideas?
Also, I’d like to know why right-wingers think “activist” is a dirty word. (“Coyote” on the NW Republican blog uses it that way too.) Weren’t our Founding Fathers a bunch of pretty radical “activists”?
Without activists, nothing happens. Maybe that’s why right-wingers hate them — they want to preserve the status quo.
Activists are great. Bush haters are activists. Obama haters will soon pick up the mantle. Anarchists are the best activists out there.
The Peace Bridge non-re-naming (proclamation only) is much about nothing. Proclamations and resolutions are not worth the paper they are written on.
Who cares what this council thinks about a bridge? Who cares if the next council negates the opinions of this council?
In that we have a monument to War in the Newport Avenue bridge, why not? Seems fitting.
‘Course those of us who have been here fity-something years or more will, more the likely, continue to call it the Portland (Newport) Avenue bridge.
Why would anyone in his or her right mind be opposed to celebrating Peace? I think I just answered my own question with the qualification, “in his or her right mind…”
Bill Hause,
Fully & Permanently Disabled (Combat injured) Vietnam Veteran, US Army, USAR, MI NG, CA NG -total military service, 17 years and still capable of Free, Independent, non-partisan thought.
“Who cares if the next council negates the opinions of this council?”
It will be very, very difficult for the new council to undo the Peace Bridge designation, no matter how much The Bulletin editorial board bitches and moans. They would look like warmongering idiots.