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| This letter appeared in the Hackensack Chronicle, Teaneck Suburbanite, and other North Jersey shopper newspapers. Opinion/Letters : Letters to the Editor Friday, August 7, 2009 Hackensack Chronicle To the editor: I’m a Marine mom whose son has been deployed twice to Iraq. I’d like to encourage other military families to participate in our local chapter of Military Families Speak Out. MFSO is a national organization of more than 4000 members whose loved ones are currently serving in the armed forces. Our goals are to support our troops, to call for an immediate end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to call for an end to the use of the National Guard in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to work to get the government to take care of our troops (including quality health and mental health care.) Our local chapter in Bergen County has helped organize the Bring the Troops home vigil each Wednesday at the National Guard Armory in Teaneck (4:30-6:00pm). We have lobbed elected officials about these issues. We have helped organize larger demonstrations as well as forum. Also, we support each other during and after the deployments of our loved ones. Some of our members have lost their loved one. Others have seen their loved ones return and suffer from Post traumatic stress disorder, hearing loss, traumatic brain injury, and other serious problems. If people would like to join our MFSO chapter, they can go to www.mfsobergencounty.org (click on contact) or call 617-983-0710. Peace NOW! Paula Rogovin Teaneck |
| Teaneck Suburbanite 210 consecutive weeks standing with signs Thursday, August 27, 2009 A protester stands on the corner of Liberty and Teaneck roads holding up his anti-war sign for passersby to read. Military families, veterans and area residents marked the fourth anniversary (210 consecutive weeks) of the "Bring the Troops Home NOW!" Wednesday anti-war vigil in Teaneck on Aug. 19. Protesters carried signs with the names of 78 troops from New Jersey and many Iraqi people killed in the war at the corner of Teaneck and Liberty roads. In May, members of the vigil wrote messages to President Obama on hundreds of peace cranes. Those cranes were sent to the White House by Congressman Steve Rothman. A White House meeting is pending. Sponsored by Military Families Speak Out, Bergen County Chapter (www.mfsobergencounty.org); Veterans for Peace, Chapter 21 NJ (www.vetsforpeace21.blogspot.com); and Teaneck Peace and Justice Coalition (www.teaneckpeace .blockspot.com). A protester stands on the corner of Liberty and Teaneck roads holding up his anti-war sign for passersby to read. ROY CARATOZZOLO III/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Military families, veterans and area residents marked the fourth anniversary (210 consecutive weeks) of the "Bring the Troops Home NOW!" Wednesday anti-war vigil in Teaneck on Aug. 19. To see the photograph, click here |
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| Vigil marks eighth anniversary of invasion Friday, October 23, 2009 Last updated: Friday October 23, 2009, 1:37 PM BY HOWARD PROSNITZ Cliffside Park Citizen STAFF WRITER As they have every Wednesday afternoon for the past four years, on Oct. 7 anti-war protesters gathered with banners and signs and cowbells at the northeast corner of the Teaneck Armory. But last week's vigil was special: It marked the eighth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, the United State's initial incursion in the Middle East in the aftermath of 9/11. The demonstration was one of hundreds nationwide, according to Teaneck resident Paula Rogovin, a member of Military Families Speak Out, whose son had been deployed in Iraq. Rogovin said that recent polls show that 58 percent of Americans oppose the Afghanistan War. "When it began, it was called the good war, but public opinion has shifted drastically," she said. "This war is not about finding Bin Laden. A lot of people are now realizing that it is about getting an oil pipe." "There is no war that is a good war," she added, noting that the war has already cost $228 billion. Other speakers at the rally included Teaneck resident Walter Nygard, a Vietnam veteran whose son has served an extended tour in Afghanistan. Nygard, who has attended the weekly vigils for four years, noted that at first people spoke mainly about Iraq. "But because of my son, for me the war has always been about Iraq and Afghanistan," he said. "George W. Bush put us in this financial hold and managed to turn the country around into a totalitarian state," Nygard asserted. "Now, unfortunately, the man whom we voted for and entrusted with the presidency seems to be leading us in the same abyss in Afghanistan." Jan Barry, a founder of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, quoted from a U.S. Army colonel who wrote that, "When I look at the U.S. plan for Afghanistan I can't help but think that, written years ago, this could be the plan for Vietnam." Other speakers included Father Bill O'Malley, of St. Anastasia's Church in Teaneck; Waheed Kalil, from Dar-ul-Islah Mosque; Englewood Councilman Scott Reddin; and Teaneck resident Clifton Arrington, from People's Organization for Progress. Rogovin said that Teaneck taxpayers alone have spent $66 million on the Afghanistan war since 2001. "That same money could have been used to provide health care for one year for 6,061 people," she said. "During the same period Bergen County taxpayers spent $1.3 billion on the war, which would have provided health care for one year for 118,879 people." In an interview, Rogovin said that the statistics were from the Web site, www.costofwar.com. E-mail: prosnitz@northjersey.com As they have every Wednesday afternoon for the past four years, on Oct. 7 anti-war protesters gathered with banners and signs and cowbells at the northeast corner of the Teaneck Armory. But last week's vigil was special: It marked the eighth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, the United State's initial incursion in the Middle East in the aftermath of 9/11. The demonstration was one of hundreds nationwide, according to Teaneck resident Paula Rogovin, a member of Military Families Speak Out, whose son had been deployed in Iraq. Rogovin said that recent polls show that 58 percent of Americans oppose the Afghanistan War. "When it began, it was called the good war, but public opinion has shifted drastically," she said. "This war is not about finding Bin Laden. A lot of people are now realizing that it is about getting an oil pipe." "There is no war that is a good war," she added, noting that the war has already cost $228 billion. Other speakers at the rally included Teaneck resident Walter Nygard, a Vietnam veteran whose son has served an extended tour in Afghanistan. Nygard, who has attended the weekly vigils for four years, noted that at first people spoke mainly about Iraq. "But because of my son, for me the war has always been about Iraq and Afghanistan," he said. "George W. Bush put us in this financial hold and managed to turn the country around into a totalitarian state," Nygard asserted. "Now, unfortunately, the man whom we voted for and entrusted with the presidency seems to be leading us in the same abyss in Afghanistan." Jan Barry, a founder of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, quoted from a U.S. Army colonel who wrote that, "When I look at the U.S. plan for Afghanistan I can't help but think that, written years ago, this could be the plan for Vietnam." Other speakers included Father Bill O'Malley, of St. Anastasia's Church in Teaneck; Waheed Kalil, from Dar-ul-Islah Mosque; Englewood Councilman Scott Reddin; and Teaneck resident Clifton Arrington, from People's Organization for Progress. Rogovin said that Teaneck taxpayers alone have spent $66 million on the Afghanistan war since 2001. "That same money could have been used to provide health care for one year for 6,061 people," she said. "During the same period Bergen County taxpayers spent $1.3 billion on the war, which would have provided health care for one year for 118,879 people." In an interview, Rogovin said that the statistics were from the Web site, www.costofwar.com. E-mail: prosnitz@northjersey.com |
| Record Kelly: Two tales from an unpopular war Sunday, September 5, 2010 By MIKE KELLY RECORD COLUMNIST A DAD, a mom, a call-up – this is what I carry from the Iraq War. Paula Rogovin led weekly protests outside the Teaneck National Guard Armory against the war in Iraq, such as this one in March 2008 as the fifth anniversary of the war approached. TARIQ ZEHAWI / THE RECORD Paula Rogovin led weekly protests outside the Teaneck National Guard Armory against the war in Iraq, such as this one in March 2008 as the fifth anniversary of the war approached. That conflict is not over, of course. The thump of bombs and the pop of bullets will likely continue as part of Iraq’s tumultuous soundtrack. For America, though, the war reached a critical turning point late last month as the last U.S. combat brigade came home, leaving behind 50,000 U.S. soldiers who are slated to work largely as advisers and trainers for the Iraqi military, but nonetheless are vulnerable to attack. Where does that leave the rest of us? Wars are not just about troop movements and declarations of victories, defeats or stalemates – or even President Obama’s carefully worded speech last week in which he announced that “the American combat mission in Iraq has ended.” In the end, wars touch each of us in personal ways. And so, when I ponder this strange milestone in this strange war, I’m drawn back to a father, a mother and a call to service for a diverse group of soldiers based at the Teaneck armory. Ron Griffin in May 2004 talking about the one-year anniversary of the death of his son, Kyle, in Iraq. PETER MONSEES / THE RECORD Ron Griffin in May 2004 talking about the one-year anniversary of the death of his son, Kyle, in Iraq. Learning of a death First the father. His name is Ron Griffin. He lives in Emerson. And in May 2003, he received the worst kind of news. His son, Kyle, a specialist with an intelligence unit in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, had been killed in Iraq. Kyle was only 20. He wasn’t killed fighting enemy solders. He died in a truck accident – the kind of mishap that could have taken place on Route 17 or almost any other road in North Jersey. By nature, non-combat war deaths are controversial. And for families, such deaths inevitably raise ironic questions. A soldier in a combat zone ends up dying in a highway accident – how could that happen? Kyle’s death transformed his father in a way that seemed surprising. Instead of criticizing how his son died, Ron Griffin became a supporter of the war. With the Army’s permission, he even traveled to Iraq. “I have to believe that my son died for a tremendous purpose,” Ron told me once. “That’s never changed,” he said of his support for the war when I called last week. Then, alluding to war critics who called the Iraq deployment a “mistake,” he added: “My son didn’t die from a mistake.” He was sincere, and would not entertain any discussion that his son’s life had been wasted. I admired him for that. Indeed, the more I spoke with Griffin, the more I found him to be compelling. He was a man who had decided to take a stand – in favor of his son and his country. Good for him. But that zeal pushed Ron to a difficult decision. Three years ago, Griffin asked U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg to remove his son’s name and photo from a memorial to dead soldiers outside Lautenberg’s Washington office. Griffin did not like Lautenberg’s anti-war stance. Wounds The war in Iraq had taken Ron’s son. The war on the home front had wounded Ron. In Teaneck, Paula Rogovin – a mother — felt a different kind of pain. Her son enlisted in the Marines and was dispatched to Iraq. She wanted him home. Unlike Ron Griffin, Paula Rogovin did not support the war or her son’s deployment. But like Griffin, Rogovin did not keep her mouth shut. In her case, though, she lent her voice to the opposition to the war, and led a weekly vigil at the Teaneck armory to draw attention to her cause. “To have my own child in a war you don’t believe in, when you think that war is immoral, is tough,” Rogovin told me once. She was sincere, believable – as admirable as Ron Griffin in her zeal. But so this war that had divided so many political figures had divided a family here in North Jersey. Rogovin told me she was proud of her son. And yet, her motherly pride had limits. “He’s doing his mission, and I’m doing mine,” she said when I asked how her son felt about her war protesting. Today, the vigils continue, despite the reduction in the number of U.S. troops in Iraq. Rogovin also opposed the war in Afghanistan. Just beyond the sound of those vigils – inside the Teaneck armory – I found myself in 2008 covering the call-up of a National Guard unit. Foxtrot Company’s 120 soldiers, who are based at the Teaneck Armory, were a diverse lot. There were cops, a bus driver, a mechanic, several students and salesmen. There was a grandmother who worked in a factory, a professional boxer and a mother who had given birth only six months before she left for the war zone. Sense of duty Some Foxtrot soldiers supported the war wholeheartedly. Some felt it was wrong. But what struck me about most was their sense of duty. They had enlisted – and now, with guns in hand, they were following orders and shipping out to the war zone. I had the privilege of following Foxtrot Company to Iraq and observing them go about their mission as prison guards in a desert outpost in southern Iraq. Luckily, every soldier made it home alive. Did they complain? Sure. They hated the endless sand, the endless boredom, the endless Army orders, the endless worries about how their families were faring back home. In a way, they were a little bit like the country they served. They followed orders – including many they did not agree with. But in the end, they endured. |
| Veterans' poems send messages, chills Wednesday, December 1, 2010 BY JAIME CANNICI Teaneck Suburbanite Editor TEANECK - On a cold, November night in Teaneck, the Puffin Cultural Forum was warmed up with energy from poets and musicians who are not ordinary by any means - they are our country's veterans. Teaneck resident Walt Nygard, emcee of the evening, addresses the crowd and recites some of his poetry. JOE CAMPOREALE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Teaneck resident Walt Nygard, emcee of the evening, addresses the crowd and recites some of his poetry. The fourth annual Puffin Peace Jam on Nov. 19 was filled with emotional words spoken by inspiring men and women. Performing to a packed house of residents, veterans and military families from New York and New Jersey, there was tremendous enthusiasm, according to Paula Rogovin, of Military Families Speak Out. There were more than seven veterans who stood up and either spoke or sang to the audience. Rogovin, of Teaneck, explained, "There were special cheers for Jeremiah Drozd, a US Army veteran with two tours of duty in Afghanistan. Since being honorably discharged in 2008, Jeremiah has been enrolled in Bergen Community College. He recited his poems about the war with passion." Members of the audience cried when Katelyn Rose Nudo sang "Dear Mr. President," a song by Prince, according to Rogovin. The song, originally addressed to President Bush, asks: "How do you sleep while the rest of us cry? How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye? How do you walk with your head held high? Can you even look me in the eye, and tell me why?" Teaneck resident Walter Nygard, a Marine and a Vietnam Veteran, and poet, did much of the outreach to the veterans to make the evening possible. Teaneck Suburbanite caught up with Nygard after the event. Q: You are a blue collar writer of poetry, what does that mean? A: This means I have a job. I'm not an office guy or an academic (although I do have a college degree - University of New Mexico, English). It means I have to squeeze writing in with going to work everyday. I write both prose and poetry. I'm an unpublished novelist/short story writer hoping to someday get lucky. Q: When did you first start writing? What inspires you? A: I've been a writer since I was a little kid. I've always been a reader, a student of history and art. Also, I find people interesting. All of which inspires me. Q: Since the war, do you think it is easier to write your feelings down instead of talking? A: Being a writer anyway, I've always used that as an outlet for thoughts, observations, "deep truths", stories, whatever...Ernest Hemingway has a great quote about a man sent to war for a year having a lifetime of stories to write. As for talking, veterans naturally respond to other veterans in the way ballplayers like to hang out with ballplayers or dancers (I suppose) with dancers. We all grow and our stories hopefully grow wings. Q: How are you connected to the Puffin Peace Jam? A: I conceived the first Puffin reading almost three years ago. At that time somebody - I never found out who - initiated the Iraq War Moratorium. The idea was that on the third Friday of each month events would be staged to remind the American people that we were at war. I thought the idea was absurd. Any country that needs to be reminded they're in a war is clueless to the most shameful degree. Anyway, I'd been peripherally involved in an anti-war film series held at the Puffin in 2007 and had struck up an acquaintance with the then director, Tim Blunk. I pitched the idea of an anti-Iraq War poetry reading, got the OK, and proceeded to look for talent. I was aided by a fellow Vietnam veteran, Dayl Wise (from New York), who started Post Traumatic Press and published anthologies of veteran's poetry. I didn't know him but I called and asked if he and some of his writers would come to Jersey. And that - as Bogie said at the end of "Casablanca" - "was the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Since then, we've found new artists - younger, Afghan/Iraq vets, young women singer/songwriters, plus some of us old regulars. In spite of the war and peace themes, the readings are high energy and a good time. This last one - Nov. 19 - was no exception. Played to a packed house, a good time was had by all. Q: How long have you been involved with Veterans for Peace? A: I've been with Veterans For Peace since 2007. We meet the first Saturday of the month at 1 p.m. at the Vietnam Veterans Community Center in Jersey City. We march, hold vigils - our regular, Teaneck Armory, Wednesdays, 4:30 to 6 p.m., participate in fund raising and educational events. The event was hosted by the Veteran's Poets of Post Traumatic Press and sponsored by Veterans for Peace, Chapter 21. TEANECK - On a cold, November night in Teaneck, the Puffin Cultural Forum was warmed up with energy from poets and musicians who are not ordinary by any means - they are our country's veterans. The fourth annual Puffin Peace Jam on Nov. 19 was filled with emotional words spoken by inspiring men and women. Performing to a packed house of residents, veterans and military families from New York and New Jersey, there was tremendous enthusiasm, according to Paula Rogovin, of Military Families Speak Out. There were more than seven veterans who stood up and either spoke or sang to the audience. Rogovin, of Teaneck, explained, "There were special cheers for Jeremiah Drozd, a US Army veteran with two tours of duty in Afghanistan. Since being honorably discharged in 2008, Jeremiah has been enrolled in Bergen Community College. He recited his poems about the war with passion." Members of the audience cried when Katelyn Rose Nudo sang "Dear Mr. President," a song by Prince, according to Rogovin. The song, originally addressed to President Bush, asks: "How do you sleep while the rest of us cry? How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye? How do you walk with your head held high? Can you even look me in the eye, and tell me why?" Teaneck resident Walter Nygard, a Marine and a Vietnam Veteran, and poet, did much of the outreach to the veterans to make the evening possible. Teaneck Suburbanite caught up with Nygard after the event. Q: You are a blue collar writer of poetry, what does that mean? A: This means I have a job. I'm not an office guy or an academic (although I do have a college degree - University of New Mexico, English). It means I have to squeeze writing in with going to work everyday. I write both prose and poetry. I'm an unpublished novelist/short story writer hoping to someday get lucky. Q: When did you first start writing? What inspires you? A: I've been a writer since I was a little kid. I've always been a reader, a student of history and art. Also, I find people interesting. All of which inspires me. Q: Since the war, do you think it is easier to write your feelings down instead of talking? A: Being a writer anyway, I've always used that as an outlet for thoughts, observations, "deep truths", stories, whatever...Ernest Hemingway has a great quote about a man sent to war for a year having a lifetime of stories to write. As for talking, veterans naturally respond to other veterans in the way ballplayers like to hang out with ballplayers or dancers (I suppose) with dancers. We all grow and our stories hopefully grow wings. Q: How are you connected to the Puffin Peace Jam? A: I conceived the first Puffin reading almost three years ago. At that time somebody - I never found out who - initiated the Iraq War Moratorium. The idea was that on the third Friday of each month events would be staged to remind the American people that we were at war. I thought the idea was absurd. Any country that needs to be reminded they're in a war is clueless to the most shameful degree. Anyway, I'd been peripherally involved in an anti-war film series held at the Puffin in 2007 and had struck up an acquaintance with the then director, Tim Blunk. I pitched the idea of an anti-Iraq War poetry reading, got the OK, and proceeded to look for talent. I was aided by a fellow Vietnam veteran, Dayl Wise (from New York), who started Post Traumatic Press and published anthologies of veteran's poetry. I didn't know him but I called and asked if he and some of his writers would come to Jersey. And that - as Bogie said at the end of "Casablanca" - "was the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Since then, we've found new artists - younger, Afghan/Iraq vets, young women singer/songwriters, plus some of us old regulars. In spite of the war and peace themes, the readings are high energy and a good time. This last one - Nov. 19 - was no exception. Played to a packed house, a good time was had by all. Q: How long have you been involved with Veterans for Peace? A: I've been with Veterans For Peace since 2007. We meet the first Saturday of the month at 1 p.m. at the Vietnam Veterans Community Center in Jersey City. We march, hold vigils - our regular, Teaneck Armory, Wednesdays, 4:30 to 6 p.m., participate in fund raising and educational events. The event was hosted by the Veteran's Poets of Post Traumatic Press and sponsored by Veterans for Peace, Chapter 21. |
| Group of 25 push for Obama to end war Monday, October 12, 2009 Last updated: Monday October 12, 2009, 10:07 AM BY ASHLEY KINDERGAN The Record STAFF WRITER LEONIA — For eight years, as long as the U.S. has been at war in Afghanistan, the Leonia Peace Group has come to a downtown street corner for peace vigils. Karen Del Colle of Leonia and Paula Rogovin of Teaneck on Sunday. The first vigil was held after the war broke out. ASHLEY KINDERGAN / STAFF Karen Del Colle of Leonia and Paula Rogovin of Teaneck on Sunday. The first vigil was held after the war broke out. That's eight years too many, group members said Sunday as they stood outside in the late afternoon sun, holding signs and placards that called for an end to the war. Many said they hoped that President Obama, who is considering U.S. strategy options in Afghanistan, would bring about peace sooner rather than later. "The president is going to be making decisions, and we feel it's really important for us to speak out as loudly as we can," said Ellie Spiegel, of Leonia. "I think he ought to live up to the award he was just given," said Frank Wagner, a Vietnam veteran from Bogota. "The Nobel Peace Prize is the Nobel Peace Prize. They don't give out a Nobel War Prize." Kevin Stinson, a high school teacher, at Sunday's vigil. Several drivers honked their horns in support of the group. Kevin Stinson, a high school teacher, at Sunday's vigil. Several drivers honked their horns in support of the group. The group of about 25 demonstrators who gathered on the corner of Fort Lee Road and Broad Avenue on Sunday included a mother whose son has served two tours of duty in Iraq, a Vietnam veteran, an Iraqi doctor who immigrated to the United States and a high school social studies teacher. Last year, Obama campaigned on a platform of withdrawing troops from Iraq and refocusing U.S. military efforts on the war in Afghanistan. Earlier this year, the president ordered 21,000 additional troops into the country, though many lawmakers support sending more, arguing that pulling back from Afghanistan might allow the country to once again become a harbor for al- Qaeda and other extremist terrorist groups. A USA Today/Gallup poll released last week indicated that 48 percent of Americans support sending in more troops, while 45 percent do not. In 2001, a poll by the same organizations showed that 95 percent of Americans supported the military efforts there. Demonstrators on Sunday said they have noticed a shift in public opinion since 2001. People used to drive by their vigils yelling curses or questioning their patriotism. On Sunday, drivers honked horns in support and even several yelled their support through the car window. "I think people have become much more supportive," said Karen Del Colle of Leonia. "I think now, eight years later, people see that it's not going anywhere positive, and that it's not the way to fight terrorism." Paula Rogovin, a teacher from Teaneck whose Marine son served in Iraq, said there seemed to be a public perception for a time that the war in Afghanistan was justified, even if the war in Iraq was not. "There's no war that's a good war," she said. "Over 800 killed, for what?" LEONIA — For eight years, as long as the U.S. has been at war in Afghanistan, the Leonia Peace Group has come to a downtown street corner for peace vigils. That's eight years too many, group members said Sunday as they stood outside in the late afternoon sun, holding signs and placards that called for an end to the war. Many said they hoped that President Obama, who is considering U.S. strategy options in Afghanistan, would bring about peace sooner rather than later. "The president is going to be making decisions, and we feel it's really important for us to speak out as loudly as we can," said Ellie Spiegel, of Leonia. "I think he ought to live up to the award he was just given," said Frank Wagner, a Vietnam veteran from Bogota. "The Nobel Peace Prize is the Nobel Peace Prize. They don't give out a Nobel War Prize." The group of about 25 demonstrators who gathered on the corner of Fort Lee Road and Broad Avenue on Sunday included a mother whose son has served two tours of duty in Iraq, a Vietnam veteran, an Iraqi doctor who immigrated to the United States and a high school social studies teacher. Last year, Obama campaigned on a platform of withdrawing troops from Iraq and refocusing U.S. military efforts on the war in Afghanistan. Earlier this year, the president ordered 21,000 additional troops into the country, though many lawmakers support sending more, arguing that pulling back from Afghanistan might allow the country to once again become a harbor for al- Qaeda and other extremist terrorist groups. A USA Today/Gallup poll released last week indicated that 48 percent of Americans support sending in more troops, while 45 percent do not. In 2001, a poll by the same organizations showed that 95 percent of Americans supported the military efforts there. Demonstrators on Sunday said they have noticed a shift in public opinion since 2001. People used to drive by their vigils yelling curses or questioning their patriotism. On Sunday, drivers honked horns in support and even several yelled their support through the car window. "I think people have become much more supportive," said Karen Del Colle of Leonia. "I think now, eight years later, people see that it's not going anywhere positive, and that it's not the way to fight terrorism." Paula Rogovin, a teacher from Teaneck whose Marine son served in Iraq, said there seemed to be a public perception for a time that the war in Afghanistan was justified, even if the war in Iraq was not. "There's no war that's a good war," she said. "Over 800 killed, for what?" |