New Haven Independent: Charge! Drill Sergeant Politician Obliterates Peace Scare

Charge! Drill Sergeant Politician Obliterates Peace Scare

by Melissa Bailey | February 9, 2007 8:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

“Let us not oversell the notion of peace without giving cause to freedom,” said U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeant/Alderman Alex Rhodeen (pictured) as he launched a rebuttal to peaceniks’ pleas in a peace-war showdown in City Hall.

Rhodeen smelled something fishy in the New Haven Peace Commission’s request to the aldermanic Municipal Services Committee Thursday night. It all concerned the city’s landmark East Rock Park.

First, the “Angel of Victory” got transformed into the “Angel of Peace,” restored and hoisted to the backdrop of peace banners. The beacon of East Rock, first dedicated to war veterans, now stands for peace.

Thursday, Peace Commission members pushed further, requesting that East Rock be designated a “peace park.” There would be no signage, promised New Haven Peace Commission Chair Al Marder. There would be no renaming — just quietly designate it a “peace park” like the one on the Ella Grasso Boulevard by the razed Oak Street neighborhood, he requested.

Marder called his requests “modest” — rename the pavilion “A Lookout for Peace” and hang occasional banners there promoting the message.

“What we’re trying to do is say that the purpose of the veterans in our community is to establish a culture of peace,” said Marder, a four-year veteran and Bronze Star recipient. “We’re not suggesting in any way that the park be touched.”

Marder’s group got the Park Commission’s blessing to do as it pleased, as long as banners were removed and the park was not otherwise altered.

When he came up against the Municipal Services Committee, the plans got slammed. Debate had been postponed for two months until Rhodeen could join the debate.

After Marder made his case and left, the alderman launched his counterstrike.

First, the designation leaves some war veterans feeling “slighted”, said Rhodeen. Then there’s the plan to rename the pavilion, where Marder said his group would post, for example, artistic banners touting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The latter got the alderman suspicious: “I get a little concerned when I hear nothing will happen, then I’m told about the banners and leaflets.”

He took issue with the veteran’s argument for endorsing “an atmosphere of peace.”

“The point was made that veterans fight for peace, and while that’s certainly a component of it, note that veterans really fight for freedom — currently there’s peace in Cuba, yet people there are not free. So, let us not oversell the notion of peace without giving cause to freedom, which is really why people fight and why they serve this country.”

Marder wasn’t there to respond, nor to hear his proposal get rejected by three other aldermen.

“I’m not comfortable with the cause-du-jour renaming of the park. I think it’s inappropriate,” said East Rock Alderman Roland Lemar. Yale Alderman Nick Shalek agreed.

“I get a little concerned when veterans get concerned and people’s feelings get hurt,” weighed in Quinnipiac Heights Alderman Robert Lee.

One voice backed up the peace-proponets: “You drive any direction in this town and you find streetcorners named after reverends” and preachers, noted Hill Alderwoman Dolores ColÃ³n. “Non-Christian city-dwellers live with those names. Can’t pro-war people live with something named after peace? Anyway, the city deserves a nicer peace park, because the one on the Boulevard is “just a spit of dirt that is neglected.”

ColÃ³n’s yea-vote was outnumbered 1 to 3, crushing the proposal.

Comments

Posted by: Alex Rhodeen | February 9, 2007 9:59 AM

One important correction, I serve as a Drill Sergeant in the United States Army Reserve - not as a member of the United States Marine Corp.

Posted by: Bruce | February 9, 2007 10:26 AM

I'm all for peace, but I don't think it's right to take something that is currently dedicated to our veterans and then dedicate it to something else.

"What we're trying to do is say that the purpose of the veterans in our community is to establish a culture of peace,"

That's not necessarily true. I'm a proud war protestor and sometimes-peace activist, but I have to agree with alderman Rhodeen here.

Posted by: Pro-Peace, anti renaming of East Rock Park | February 9, 2007 10:51 AM

I'd like to applaud Aldermans Rhodeen, Lemar, Shalek and Lee for not being swayed by a popular sentiment. I too am pro peace, but designating Eastg Rock Park as the City "Peace Park" is dismissive of the value that East Rock Park has to everyone who attends it. It is almost as bad as renaming the Town Green the "peace Park". We all want peace and want to celebrate life, but renaming things is not the way to do it. Keep East Rock Park as East Rock Park, not the "Peace Park"

Posted by: SabrnaBruno | February 9, 2007 11:04 AM

I am hoping that a historian can correct the record here. I have always known the grand Lady atop the Soldiers' and Sailors' monument as the "Angel Of Peace." And, during the recent refurbishment, was told by a sculpter that the reason 'she' is known as a "peace" statue is because she holds a laurel wreath in her hand across her body ( laurel symbolizing victory), but holds the olive branch above her head (olive branch symbolizing peace) and that the placements, therefore, designate it a 'peace' statue. I have never thought it a war memorial, but a tribute to veterans and to the peace that followed (at least for some periods of time) the wars named on the lower monument's tablets. During the replacement of this beautiful "Angel" to her perch, a rather cranky veteran stated it was a war memorial, and I have wondered what the truth is ever since - anyone with exact knowledge?

Posted by: Pro-Peace, anti renaming of East Rock Park | February 9, 2007 1:06 PM

Sabrina-

It is a war memorial with Nike, the symbol of victory,as the Angel - She is offering an olive branch for peace to those returning to New Haven andthose that were lost while securing a victory for peace.

Posted by: Cedar Hill Resident | February 9, 2007 4:53 PM

Sabrina...
My father always called it the Angel of Peace since I was a kid.

I would hope no one would ever make a memorial for a war....but one to remember the lives lost and the peace that was won from there sacrifice.

I looked up the wreath and it indeed is a symbol of victory every were I looked.

But the olive branch I found a few different meanings. When remembering the dead it is a symbol of forgiveness and humanity.
But I found in most places saw it as a symbol of peace.

So Sabrina i am in agreement with you. She is New Haven's Angel of Peace.

Posted by: Lovebabz | February 9, 2007 6:34 PM

I must say that my former BOA members are very concerned about the world and are peace-seeking people. Alderman Rhodeen is very sensitve about veterans and all who are serving our country. Pro-War is not the appropriate label. Who is Pro-War? Ok maybe the ENTIRE BUSH ADMINISTRATION. But here in New Haven, that is not the case. If it were not for young people like Alderman Rhodeen, we would not be enjoying the freedoms we so aptly take for granted. It is young men and women who answer the call to serve and they deserve all our respect and admiration! I admire greatly the work that Al Marder does and has done and will continue to do--someone has to remind us how sweet peace can be if we but give it a chance. I do think that this is more about our frustrations about the world as we see it evolving rather than re-naming of a park. Shakespere said it best" A Rose by any other name...well you get where I am going with this.
I would like to see this type of energy put forth solving our youth problems--that's really how you change the world! But what do I know--I am just a lowly common thief..a felon no less.

New Haven Independent

Charge! Drill Sergeant Politician Obliterates Peace Scare

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