Thousands Say Goodbye to Peace Pioneer Blase Bonpane as Celebrities Call for Dismantling the Empire and Taking to the Streets
Rev James Lawson:
“This empire must be dismantled from within.”
“We must continue the struggle and intensify the struggle.”
(Blase Bonpane Memorial Service)
Ron Kovic:
“I believe that we may have to go to the streets again in this country in great numbers.”
(Blase Bonpane Memorial Service)
“This empire must be dismantled from within.”
“We must continue the struggle and intensify the struggle.”
(Blase Bonpane Memorial Service)
Ron Kovic:
“I believe that we may have to go to the streets again in this country in great numbers.”
(Blase Bonpane Memorial Service)
May 26. Los Angeles, CA. Thousands piled into the Emanuel Presbyterian Church on Wilshire for the memorial for Blase Bonpane, a man who was loved my most in the peace movement. The crowd included many celebrities and leaders, who came to pay their last respects to a man who had fought for many decades to bring peace to the world.
The speaker list at Blase Bonpane’s Memorial was filled with celebrities, who mostly had arrest records for demonstrating for peace and exercising their First Amendment right of free speech. (It must be noted that the U.S. Government has now in essence declared the First Amendment null and void with the Espionage Act indictments against Julian Assange for being a journalist.) Many in the audience had also been arrested demonstrating for peace and human rights. Speakers reminded the public that Blase and his wife Theresa had been arrested many times at demonstrations in their struggle to end oppressive wars.
The speaker list at Blase Bonpane’s Memorial was filled with celebrities, who mostly had arrest records for demonstrating for peace and exercising their First Amendment right of free speech. (It must be noted that the U.S. Government has now in essence declared the First Amendment null and void with the Espionage Act indictments against Julian Assange for being a journalist.) Many in the audience had also been arrested demonstrating for peace and human rights. Speakers reminded the public that Blase and his wife Theresa had been arrested many times at demonstrations in their struggle to end oppressive wars.
Theresa Bonpane and daughter Colleen
The Yellow Vests would have been proud of the rhetoric spoken that was received with thunderous applause at the memorial. Speaker after speaker called for people to take to the streets. Attendees could be heard before and after the event expressing concerns about a possible war against Venezuela and U.S. sanctions which has so far killed 40,000 Venezuelans. The pro-war policies of both major political parties were in disfavor among the large crowd attending. The only Presidential candidates getting a pass were Tulsi Gabbard, who is seen as the most anti-war of the 2020 Presidential candidates, and Bernie Sanders, who also says he’s against war.
Blase and his wife Theresa put together the Office of the Americas, an educational organization that was aimed at ending the U.S. oppression of Latin American countries. Living in the USA where the government had put together a School of the Americas to teach oppressive leaders how to torture their own citizens, there was a real need for the Office of the Americas. Blase had seen first-hand the violence perpetrated by the U.S. Government in Central America to oppress countries there to do the bidding of American corporatists and in the U.S. push to replace democracies with oppressive dictatorships. (Americans are seeing that today in the Trump's attempt to replace democratically-elected Nicolas Maduro with violent would-be dictator Juan Guaido in Venezuela.) There is no doubt that the work of the Office of the Americas saved a great many lives or that Blase Bonpane is a hero who has made a real difference in the world. The speakers at the memorial reminded the audience of the tremendous contribution Blase had made to peace.
Over the years, the Office of the Americas celebrated many peacemakers, such as Howard Zinn, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Martin Sheen and a long list of others, each of whom had helped the cause of peace. It became one of the greatest promoters or peace in the world and has been recognized by leaders across America for its assistance in making the world a better place. At the memorial, there was a concern that the death of Blase Bonpane would make the world a much more dangerous place. The speakers told the crowd that Blase would live on in the work for peace that everyone present was expected to continue. Theresa Bonpane stated that she intended to keep the Office of the Americas open. This was a relief to many, who believe the world as on the verge of World War III unless the work of peace is continued.
Blase and his wife Theresa put together the Office of the Americas, an educational organization that was aimed at ending the U.S. oppression of Latin American countries. Living in the USA where the government had put together a School of the Americas to teach oppressive leaders how to torture their own citizens, there was a real need for the Office of the Americas. Blase had seen first-hand the violence perpetrated by the U.S. Government in Central America to oppress countries there to do the bidding of American corporatists and in the U.S. push to replace democracies with oppressive dictatorships. (Americans are seeing that today in the Trump's attempt to replace democratically-elected Nicolas Maduro with violent would-be dictator Juan Guaido in Venezuela.) There is no doubt that the work of the Office of the Americas saved a great many lives or that Blase Bonpane is a hero who has made a real difference in the world. The speakers at the memorial reminded the audience of the tremendous contribution Blase had made to peace.
Over the years, the Office of the Americas celebrated many peacemakers, such as Howard Zinn, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Martin Sheen and a long list of others, each of whom had helped the cause of peace. It became one of the greatest promoters or peace in the world and has been recognized by leaders across America for its assistance in making the world a better place. At the memorial, there was a concern that the death of Blase Bonpane would make the world a much more dangerous place. The speakers told the crowd that Blase would live on in the work for peace that everyone present was expected to continue. Theresa Bonpane stated that she intended to keep the Office of the Americas open. This was a relief to many, who believe the world as on the verge of World War III unless the work of peace is continued.
Delores Huerta
Presenters at the Memorial included Mary Ann and Anna Cummings, Mimi Kennedy, Father Greg Boyle, Blase Martin Bonpane (Blase’s son), Rabbi Susan Goldberg, Reverend Janet McKeithen, Kate Somple, Delores Huerta, Ron Kovic, Reverend James Lawson, Jackson Browne, California State Senator Elena Durazo, David Clannon, Martin Sheen, Frank Dorrel, Alex Sanchez, Larry Dilg, Blase Dillingham, Theresa Bonpane, Colleen Bonpane (Blase’s daughter) and a group of singers from among Blase's friends. Tom English, who has been very active in the peace movement was among the singers on stage. Tom also did a lot of the work setting up the memorial. Though they didn’t take to the stage, Jane Fonda, Mike Farrell and a number of other celebrities were seated in the audience. The memorial concluded with the audience singing one of Blase’s favorite songs: “Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream.”
Paralyzed Vietnam Vet Ron Kovic who wrote and was the subject of the movie, Born on the Fourth of July:
“It really doesn’t matter how old or how young you are, whether you’re are in a wheelchair or whether you’re walking with that cane as Blase did...
“That day and those days are coming up ahead, regardless of how tired you might be. We’ve been there before. We’ve marched and we’ve demonstrated. We’re going to have to do it again and we’re going to have to bring the young people with us, students with us, great numbers of people.”
“It really doesn’t matter how old or how young you are, whether you’re are in a wheelchair or whether you’re walking with that cane as Blase did...
“That day and those days are coming up ahead, regardless of how tired you might be. We’ve been there before. We’ve marched and we’ve demonstrated. We’re going to have to do it again and we’re going to have to bring the young people with us, students with us, great numbers of people.”
Mimi Kennedy
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Jackson Browne
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