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About 50 members of the Syracuse community congregated in the May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society church Monday morning to commemorate “Armistice Day,” advocating for global peace and an end to “militarism” in the United States.

At the sixth annual “Reclaim Armistice Day” memorial, co-hosted by Syracuse Veterans For Peace and the Syracuse Peace Council, speakers addressed the harmful effects of firearms and military weaponry on national and global security — focusing on gun violence in the U.S. and the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.

Mark Stradley, the founder of RAWtools Buffalo — a gun violence prevention group that upcycles donated firearms — led a demonstration, creating a gardening tool from a section of a gun barrel. During the initial ceremony, attendees passed the barrel around and wrote the names of communities impacted by gun violence and victims of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

“Congress hijacked Armistice Day and renamed it Veterans Day, so peace and goodwill and mutual understanding is cast aside,” Ron VanNorstrand, an organizer, said. “Unfortunately, this provides the means and the opportunity for the war merchants to assert the proposition that militarism and war are the only acceptable means of resolution.”

Armistice Day, the original name for Veterans Day, commemorates the moment the Allied powers and Germany ceased fighting in World War I on Nov. 11, 1918. The war officially concluded in 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. President Woodrow Wilson later proclaimed Nov. 11 as Armistice Day in honor of the step toward peace.

Following other significant U.S. military engagements — including its involvement in World War II, the Korean War and the start of the Cold War — President Dwight D. Eisenhower renamed the holiday in 1954, replacing “Armistice” with “Veterans” to honor all who have served.

During Monday’s ceremony, leaders from SVP and SPC said they believe the change to Armistice Day reflects a national prioritization of the military-industrial complex over peace.

VanNorstrand and Arny Stieber, both veterans and event coordinators, said they hope to “reclaim” the holiday by advocating for the victims of gun violence and the over 43,000 Palestinians reportedly killed over the past year.

The ceremony began with Joe Heath, a VFP member and general counsel for the Onondaga Nation, delivering a land acknowledgment. Heath drew connections between the colonization of Indigenous peoples in the U.S. and Israel’s occupation of former Palestinian land.

“We cannot and do not accept this horrific slaughter in our names, with our weapons,” Heath said. “It’s time for a ceasefire. It’s time for an arms embargo. It’s time for justice. It’s time for peace.”

Several speakers focused on Palestinian perspectives in their remarks, highlighting the war’s impacts on civilians. Among the speakers were Osamah Khalil, chair of Syracuse University’s International Relations program, and Dana Carmeli, an Israeli-American dual citizen and member of Jewish Voice for Peace.

Brycen Pace | Asst. Photo Editor

Mark Stradley, founder of RAWtools Buffalo, shows a gardening tool made out of repurposed gun parts to those at the “Reclaim Armistice Day” event. He spoke about how his organization aims to “forge peace” out of violence.

Khalil discussed data on the current war’s impact, emphasizing its effects on Palestinian children. He described Israel’s military offensive as one of the most “brutal” since the Vietnam War.

According to a Jan. 8 United Nations Human Rights Office report, almost 70% of the fatalities confirmed in the Gaza war were women and children.

“This is not a war. It’s an obscenity,” Khalil said.

Khalil and Carmeli both highlighted the use of American-made weapons in the conflict. The U.S. has spent a record $17.9 in military aid to Israel since the war began, the Associated Press reported on Oct. 9. Khalil referred to the conflict as “another American genocide.” As Khalil spoke, the gun barrel was passed around the room.

Stradley focused his remarks on the pervasive impact of gun violence in the U.S. He shared stories of young people he has known who lost their lives to gun violence and spoke about the frequency of mass shootings across the country, drawing on his experiences as a school counselor.

At the end of the event, Stradley led attendees outside to a blacksmith’s furnace set up next to a small anvil. After heating the gun barrel that the participants signed, he invited them to take turns striking it with a hammer, gradually shaping the metal into the head of a gardening tool. He said that each strike symbolized a commitment to forging peace.

The first participant to strike the barrel was Nina Kalinkos, a local artist and mother of two. Kalinkos said they chose to attend the event after feeling disillusioned by the outcome of the 2024 U.S. general election. They said they have often felt isolated in their fight for peace, and attending the Armistice Day ceremony provided a sense of community.

Another attendee, Tom Schmitz — a Vietnam War veteran and member of SVP — became emotional as he hit the barrel with a hammer. As a former infantryman, he said that while he appreciates U.S. efforts to honor service members through Veterans Day, he also feels the holiday contributes to the nation’s growing militarization.

While forging the tool, Schmitz said he reflected on his experiences fighting overseas. He said that he feels a deep empathy both for those he once saw as the “enemy” and for his fellow soldiers who also became victims.

“I know what’s going on in the minds of soldiers on both sides — how twisted your values become, participating in a natural taboo against the hand of human life,” Schmitz said. “The soldiers who were involved were also victims in their own right.”

RAWtools Buffalo also displayed a table of some of its other products — all made from recycled firearms. The organization played audio from news reports related to gun violence as Stradley gave his demonstration.

Shortly after the memorial, Kalinkos purchased a heart-shaped necklace made of an upcycled gun. They donned it as they hit the barrel with a hammer.

“It’s hard to hear about children dying. It hits very, very hard,” Kalinkos said. “But getting the pain out is good as well.”

Published on November 11, 2024 at 11:52 pm

Contact Julia: jmboehni@syr.edu