A San Diego anti-war veterans group is trying to prevent the Blue Angels from soaring over the skies of San Diego.
According to the San Diego Tribune, a local veterans group who call themselves the San Diego Veterans for Peace -who claim that the annual airshow at MCAS Miramar glorifies war and the machinery used to take lives- are executing a five-year plan to shut down the show and discourage public attendance.
The organization calls for people to reject the airshow, calling it a glamorization of militarism and the promotion of the deadly products of the military-industrial complex.
“Given our quagmire in the Middle East it’s high time that we gave some thought to how our politicians and military contractors promote war as the answer to our problems,” SDVP member Dave Patterson said.
Patterson also said that the shows put unnecessary risk on the pilots for the sake of entertainment, citing the Blue Angels crash in Tennessee that took the life of a Marine Aviator in June of this year.
However, MCAS Miramar Deputy Director of Public Affairs First Lieutenant Gabriel Adibe says that the shows allow the military to show off the skills and resources utilized “to lead not only the nation but the world with respect to spreading goodwill and saving lives.”
In addition, Adibe says the show allows the military to build better bonds with the public, show their appreciation towards the civilian community and above all, display patriotism.
“The air show is a sight to behold and an experience that makes hearts swell with pride for our nation and those that protect it every single day,” Adibe wrote.
US Military air shows have long since been an effective recruiting tool, drawing in future enlistees and officers alike. From the earliest days of aviation, aerobatic displays have inspired future pilots, service members and aeronautics engineers to pursue their dreams.
The air show at Miramar -which was the air station featured in the film Top Gun– draws as many as 500,000 people and is scheduled for late September of this year.
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Please keep the air show for all proud americans to enjy and feel the pride of our nation.
With a crumbling economy, crumbling infrastructure, children and families in poverty… I think America needs to get its priorities straightened out. Almost half of America is in poverty, yet we’re going to keep spending money on these propaganda shows?