A Peace Fair where guns were stored?

There is definitely irony in holding a Peace Fair at a site, Armory Park, that at one time held guns, bullets and U.S. soldiers until the government moved them all out to Fort Lowell. Since those days over a hundred years ago, the re-built armory and the park surrounding it have become a center of public events near downtown Tucson, including the 39th annual Peace and Music Fair. (That means it started in 1984 — I just checked on my calculator.)

I had never been to a Peace Fair before and wasn’t really sure what I would see. Given my own history of marching against the war in Vietnam and, decades later, the war in Iraq, I thought, perhaps, I’d find Tucsonans–mostly right-wingers in red hats–with signs and American flags demonstrating against funding the war in Ukraine. Nope. Or maybe some folks demonstrating against that Russian madman, V. Putin. Again, nope. (Although the U.S. Communist Party had a booth at the Fair.)

A drone hovering over the walkway

The Peace and Music Fair turned out to be a “social justice fair” where the people in attendance were mostly gray-haired supporting causes most of us already know about. Only one booth had signs strictly promoting Peace against All War and, if I remember correctly, that booth had the drone, shown at top, poised out front of it.

The people were interesting, however, so that’s mostly what I’m going to show you.

I like the red beret on the man wearing the Bus Riders Union t-shirt. The fact that Tucson has had free bus rides for a couple of years now is commendable! Great idea and I hope it continues. And the eternal optimism of the message on the green shirt is inspiring! And more…

On the left are two women discussing the Desert Ashram. In the center a couple near an environmental booth. And, on the right — LOVE BEADS!! I had forgotten all about them so this became a trip down memory lane. The women in that booth were also supporting a group that collects excess fruit from homeowners to distribute to refugees.

Of course politics are involved

Wow! The National Organization of Women (NOW) and the ERA signs haven’t changed in over 40 years! Good brand discipline. Well, the Kochs are down to one brother remaining and their fingers are in every political pie in the country, including U. of A. The Safe Tech Tucson booth was new to me. Their effort seemed to be to ban tall electrical and digital towers around the city. I definitely support that.

And three more images…

In one booth they were selling baskets and these hand-carved tiny stone figures from Peru. In the center photo the Friends of the Santa Catalina Trails drew the attention of a young man who clearly wasn’t gray-haired. He and the two guys at the Sierra Club booth were the youngest at the Fair. And finally, a cause that I definitely support: The Homing Project which has a goal of providing housing to people living now on the streets of Tucson.

After leaving the Fair, I decided to wander around the nearby Barrio Viejo and came across a surprising dance in honor of an ancient Mesoamerican ancestor. More about that in my next post.

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