Colorado Springs City Council

The following is the correspondence with the Colorado Springs City Council and Bob Stovall while trying and get a resolution passed in support of Eyes Wide Open Days and two days of Reflection on the Human Cost of War. I sent all council members and the mayor the following letter and digital copy of the resolution (notice the original email, immediately after the presentation to council, specifies our backup plan of Colorado College in the event the city will not allow us into Memorial Park):
 

From: Mark Lewis
To: lrivera@springsgov.com
Sent: 9/13/2006 10:33 PM
Subject: Eyes Wide Open resolution

Mr. Mayor,

Included is a digital copy of the "Eyes Wide Open" resolution put before
the council at the last citizen input session Tuesday, September 12. As
one of the people bringing this memorial to town I wanted to take a
moment to inform you of the sincere intentions of this group to bring a
healing memorial to the fallen to Colorado Springs. 

As you can see in the literature from the American Friends Service
http://www.afsc.org/eyes/about-the-exhibit.htm  Committee, there are
no banners, signs, speeches, antiwar statements allowed at this
memorial. Any candidates or office holders attending are not allowed to
speak of politics and stump speeches are strictly forbidden. It's a
memorial and the sanctity of that will be preserved. Grief counselors
will be provided. Sponsors are not allowed any advertisement, and only
one group table of information about sponsors is allowed.

It will attract all political persuasions, and have a different effect
on everyone who attends, but is not an antiwar rally in any respect. In
our town, which needs this therapy as much as any town in the country,
we would expect the majority that will attend will be in total support
of the foreign policy in Iraq, and have dear friends memorialized by
this effort. We welcome that. This is far beyond politics, and no one
disagrees about honoring those that have sacrificed so much, regardless
of the circumstances.

We have made tentative backup plans to host this at Colorado College,
but certainly prefer to give it wider access to the city in Memorial
Park, where it naturally belongs, and that's why we need whatever help
you can provide. It costs $9,000 to bring it here after Denver, which
will come totally from the AFSC and PPJPC, business and citizen
donations. We only need a park, police, electricity and parking from the
city. Funds from the city would be nice, but are not necessary.

We welcome your input, help, and/or attendance. We will be reading the
names of the fallen for 5-6 hours on October 12, and you are welcome to
come and help with that effort.

Sincerely, 
Mark Lewis

The Resolution:


A Council Resolution Concerning "Eyes Wide Open", October 12 and 13, 2006

For the purpose of recognizing October 12 and 13, 2006 as Days of
Reflection on the Human Cost of War as the American Friends Service
Committee and the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission shares with
Colorado Springs the Eyes Wide Open Memorial.

Whereas, The American Friends Service Committee and Pikes Peak
Justice and Peace Commission is bringing Eyes Wide Open, a
nationally-acclaimed memorial on the human cost of the Iraq War to
Colorado Springs; and

Whereas, 2,669 U.S. military personnel and as many as 130,000
Iraqi civilians have lost their lives in the war; and

Whereas, Tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers and Iraqis have been
wounded in body and in spirit during the course of the war; and

Whereas, 169 of our own from Fort Carson have died so far, and our
troops will continue to be in harm's way; and

Whereas, Our consciences call upon us to find nonviolent means of
preventing and resolving conflicts now and in the future; and

Whereas, Public understanding of the profound human costs of war
may strengthen the commitment to seek such solutions and avoid future
wars;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of Colorado
Springs, That this Body recognizes October 12 and 13, 2006 as Days of
Reflection on the Human Cost of War.

And be it further resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be sent
to the Mayor, the American Friends Committee, the Pikes Peak Justice and
Peace Commission, and the City Manager.

The Mayor writes back that he will have to wait for the staff's recommendation, but that no waiver of fees for the requested disabled bathrooms and parking for disabled Veterans will be forthcoming:

Mr. Lewis,
It does not appear to me that your event fits the criteria for a City sponsored event. That means you would have to cover the cost of any required permits or City agency support. We are currently awaiting our staff's recommendation and info on the availability of Memorial Park. Memorial Park may not be available because of youth sporting events.
Lionel Rivera

We meet with the designated staff, Bob Stovall, and then write them to send the resolution, and take the bait that with some change in wording of the resolution, the council might pass it:

To: BStovall@springsgov.com
Subject: Eyes
Wide Open resolution


Mr. Stovall,
Cynthia Lang and I work on the committee bring the Eyes Wide Open Memorial to the Springs October 12 and 13, and since I have the resolution on my computer, submitted to council, I told her I would send you the digital copy.

I understand from your conversation with Cynthia, that with a possible change in some language that we might be able to get this resolution passed by council or a Mayoral Proclamation on the issue. We welcome either of the above. Of course, we have to check with the national office of American Friends Service Committee on any language changes, so, if we could, is it possible to have the decision on language deleted from the resolution by next Monday? If that's too fast, just let me know. We're very excited to think we might have the council and Mayor in support of this very important memorial visit our town.

Thank you for all your help,
Mark Lewis

We get this back from Robert Stovall, the council's liaison:

Bob Stovall wrote:

Mr. Lewis:
 
I have followed up on this issue after my conversation with Cynthia.  At the time I spoke to her I was not aware that your organization had already spoken directly to Council about a resolution.  I have subsequently learned that several Council Members have expressed an opinion on such a resolution.  Because you have already started this conversation directly with Council, it is inappropriate for me to step in with a recommendation to them.  If I do receive direction from Council to draft resolution, I will do so and keep you informed.
 

Bob Stovall
Intergovernmental Liaison
City of Colorado Springs
107 North Nevada, Suite 205
P.O. Box 1575, Mail Code 1547
Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1575
Phone 719-385-5461
Fax 719-385-5488
e-mail bstovall@SpringsGov.com

We get this from UNELECED Council member Bernie Herpin:

Subject: RE: Eyes Wide Open resolution

From: Council Member Bernie Herpin bherpin@springsgov.com

Date:
Thu, 14 Sep 2006 05:58:24 -0600
Date:
Thu, 14 Sep 2006 05:58:24 -0600
CC:Council Members allcouncil@springsgov.com 
Mr. Lewis,

No matter how you label this "memorial," it is an attempt to further
undermine our war on terrorism and to weaken our citizens' resolve to see
this war through to its end.  We are in a war with an ideology that seeks to
either convert us to their system of religion and government or kill us -
there will be no compromise on their part.  This is a group of people who
strap bombs on their children and send them off to kill other innocent
people; people who will kill themselves by flying planes into our buildings
in an attempt to kill as many of us as possible.

As a retired military officer, concerned citizen, and father-in-law of a
service member, I mourn every service member's death and I daily pray for
their safety.  However, I realize these great men and women are serving and
dying to protect our nation and our way of life.  I will not be a party to
any organization or event that seeks to undermine their sacrifice,
especially in a thinly veiled attempt at "honoring" them.

One of the freedoms that we are fighting and dying for is our freedom to
express our opposition to governmental actions - a freedom not recognized in
many nations, by the way.  Therefore, you and your organization are free to
express your opinion in whatever venue you can secure.  However, to attempt
to place your demonstration in a park dedicated to honor those citizens and
groups who have fought and died for our freedoms would be, in my opinion,
disrespectful of their sacrifice and is not something that I can support or
participate in.

Sincerely,

Bernie Herpin, Capt, USAF (Retired)
Councilmember At-Large

So, I write back:


From: Mark Lewis
To: Council Member Bernie Herpin
Sent: 9/14/2006 11:37 AM
Subject: Re: Eyes Wide Open resolution

Councilmember Herpin,

I understand and accept your position, and pray for the safe return of
your family member, in harms way, in service to his country. I assure
you that we all pray for their safety every day as you do, and honoring
their sacrifices is an apolitical act just as yours is. Yes, we probably
disagree on some aspects of this foreign policy, but that has nothing to
do with the respect for those applying it. I have family members there
too, like so many in our city, and worry about then all the time, as I'm
sure you do.

The AFSC is a Quaker organization. Much more fundamentalist and
conservative than I am, but we have this in common, and we accept that
many that will attend this memorial will leave with more resolve to
support the current foreign policy as a result of attending. They need
this therapy just as we do.

We certainly take no role in support of any violent people that would
harm us, and fight every day, in our own way, for our way of life and
our constitution. We take the same oath as everyone else: to "defend the
constitution of the United States against all enemies; foreign and
domestic". If any of these crazies think they will find an ally in us,
they will be sadly mistaken. Our many members that are Veterans of this
war, The Gulf War, Vietnam, Korea, and Afghanistan, would probably state
that a little more forcefully that I, as I'm sure you can imagine.

The door remains open for you and all those that disagree, to render
irrelevant our political disagreements and come read the names with us.

Sincerely,
Mark lewis

Bernie writes this back:


Mark,

The Friends "Eyes Wide Open" exhibit website, clearly states the purpose for
this exhibit:

"Although a majority of Americans now believe this war is a tragic
misadventure, the human cost of the Iraq War grows every day. How many more
boots will be standing at silent attention before this war ends, before
Iraqis and American soldiers are out of harm's way?

"This traveling exhibit is a memorial to those who have fallen and a witness
to our belief that no war can justify its human cost."

This is clearly an anti-war exhibit designed solely to get people to oppose
the war against terrorism.

Bernie Herpin

And my final correspondence with Bernie:



Councilmember Herpin,

Peace is our war against terrorism, and the only lasting solution,
to us. We never stop fighting that war, even when America is not involved.
We would never have so little respect for those with different opinions than
to think that we could change their mind with the display of all these boots.
The display of a pair of boots, and M-16, and helmet, commonly used at Fort
Carson, has no political ideology associated.

Yes, the AFSC is antiwar. So is the J&P and Springs Action Alliance.
Standing along the street holding a sign saying so would be a poor way to
hide that ideology, and we make no attempt to hide who we are, but this is
not an antiwar rally; it is a memorial. A temporary cemetery for the grounding
of grief that people in all cultures practice in many ways. None of those
various burial rituals and memorials are any more or less valid than the
others. This is no more or less valid than the traveling Vietnam Memorial
I have attended twice in Memorial Park. 2 of our members were in the color
guard for the dedication the last time it came through. Politics was absent,
as it should be at such an event.

Our grief leads us to conclude different political answers, but I would no
more challenge the validity of your grief, because it drives you to different
political opinions, than I would attempt to fly. The greatest political solidarity
we've seen in recent years in this country was, ironically, the beginning
of this "war on terrorism", on 9/11. The nation's grief for those murdered
in those office buildings has nothing to do with politics, and this doesn't
either. Yes, some of the fallen, honored by these boots, decided, unlike
myself, that the answer was to take up arms, and that more deaths would increase
the chance of less deaths. Yes, I would disagree with them on that tactic.
Not the right to self defense, but on the most efficient, thorough, and lasting
self defense method. Because they chose a different way, has nothing do with
my grief that it cost them their lives or limbs or sense of well being. I
hope some day you can accept the genuine support we have for those that take
another path, and the sincere concern that their path does not harm them.

Sincerely,
Mark lewis

We never heard from the majority of council and the run around, stalling, and delaying tactics continued with this from Stovall:

"We also discussed restrooms and other facilities.  I told Ms. Lang that the City never provides those for any event."

A rejection of the waiver of fees for disabled bathroooms and parking for disabled Vets to attend the memorial.

"The normal process for scheduling major events involving City resources requires that an application be submitted in time to be reviewed by the special events committee within City staff at least thirty days before an event.  Clearly that is not possible in this case..."

Yes, the delay tactic has worked to put us past the required time limit for a city park, but the council could instruct the Parks and Rec to allow us a waiver of that too.

"Since you have already discussed this twice with Council, I can do nothing until I get direction from them, which I have not yet received." Another delay for days.

"Because you have already started this conversation directly with Council, it is inappropriate for me to step in with a recommendation to them." Another delay for days.

"in order to avoid any further confusion, I am going to ask that all information be coordinated through me." Who cannot make a recommendation because we already talked to council about the waiver of fees ONLY they have the authority to give us.

"I will be out of town three days next week, so time is running short" Another delay for days.

An impossible group of parameters to follow, with both the city council sending us to Mr. Stovall and Mr. Stovall sending us back to council, and then insisting we talk only to him and not to council. We just went with the fall back plan and moved the memorial to Colorado College. The obvious delaying tactics did keep us out of a city park, but did not work, as planned, to keep us from bringing the memorial to town.