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Eyes Wide Open - At The National Night Out Against Crime
By Thomas Good - August 9, 2007 | News

New York, NY - August 7, 2007. The visually striking “Eyes Wide Open” display made its way to Staten Island’s Midland Beach on Tuesday, August 7. The exhibit, organized by Peace Action Staten Island (PASI) and Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS), was planned as a separate part of the larger “National Night Out Against Crime” - an event sponsored by Staten Island’s three police precincts. Eyes Wide Open has as its centerpiece a collection of military boots. Each pair of boots bears a tag with the name of a soldier killed in Iraq. The exhibit was put together by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and was on loan to PASI and MDS. All of the military personnel represented are sons and daughters of New York and New Jersey.

On a steamy August evening, a large crowd of Staten Islanders turned out for the National Night Out Against Crime - the local version of a national event. Primarily a recruiting/public relations opportunity for law enforcement, the event featured a number of tables staffed by police, corrections officers, state troopers and even FBI agents. Eyes Wide Open stood out in this environment - while many of the Night Out tables featured samples of police equipment and uniforms none of these displays mentioned the downside of a punitive only approach to crime. Similarly, none of the military oriented displays highlighted the cost of armed conflict. An MDS member remarked that the Eyes Wide Open display broadened the event to include a “Night Out Against War Crimes” component - something organizers regarded as essential given the plight of the Iraqi people and the US troops abandoned there by their government.

Over the course of the evening a steady stream of attendees examined the boots of the fallen as well as signs that revealed the cost of the war. A cyclist who stopped to read the names of the dead burst into tears when he recognized a friend’s name. Exhibitors alternated between comforting the distressed and explaining the exhibit to the curious. Overall the response was quite positive - and quite moving.

A few hours into the event two NYPD helicopters landed at nearby Miller Field. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYPD Chief Ray Kelly deplaned and made their way to a small stage where they addressed attendees. Prior to the speech the Mayor’s aides ordered all tablers to close up shop and take seats near the stage for Bloomberg and Kelly’s command performance - which consisted mainly of praise for the NYPD. Shortly after the speeches the sun began to set. The filtered sunlight hitting the boots made the exhibit all the more dramatic and effective. As the National Night Out crowd began to disperse, departing attendees paused at the Eyes Wide Open display - many stopping to speak with a member of Iraq Veterans Against The War (IVAW) and two teachers: one from Brooklyn and one from Iraq. Bruce Wallace is a high school teacher from Brooklyn who corresponds with Nasreen, an Iraqi High School teacher. Following their own exchanges, they agreed to have their students correspond via email. Recently, Nasreen came to New York City to speak about the horrors her students are experiencing under the US occupation. Facing significant danger by traveling to the US and speaking out, Nasreen presents as a courageous, gentle, comforting figure. She and Wallace spoke at length with passersby who stopped to examine the exhibit. The two teachers were interviewed by NY1’s Mara Montalbano as night fell and things wrapped up. The exhibit was quite successful - and very timely - according to organizers.

“The exhibit contains photos of Iraqi civilians who have been devastated by the crime of war, as well as the shoes representing children who were needlessly killed. Boots of the soldiers killed who were from New York State and New Jersey are also displayed in memorial fashion with dogtags, photos, and other personal effects donated by family members,” said Elaine Brower, an event organizer. “This is the most moving memorial to the testatment of the cost of war. No one can dispute or deny the sadness they feel when they witness it,” she added.

Thomas Good, Editor
Next Left Notes (NLN)

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