Veterans against airshows - AVweb

Veterans Group Targets Airshow

By Mary Grady

A veterans group in San Diego is asking the public to boycott the Miramar Air Show, saying the show is dangerous and “glorifies war.” The annual show, which is held during Fleet Week, Sept. 23 to 25, is a popular free event hosted by the Marine Corps. The show draws up to 500,000 visitors. The airshow includes demos by the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the Harrier and Osprey aircraft, and more. The San Diego Veterans for Peace say they are embarking on a five-year effort to “change public understanding of what the Miramar Air Show is actually all about.” The show “celebrates the skills and machinery that exist to kill, maim and destroy … [and] serves as a misleading recruiting tool for our unsuspecting youth,” the veterans say. The veterans have taken their campaign to the public, posting banners across local roads to spread the message and talking to the media. They said they hope to continue their work to encourage area residents to recognize the “skillful propaganda” that promotes the show and “eventually lose interest” in attending. “Our goal is to effectively shut down the Miramar Air Show due to non-participation,” the group says at their website. In an op-ed in the San Diego Tribune, Marine Corps spokesman Gabriel Adibe said the annual airshow aims to spread goodwill, allowing the military to strengthen its bonds with the community and to show appreciation for those who serve.