I basically only go to the Santa Monica Pier when I have friends visiting from out of town.

Usually, I just tolerate the (re)experience. But last Sunday, I ran into the Arlington West exhibit.

According to Common Dreams, “Every Sunday morning at 8, a squad of volunteers fans out across a section of beach next to the famous Santa Monica Pier….”

“In the shadow of the Ferris wheel and the trinket stands, they carefully push more than 1,000 white crosses into the sand, methodically placing them in straight rows, using a string grid system as their guide.”

The exhibit had both tourists and locals weaving through the crosses, placing names and flowers on the crosses, gathering around the little informational table.

The point: To raise awareness about the human toll of war. To engage people from a diversity of viewpoints in dialogue.

The whole thing’s (re)created each Sunday by the LA chapter of Veterans for Peace and volunteers.

The exhibition will go on until the Iraq war ends.

Arlington West exhibition in Santa Monica. Created by Veterans For Peace, currently working on a very interesting and informative video titled “Before You Enlist: The Real Deal on Joining the Military.”

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