Another TALON report claims that “Veterans for Peace should be viewed as a possible threat to Army and DoD [Department of Defense] personnel.”

Something is unusual on this otherwise typical Friday evening in early November on Ocean Drive: Spread across the lawn are many, many tombstones.

Thousands of them — jutting out from the grass in rows. Granted, these plaques are made out of plastic, yet they are nonetheless a disconcerting reminder of the seemingly interminable war that continues overseas and the scores of American deaths that have accumulated over the years.

“This is about awareness,” says Dave Patlak. “There have been over 2,800 people that passed away on our side, so they deserve a remembrance.”

Patlak, who ran against Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on the Democratic ticket during the recent election, is a member of Democracy for America (DFA) and Veterans for Peace, the two organizations that put together the temporary tombstone display. Across the street, a sweaty reggaeton track blares out from Fat Tuesday while Patlak and colleague/fellow activist Sam Feldman sit quietly under a welcome tent, discussing issues related to the Iraq war, such as the inordinate number of overall casualties and what they perceive as deceptive recruitment strategies being practiced by the military.

“You know, we’re at these high schools, handing out information about people’s right to opt out, and we’re aware that the Department of Defense and the military know that we’re doing this [and don’t like it],” Patlak continues. “But we have gotten an overwhelming amount of concern from parents who are wondering why their kids, who are minors, are already going through the recruiting process.”

“They’re being brainwashed – it’s military indoctrination,” adds Feldman, who is vice president of the local DFA chapter.

Both Feldman and Patlak are staunch advocates of an American citizen’s right to protest or dissent when he/she doesn’t agree with the government. Accordingly, they scoff at the notion of government and law enforcement agencies monitoring anti-war groups. And both are mindful of the fact that documents have recently surfaced to corroborate how the Pentagon has been covertly conducting surveillance of organizations in South Florida and throughout the nation that oppose the war in Iraq, anti-war protesters and groups opposed to military recruitment policies.

“Yeah, we definitely know about that. I suppose it has most to do with counter-recruiting,” says Feldman. “A lot of activists are doing that, protesting military recruiters that are giving misinformation to students. The groups who have been able to get into the schools have been the most targeted.”

Continued