By Judi Curry and Gil Field
What does cost $72,000 an hour just to entertain your fellow San Diegoans?
What “glorifies” with exciting and colorful shows of speed, power and noise?
What celebrates the skills and machinery that were developed with the prime purpose of kill, maim and destroy?
How many “performers” have been killed in accidents during their performances?
What spews exhaust into the environment, and costs millions of dollars to fuel for the show?
What serves as a misleading recruiting tool for our youth, often glorifying youth of color and low economic background?
The answer to all of the above can be summed up in four words – The Miramar Air Show!
Did you know that 10% of Blue Angels pilots have been killed in accidents? Did you know that Miramar jets have already crashed into San Diego neighborhoods. Did you know that the cost of these shows is millions and millions of dollars just for the fuel.
There is no purpose of this show. Yes, it is popular, but it has no purpose except to show a variety of explosions and fires, which some people think is exciting.
It has no purpose except to allow children to handle guns, get in tanks, and play “soldier.” The thought that they might get to “kill” someone is certainly not what I want my children, or grandchildren to emulate and learn by going to the Miramar Air Show, scheduled for September 27-29.
Local veterans of all five services of the military are “bannering” to stop people from attending this advent.
And, if you want still more information about this ongoing education outreach, to interview veterans and/or obtain veteran speakers, please contact Vietnam Veteran Paul Ross and 1-619-648-7807 or at Parosslan@gmail.com .
I won’t be there to see the propaganda spewed forth by the Miramar Air Show. I hope you won’t be there either.
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Is there a good non military air show in SD county? I’m truly asking and would like to check it out.
There was an error with the link above. Here is the correct link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USnNFkFkdEk
I honestly forgot about it until this article was printed. I’m a big fan of the MCAS Miramar airshow. We already paid billions for these vehicles, might as well see them fly.
There are lots of very good reasons that the vets have identified for NOT attending the Air Show.
Check them out on the documentary video that they made at the show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USnNFkFkdEk
The video has changed many good folks perspective on the show.
I like how this article forgot to mention that the Miramar Airshow is one of but a handful of airshows that actually makes a profit. The Miramar Airshow makes a million dollar profit which in return gets put back into the bases family and childcare services. This article also fails to mention the economic revenue the local community gets from the people attending. Between people buying hotels, gas, and food the airshow alone brings in millions is profit to the San Diego community. I also like how they try to use the argument that 10 percent of Blues Angels have died. While this is true no spectators have been killed and a majority of those crashes happened 30 plus years ago. So sure take the airshow, all your hurting is the bases family and the local community. P.S it takes thousands of dollars of gas, not millions.
Even a socialist organization like the military can turn a small profit.
“(Military) members have access to government services ordinary citizens are not eligible to receive. This arrangement is quite popular among members and you’d be hard pressed to find any soldier that would prefer to seek them on the free market…
… America’s top generals and policy makers are not secret Marxists who believe healthcare and housing are basic human rights. The military knows that in order for its members to successfully execute their mission requires their basic needs be met as seamlessly as possible. In other words, it knows that in order to be a truly free and productive member of it or any society, you can’t spend most of your time worrying about your healthcare and basic survival.”
https://medium.com/@DanWebb69/a-socialist-model-already-thriving-in-the-united-states-the-u-s-military-40b31c9d2d9a
Hi Justin.
Some responses to your comments if I may.
While the Air Show claims to make a small profit that it provides to Marine families, think about the free manpower and free equipment and free fuel that is never booked as an expense. So, no, the show cannot make a profit, and I for one, think that claiming that a show that presents war and death in a favorable light is not a good way to raise charitable funds. As a vet, I know how many times I was “volunteered” to attend events.
10% of Blue Angel pilots have died in training or events. Suggest you go to :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Angels …. and scroll down for specific info. crashes and near misses keep happening. Want one at Miramar ?
$72,000/hour for fuel runs into millions with all the practice time they spend.
Summary: The costs, the risks, the environmental ills and the glorification of war and death to adults and kids makes the Miramar Air Show an unwholesome event, one which people ought to NOT attend.
Thanks.
Growing up as an Army brat, I experienced first-hand “socialist medicine” every time I was seen by a military doctor, optometrist or dentist. But – it is indeed a huge stretch to call the US military a “socialist organization”; for beginners – socialism is living democracy – and the military is certainly not governed by democratic principles.
Good point. Thank you.
I disagree with the conclusion that the air show is to entice children into being killers. I think the purpose is show the public the capabilities of the Marines and US aircraft. I have attended whenever I am in town. Usually I meet young Marines, learn something about them, and get to tell them I truly appreciate their service. I also think the point about Blue Angel deaths is misleading. The purpose of the Blue Angels while in part is flight demonstration, it is also to teach “teachers” performance flying which they take back to the field. Is an unfortunate aspect of high speed flying that people will be killed in training.
I don’t think anyone truly believes the purpose of the air show is to entice the children to be killers. Even the individuals who verbally make the claim do not truly believe that. More than anything else they say that just for the effect of Shakespearian dramatics. There is a valid point though when you see a child decked out in fatigues putting his/her hands on a display 50 cal pretending to shoot at people. That IS pretty disturbing.
As for the Blue Angels I agree with you. Not mentioned also is the fact that every BA pilot is there voluntarily. On one is ordered to fly for them.
Hi Chris:
Of course the Blue Angel pilots are there, doing their jobs, not coerced. Great folks, possibly mis-used.
For every pilot there are ten or hundreds of young Marines on the ground working the show, and as a veteran, I know that they were “volunteered” by their seniors, in lieu of time off or real duty. What is worse is that they are free labor for the embedded defense contractors at the show, selling everything and anything they can. Seen it again and again.
Sorry, but the show is not a healthy venue for kids and most adults and should be changed or ignored by the public.
Thanks.
Hi there Gilbert. I was speaking only of the pilots so…..
I’m a veteran too and in fact volunteered (actually volunteered) myself in the 90s (when it was still a Navy base). At that time, most of the military members who volunteered were not voluntold. Maybe it’s different now. All that aside, I was not justifying the continuing existence of this event. Last time I went as a spectator was over 15 years ago and haven’t been to it since. Basically for all the reasons listed in this article AND in the vid.
Whether or not it should be ignored by the public is kind of a moot point. Too many people like Bob below amongst the public who could care less of the right or wrong with it.
Thanks, Chris.
Turns out the Air Show has already taken a few small steps in response to our educational outreach to tone down some aspects of the show and limit what little kids can do.
Thank you for your service …. so few serve anymore.
Thanx Gil. Perhaps a good change/compromise for the show would be to keep it strictly an air show and take out all the weapon demos and displays. Keep it focused on aerobatics and aviation history.
That would a step in the right direction, but because so many defense contractors are there pushing their endless gear, I fear it will never be.
But please do suggest it as we have done.
So I’ll ask again. What is a good non military air show in SD?
There’s one that starts at 6:30AM everyday near downtown.
Clever.
There is a good one at the Ramona airport each year in October.
Thank you Peter. I will check it out.
Free Admission & Free Parking – Saturday, October 5, 2019 9:00 AM 4:00 PM
2019 Ramona Air Fair & Fly-In
Ramona Airport 2926 Montecito Road Ramona, CA, 92065
Thanks for reminding me. Great show the people that protect our freedoms and keep our country safe put on. Some freak like you wants to ruin it. Get a life.
Hey Bob:
Flying risky patterns above the sky in San Diego for a week or so, while spending millions on fuel, does not keep us safe, but puts our lives at risk and hurts those with asthma or other breathing issues, and adds to global warming for no good reason.
Sitting little kids on machine guns does not keep us safe but does send a very bad message to kids as to how issues should be settled by adults.
Having defense contractors set up pricey booths, while using free military labor, does not keep us safe, but does demean the service of those “volunteered”.
Thanks.