Outside the Berkshire Food Co-op in downtown Great Barrington, Jaimee Christinat told WAMC she was anxious at the uncertainty following President Donald Trump’s attack on Iran. Just days after the news broke that Trump had launched the country into armed conflict without Congressional approval or clearly defined objectives, the sudden elimination of the country’s top leadership has seen the rapid expansion of warfronts, bombs, and death across the Middle East.
“I feel like a bully just picked on another bully, and so nobody knows what's going to happen," she said. "That's how it feels- Like, it's very unpredictable.”
Christinat lives in Falls Village, Connecticut, a few miles south of Great Barrington down Route 7.
“Just feel like it was really irresponsible to make this decision with no vote, with no permission from Congress, with no thought to how Iran might react, and what they might do in retaliation," she continued. "And now we're seeing retaliation, and I think it's just making the world less safe and less stable than it already was.”
While presidents have the authority as the commander in chief to conduct certain strategic military operations on their own, the Constitution vests Congress with the power to wage war. The Trump administration — and many Republicans — have justified the strikes by citing Iran’s nuclear programs and missile capabilities as needing a military response.
A Long Island mother and daughter vacationing in the Berkshires had differing viewpoints on the conflict. April Wiener told WAMC she supports war with Iran.
“Well, nobody likes war, of course, but I personally feel it was time to make a change, and we have to end it," she said. "We have problems here in the United States that need to be addressed, but it's a world, and it has to- I'm for it. I feel that as a woman, we need to support women around the world. So, yeah, it was time.”
Her daughter, Emma, felt very differently.
“I think that it is terrifying to have a president that enters a war with not really a lot of support from his country," she told WAMC. "I understand that there are times that the United States needs to get involved and be able to back people with their political power. I am not a fan of Israel and the Israeli government and how it seems to be a lot of Netanyahu calling the shots a lot of the times. That's pretty frustrating for me. I am afraid of what could happen, because we've already lived through so much as a country in fear of our community being attacked, and I'm afraid that more of that is going to happen if we continue to be involved.”
Despite their opposing takes, both made it clear that their love and mutual respect came first.
“Well, I am a supporter of Israel. I feel that a democracy in the Middle East has been important, having Israel as an ally is important," said April. "I understand and have the same issues questioning Netanyahu and the government, but I'm upset that people blame Israel for the situation when they really have nothing to do with how we got here, but certainly have a right to defend themselves as a people. But I love having my daughter have different opinions- Listen, my day, we were fighting the Vietnam War. So, every generation is going to look at things that are happening around the world and domestically and have their opinions, and their opinions should be validated.”
Loretta McClennon is better known in Great Barrington as Momma Lo, the owner, operator, and chef of a downtown barbeque joint. Speaking to WAMC on Main Street, she said she was against the attacks and was pessimistic about the state of the world.
“It's time for us to do our part, because instead of just- A lot of us won't say nothing because we’re afraid to speak out," she said. "But we shouldn't be like that. We are a country of democracy, but we all should be speaking out, and don't be afraid of retaliation or anything like that. And what this war is about, to be honest with you, I don't even know, but I do know that it's wrong to kill innocent people.”
Momma Lo called for unity in the face of violence.
“The way the world's going today, we need to come close to be able to do things we can to help one another, because we don't know what's going to happen,” she told WAMC.
Outside of Stop & Shop just up the road from the heart of town, WAMC caught up with Alan Besaw of Housatonic, a vet with a dim view of President Trump and his strikes against Iran.
“I was proud to serve in the Navy," he said. "I did the job I had to do, spent some time off the coast of Vietnam. And I think what's going on now, I think the idiot ought to be impeached.”
Standing at the entrance of the store’s parking lot on the lip of Route 7 was another vet, Lonny Martini. Posted up on a median with a sign, he was panhandling in the cold as the snow fell on Great Barrington.
“In the summertime, I work, I'm amazing, but right now, I can't do too much brickwork,” he laughed.
Like fellow vet Besaw, he doesn’t want to see anyone put in harm’s way in an unnecessary war.
“I mean, honestly, sometimes we just got to keep our nose to ourselves. I mean, what it boils down to is, do we deserve to be there? Do we need to be there? That's what it comes down to," Martini said. "If we don't need to be there, why? If we do, why? Well, there's some places that we shouldn't just be, period. If we weren't asked to come and we don't need it, then why go over? Why put ourselves at risk again?”
Life hasn’t been easy for Martini since his time in the Army.
“There's a lot of things that I did and a lot of other people done to put ourselves in bad situations and do what we had to do," he told WAMC. "And it's not fun, and it's not- Look, I’ve got to live with it the rest of my life, same with the other people. It's not fun to live with for next 30 years. I still have nightmares. So do a lot of other people.”
