The virtues of the self-proclaimed “Zumwalt 12” have been debated out on The Times Record’s opinion page since the activists’ arrest at a demonstration in Bath in June.

Writing in January, protestor Bruce Gagnon outlined the 12’s grievances, including the ballooning cost of the destroyer program, looming conflicts with Russia and China and the deaths of innocent civilians at the hands of the U.S. military.

The demonstration in question occurred outside Bath Iron Works during the christening of the second in the Zumwalt series of Nazy destroyers, the future USS Michael Monsoor.

After linking arms and sitting in the middle of Washington Street, the 12 were taken into custody without incident and charged with obstructing a public way.

(Times Record columnist Gary Anderson rightfully points out that in the year before, “BIW union workers similarly took their grievances to the street, blocking the very same public way in a march from the South Gate to their union hall near Leeman Highway without running afoul of the law.”)

Gagnon concluded: “We humbly speak out trying to honor the best traditions in America and pray the public will hear our pleas for peace.”

However, we find little that was “humble” about the demonstration, nor about the letters and columns written in support since. We can’t help but feel the activists are playing the part of martyr, despite being sentenced to only 30 hours of community service instead of the jail time.

And why “Zumwalt 12” and not “Monsoor 12”? That seems to be a calculated choice.

Elmo Zumwalt Jr. lived a long and productive life, having fought in the Pacific Theater in World War II and eventually became Chief of Naval Operations. He retired at age 53 and died in 2000. USS Zumwalt, the first of its class, is named for him.

Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy SEAL, died in 2006 when he intentionally threw himself on a grenade during fighting in Iraq in order to save the lives of two teammates. “Petty Officer Monsoor’s actions could not have been more selfless or clearly intentional,” according to the Navy’s official website. “Of the three SEALs on that rooftop corner, he had the only avenue of escape away from the blast, and if he had so chosen, he could have easily escaped. Instead, Monsoor chose to protect his comrades by the sacrifice of his own life.”

He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

As Scott M. Smith reminded us in his Jan. 30 guest column: “Children have fathers because of Mike Monsoor, wives have husbands, and parents have sons because of Mike Monsoor. Mike and the team he was with were in Ramadi, Iraq defending the defenseless; people not unlike those our Bill of Rights was written for. He defended all of us.”

We are quick to condemn those that protest the funerals of soldiers, why would we not condemn those protesting a ceremony that honored Michael Monsoor?

The “Zumwalt 12” demonstration was an affront to the memory of Michael Monsoor and to his family who attended the christening.

It was an insult to the workers at the shipyard — everyone from the pipefitters to the engineers and draftsmen — who worked on a daunting project.

It was an insult the Navy personnel who will steer Monsoor into dangerous waters in order to protect this nation’s interests and its citizens.

Don’t like how Congress is spending your money? Don’t like U.S. foreign policy? Go to the U.S. Capitol where those decisions are made and link arms there. If you can’t afford a ticket or gas, Maine’s Congressional delegation have offices across the state.

The “Zumwalt 12’s” cause is just — peace always is — but their execution was terrible. The fact that at least three protesters are themselves veterans does not excuse their actions. The hearts of the 12 may have been in the right place — their protest wasn’t.