Iraq Moratorium Vigil
02/15/2008 2:30pm ....6pm
Chelsea Parade, In front of NFA, Norwich, CT US
Sponsored by
Come join us at a peaceful vigil with like-minded Americans who want an end to the war & a safe return of our service men & women.
Wear black, bring signs, or just stand with us in support of an end to war.
The Youth Peace Group at NFA and the War Resisters League have decided to participate in the Moratorium, but will start on Chelsea Parade after school sometime between 2:30-3 PM and they will stay until 4 PM, we will bridge the gap between 4-5 PM and continue the vigil until 6 PM. This is very exciting as we hope to see a large contingent of Americans who want this war to end and no new war to start. There should be quite the diversity of ages and backgrounds.
***THIS JUST IN***
We have arranged for a monthly free movie night in Norwich's Otis Public Library in conjunction with the Iraq Moratorium. See the listing above. Come see the movie. Come stand at the Iraq Moratorium Vigil on Friday!
WE ARE GROWING!!! Politicians and fellow citizens take notice!
PermaLink: http://iraqmoratorium.org/events/listings/6/603.html
Reports, Updates, Comments
This afternoon's Moratorium started out like our past events had with about 10 people standing near the Veterans Memorial on Chelsea Parade. We held signs, showed the peace sign with our hands or waved. Many cars passed by either honking or giving us the thumbs up or peace sign. The afternoon turned into evening and the temperature dropped.
About that time a car pulled up along side of us and a young man clad in a kind of sports jersey came out. We weren’t sure what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised when he reached out to shake our hands and thank us for exercising the right that his fellow marines were in Iraq for. He said he was a marine and due to head over there for the first time very soon. He appreciated what we were doing.
We explained to him that we were not against the soldiers but against the war that the administration had placed them in. We asked him to convey to his fellow marines once he was in Iraq that we support them wholeheartedly, but we want them home and ready to actually defend our nation should a real threat occur. I truly got the feeling that he did not believe in the war, but as a marine he was going to do his duty. He was truly a respectful young man, and I only wished I could somehow keep him from going, from having to experience the horrors of war that would change him. I only wish this war was over now.
If ever I had a moment of doubt about the value of this Moratorium, tonight made it perfectly clear. For all those people who sit on the sidelines not wanting or caring to speak out, we do. That one marine understood that the US Constitution has been fought for longer than we have lived to give us the right to speak, to stand vigil, to oppose what our government is doing and that we might make the difference for him and his fellow marines, but only if we stand up and speak out.