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| Boone citizens gather
for peace Saturday |
Rebecca Klein
Faculty Senate Beat
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High Country
Citizens for Peace and Justice, along with members of the Watauga
County community, gathered Saturday for a worldwide rally and march
opposing war on Iraq.
The event was held outside the Jones House and began at 11 a.m.
War protesters arrived with signs and banners to stand in their
community, along with millions of people across the world, to show
a strong voice opposing war with Iraq.
Children, students, adults and elderly community members stood on
the Jones House lawn holding signs that made statements such as
“War IS Terrorism,” “There are NO winners in war”
and “Change foreign policy or Create foreign anger.”
Petitions were passed around the crowd, which organizers hope to
print in local papers representing the diversity and broad plethora
of people in the community who are standing up to say no to war.
“We stand in solidarity with people all over the world who
support peace, not war.” Rally coordinator Anna Sagle said
to begin the rally.
One individual present gave an opposing view to the peace rally.
Speaking about patriotism into a megaphone, the war supporter stood
underneath American flags and a sign that read, “I support
our troops.”
Speaker David Crawford rebutted the war supporter’s statements.
“It is essential that everyone who opposes this war should
stand up and say something,” he said. “For some reason
people will not stand up and speak out because of ‘patriotism.’
What else is more patriotic than expressing your right to free speech?”
The afternoon continued with six additional speakers. Many spoke
on Bush’s foreign policies, suggesting current policies were
only a pursuit of America’s self interests and that in a world
that is becoming more and more interconnected, a new foreign policy
based on international cooperation should be demanded.
Other protestors told personal stories of how war is impacting their
sons, fathers and husbands. Each speech commented on a different
aspect of current political issues and held a message of peace and
justice for the crowd.
When the speeches concluded, the crowd was led on a peace march
down King Street to U.S. Hwy. 321, later reconvening at the Jones
House.
Matthew P. Lawson, head of the High Country Students for Peace and
Justice summed up the reason for Saturday’s march.
“We are NOT going to change the regime in Iraq ... Support
our troops, get them back home,” Lawson said.
The Boone rally joined anti-war demonstrations by American groups
in New York, San Francisco and other cities, as well as marches
across Europe, America and the Middle East. The event was stated
by activists to be the biggest demonstration for peace ever staged.
High Country Citizens for Peace and Justice meets on Monday 6 p.m.
to 7 p.m. at Jimmy’s Java on King Street. For more information
on upcoming peace demonstrations, contact: 268- 1532 or 264- 8904
or visit www.highcountrypeace.org.
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