In September 2004, when the 1,000th U.S. soldier died in Iraq, there were nationwide peace vigils to observe this sad event. In Newark, a candlelight vigil was organized by a university student whose brother was being sent to Iraq.
We decided to continue the vigil weekly. As few as four and as many as 30 of us are there whether it is a frigid 20 degrees or a sweltering 100. We meet from 5 to 6 p.m. on Fridays. Delaware's peace group Pacem in Terris holds a vigil in Wilmington at the same time.
We are teachers, engineers, professors, artists, dental technicians, business owners, families with little kids, college students, war veterans and retirees. While silently holding our signs, we remind rush-hour drivers that some of their neighbors strongly oppose this tragic and costly act of unprovoked aggression.
We used to hold a sign showing the number of U.S. dead. It was depressing to keep updating it, from 1,000, then 2,000, then 3,000. Now its almost 3,500 young Americans - fathers, sons, neighbors, co-workers and friends - senselessly killed since the president, with support from Congress and the media, started this war.
Attitudes change
The most interesting part of the vigil is how the response from drivers has changed over the years. At first, few gave support and many showed hostility and anger. Now, an overwhelming majority support us by honking, flashing a peace gesture, thumbs up or a smile. This includes bus and truck drivers, moms in minivans and leather- clad motorcyclists in addition to the ubiquitous commuters.
Those few who don't agree respond with thumbs down or foulmouthed hatred. Often we hear "Remember 9/11, you #@&." Sadly, many still believe the administration's deception linking Sept. 11, 2001, to Iraq in order to justify the invasion. This lie was disproved long ago.
Young men are the most hostile. Why does expressing a wish for peace invoke such hatred?
Some drivers warn us to "support the troops." We do. We want them home alive. We respect their sacrifices but disrespect those who put them in harm's way. We say, "Honor the dead, heal the wounded, end the war."
The Bush administration is not solely responsible for the quagmire consuming $2 billion each week and creating widows and orphans in America and Iraq. Senators Joseph Biden and Thomas Carper voted to give Bush permission to invade Iraq, despite false claims of weapons of mass destruction and al-Qaida connections. They voted to fund the war again last month despite widespread public opposition. We must hold our congressional delegation accountable for their role in enabling this awful mess to continue. Why is Congress afraid to stand up to Bush and company?
As this administration's deceit has been revealed, the number of dead increases and the Iraqi civil war escalates, we see an increasing number of Delaware drivers oppose this war. National polls confirm our unofficial survey. The tide has turned against the warmongers in Washington. The majority of Americans support a rapid end to this invasion.
Don't forget Iraqi civilian casualties estimated at well over 100,000, or the 4 million who have fled their country in fear, or the loss of Iraqi women's freedoms. Think about all the good things the United States could have done with the $400 billion wasted on this war.
We never imagined that nearly four years later we would still be holding a weekly vigil, or that the U.S. death toll would be so high. The projected U.S. death toll, at over a hundred each month, will be above 4,000 by end of this year. The question for Congress is: How many more will you allow to needlessly die before you end this?
