Today we joined the marchers at the Pentagon. It was a very cold and blustery day, but folks were sticking it out and strong in spirit. We met some folks who had been in the Peace movement for a long time, but the most significant meeting was with folks who were older Americans, registered Republicans and military men, who were joining in protest for the first time or who had just recently become active in the Iraq anti-war movement. Everyone we saw was well-behaved and attentive to the speakers. They had spent a long time marching and it was very cold. Many had been at the Cathedral the night before and had protested at the White House. One man we spent time with was arrested at the White House. It was his first act of civil disobedience. He is a life-long Republican, a veteran, and from Minnesota. He is a veterinarian who came to question the war when he saw a report from his congressman about the plight of Afghanistan(is) two years after the war. He believes the President has been wrong in taking us into Iraq. Another man is a Naval Academy graduate and veteran of many years' experience. He is working hard to get the war stopped. The two men pictured together did not know each other, but we asked them to pose for a joint picture. We had struck up conversation with both of them.
THIS WAR IS BRINGING OUT ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO QUESTION ITS MORALITY AND MERITS. IT HAS BEEN FORTY-TWO YEARS SINCE I TOOK PART IN A WASHINGTON PEACE MARCH. IT FELT SCARY AGAIN, WITH THE HELICOPTERS OVERHEAD AND THE POLICE EVERYWHERE, BUT I AM GLAD I WAS ABLE TO BE THERE.
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