"That war is almost over," said a 60 ish man. "I would stand with you but it's much too cold." Then looking at my heavy jacket he added, "You must be very cold," as he said goodbye and slowly walked away.
It was a cool, crisp and refreshing night, a great night for a vigil. But that he would believe the Iraq war is "almost over" is no surprise. In Los Angeles there is so little news coverage of it, that today in the Los Angeles Times there was none, which is typical.
Shortly after he left, a 50 ish woman who often joins the vigil did last night for about five minutes. She has been a strong Obama supporter but expressed her concern that the Iraq war continues and that he is expanding the Afghan war.
As she spoke, a bus driver blasted her horn in support. It was loud enough to grab everyone's attention. Later, two other bus drivers would honk their horns in support as well.
"We thought this would interest you," said a high school girl as she walked-up to the vigil, while her girl friend waited in the car.
She provided a flyer to raise money for a "digital marquee memorial" for three young men that had graduated from their high school who were killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. One of the dead was only 20-years-old when he was captured and killed in Iraq.
As the two young ladies were about to drive away she lowered her window and said, "Thank you for doing this vigil."
Last Friday in the Shiite holy city of Karbala 40 miles south of Baghdad, a female suicide bomber walked into a tent filled with women and children on a religious pilgrimage and blew herself up, killing 40 people and injuring 60 more.
What had been a joyous occasion a moment earlier now left bodies in pools of blood and scattered body parts far and wide. Terrified children cried in fear clinging to their parents, while the severely injured lay on the ground gasping in pain.
It was the third straight day of bombings against the hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims, and the deadliest attack in Iraq this year.
Today, in widespread violence across the nation, 18 Iraqis were killed and 24 more were injured, as the death and destruction continues.
Meanwhile at the vigil, "Come On," shouted a 40 ish man from his car, his face contorted in anger. Why this vigil upset him was unclear, as he sped away.
"God bless you," said a 50 ish man from his car as he waved and blasted his horn in support. "I served in the Marines," he said proudly, holding up a Marine baseball cap. "I served in the 80's when the mission was noble."
As he waved and drove-off, it was time to conclude the vigil. But just then a 64-year-old woman who often joins the vigil walked-up, and the vigil was extended an extra 10-minutes to enjoy her company and to remind more people of those who have paid a horrific price in this war, a war which continues to claim new victims each day.
Dick
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