"That is wonderful!" said a 40 ish woman, as she lowered her car window, while starring at the vigil. "Thank you for doing that."
This was typical of many of the responses to last night's vigil. There were numerous horn honks, waves, and a few two fingered peace signs.
"I just wanted to support you," said a long time friend in his early 50's, with a big smile, as he stopped his car in the right lane and leaned across the seat to shake hands. "I'm with you."
"Why is gas 18 cents a gallon in Baghdad and $3.00 a gallon here," asked a 60 ish man from the passenger seat of a small sedan. "I don't know sir," I replied, not questioning the accuracy of his claim. "But it's a lot easier to drive here than it is there." "It is," laughed the female driver.
"I have no time to talk," barked a 60 ish man, with his teeth clenched, as he turned his head to look away, in answer to my warm greeting of "Good evening." He then stood at a red traffic signal 10 feet away, as he waited in silence two minutes to cross the street.
Meanwhile in Iraq on Friday, 67 people were killed and hundreds wounded in a series of explosions in and near Baghdad. In one incident, the force of the bombs blew many people into body parts, splattering their blood on buildings and streets. In horror and in tears, by-standers buried the remains of what only moments before had been men, women and children.
This was in answer to a U.S. and Iraqi military raid which killed the two top Iraq leaders of Al-Qaeda. Apparently, they've already been replaced as the war continues.
While among the killing in Afghanistan on Wednesday was a 30 year old auto mechanic and the father of five. As the U.S./NATO conducted a nighttime raid of his compound in search of Taliban, he thought he heard bandits robbing his home and came out with a gun, protective weapons being common in Afghanistan. He was shot and killed by a U.S. soldier.
But his sister-in-law is Safya Sidiqi, a member of the Afghan parliament, who called his killing "barbaric and unjustifiable." Ms. Sidiqi said the 15 men, women and children in the home were then blindfolded and taken outside while the soldiers and their dogs went through the house.
In response to this killing, on Thursday, numerous protesters took to the streets, chanting "Death to America!" and for four hours, they blocked a key highway used to supply U.S./NATO troops.
My questions are these: Who will now take care of his wife and children? Who will buy groceries and pay the bills? Who will comfort them from the sickening scene they witnessed and who cleaned up the blood?
Who will comfort his parents and other family and friends who must bury him and whose hearts will ache for him? But these are not questions the U.S. military or NATO will answer, as this war continues and this man and his family are what the U.S. calls "Collateral Damage."
But thousands of miles away at the vigil a voice suddenly rang out, "You're still here!" It came from a muscular, 6 foot tall 27 year old man with an ear to ear glowing smile, as he walked up in his gym clothes.
He gave me a bear hug and then shook my hand. He used to occasionally attend the vigils but hadn't been by in a year or more. "I have two more miles to run," he stated as he postponed the rest of his run to join the vigil for several minutes.
"It's great to see you out here," he said bursting with enthusiasm. Then he fell silent and as his eyes narrowed, he grimaced and added, "Most people don't care about these wars. Why are we still there? People are being killed for what? For an oil pipeline in Iraq or [for what] in Afghanistan?"
"But I'm so glad to see you're still out here!" When he left, he smiled and gave me another bear hug and shook my hand.
As he walked away, a 65 year old woman who sometimes joins the vigil walked up and hugged me and stayed for this vigil's final moments. As we parted company and the vigil was being put away, a 35 ish man saw the sign and in a serious tone said, "My 19 year old nephew is about to be sent over there [Iraq]."
As he sighed and hung his head down, I replied, "We will hope he comes home safely." He and his wife nodded their heads in agreement and as I looked them in the eyes and smiled, they smiled back, and I warmly wished them a good evening.
Dick
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