This was one of the best attended of all the vigils, since they began nearly 4 1/2 years ago.
One 40 ish man carrying groceries from a nearby Trader Joe's, after reading the sign said "Thank you," and set his groceries down, took a bag of prime golden tangerines and burst the bag open. With a big smile, he said "I have too many of them," and with a twinkle in his eyes, he set six of them in my hands to share with others who were attending the vigil.
Among those at the vigil was a 50 ish couple who often participate. Later, John Fortier, the Korean War veteran who holds a vigil every Friday night, and has conducted it since before the Iraq War began in 2003, arrived as he frequently does.
His presence attracted a 45 ish woman who knows him and is aware of his vigil and she stayed about 15 minutes. While she was there, two 40 ish men, one of whom was pushing a carriage containing a baby boy and the other watching over a 3 ish little girl stopped to talk because one of them knows John.
Also attending was a 28 year old son-in-law of the 64 year old Haitian man who had long participated, but has now returned to Haiti. This young man arrived because his father-in-law asked him to and told him supporting this vigil is very important.
The young man said that his father-in-law is well connected and knows the President of Haiti. But that he is also a man of the streets and is there for an indefinite period, while he helps to distribute food and to oversee many orphanages.
Meanwhile, in Iraq on Monday, all Hell broke loose yet again across the nation as a tidal wave of bombings killed many people, estimates of the dead running as high as 154, while over 600 more were severely wounded. But in smaller numbers, this is an every day occurrence as cars suddenly explode in flames, killing, maiming and destroying what an instant before had been the lives of men, women and children.
On Wednesday, vigil day, among those every day occurrences, 12 Iraqis were killed when an explosive laden vehicle blew-up outside a Sadr City cafe in Baghdad. For the day, 19 Iraqis were killed and 68 were wounded, and on Thursday, 11 more Iraqis were killed and 52 were wounded.*
While in Afghanistan, the death and destruction continues as well, as the Taliban have responded to the U.S. military surge by spreading out and growing stronger. Outside Kabul, the Afghan capitol, there is little support for President Karzai, who is kept in power by the U.S.
This week, Mr. Karzai was in Washington, meeting with President Obama and other senior officials. He also made a PR appearance at Arlington National Cemetery as the U.S. prepares to launch a massive attack in Kandahar, Afghanistan's 2nd largest city, an attack that will send many soldiers to Arlington and other grave yards. It will send many Afghan men, women and children to their graves as well, which will infuriate their families against the U.S. and against Mr. Karzai.
Because both wars cause enormous suffering, they carry profound moral consequences to each person who supports them or lets them continue in silence. But they are also financial black holes, absorbing vast amounts of money that America can ill afford to spend.
But thousands of miles away, on a pleasant sunny evening, our gentle vigil received widespread support in horn honks, waves and some two fingered peace signs, as the public joined us in remembering those who have paid such a severe price in these wars.
Dick
*Statistics from Antiwar.com on 5/14/10
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