Our peace vigil drew 30 people yesterday (big turnout for this place)

[deutsey]

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11146773&BRD=2101&PAG=461&dept_id=528511&rfi=6

EASTON - Buckled black boots, white canvas sandals, worn-in dirty snow boots, ornately detailed cowboy boots and even high-heeled shoes lined the Talbot County Courthouse on Thursday afternoon.

Nearly 30 people and two dogs participated in a Silent Vigil for Peace in front of the courthouse on the cold, cloudy afternoon.


Participants were asked to bring one or two pairs of shoes to symbolize shoes that will now remain empty. The shoes were to help remember those who have died since the war's start, including U.S. and allied soldiers and Iraqis. As participants solemnly lined the fence in front of the courthouse, shoes were placed atop the spikes on the fence.


Becky Otter, of Claiborne, a vigil organizer, said PEACE (short for peace, education and community effort) has been organizing the vigils since April 2002. She said they had participated in peace vigils nearly every week for more than 60 weeks until they recently took a break.
....

A longer piece and a large photo appears on the front page of this morning's paper, above the fold. I won't be able to participate in tomorrow's protests so I'm glad we did this yesterday.

[KoKo]

1. Good News Deutsy. Gotta keep going with this. More folks are waking

up to the lies, doing what they can. :-)'s

[cmd]

2. Thank you, deutsey

Our rally tomorrow will hopefully draw a similar number.

[deutsey]

3. In the printed version

in addition to the large photo a quote by one of us saying how the war has gone worse than we could have imagined is highlighted, ie, called out in larger print in the center of the article.

This is going to generate letters to the editor (good and bad) for months, knowing this place. It's generally a conservative rural area in Maryland with a quite sizable--and vocal--progressive community here.

We were just successful in getting a monument to Frederick Douglass approved for in front of the courthouse. Douglass was born and, um, escaped from here and returned as a free man to make a pretty rousing speech in front of the courthouse, yet no monuments to him are to be found.

The struggle to get the monument approved by the county was growing pretty nasty (and garnering state and national attention), but the commisioners narrowly approved the resolution last week.

[NJCher]

4. I'll bet the sight of the shoes was sad

Good for you, deutsey, for keeping this up.


Cher

[deutsey]

5. It was completely lost on one conservative I know at work

The symbolism of the shoes, that is.

:shrug: