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Peace, as evidenced by the Cost of War rally in Cedar Rapids today, is proving to be a common interest for people of many varied backgrounds.
“The measure of a great nation is not its great wealth nor its great power, but what a nation does with that wealth and power — whether it creates great misery and destruction or whether it creates great joy,” said Wendy Barth, president of Women for Peace Iowa.
While Barth and members of area peace organizations have been protesting the Iraq war before it even officially began, others who attended today’s rally are relative newcomers.
Young mom Jessica Pannell attended the rally today and spoke about how her anti-abortion beliefs carry over into her thoughts on the war.
“I believe we should try to protect life at every stage from birth to death,” she said. “That includes especially our young men. I believe that if we are serious about protecting life that we will protect the lives of our soldiers and protect the lives of people abroad.”
Clergyman Blair Frank said he attended because of a fundamental disagreement with current foreign policy.
“I’m here because I believe war is wrong,” he said. “It isn’t the answer. I feel that more people are going to give voice to that, but that some people are afraid. And I think that we can overcome the fear as we realize that we are more alike one another than we are different. There are people all across the spectrum of society that are being adversely affected by war. We are now starting to hear the voice — and it’s going to grow.”
Karl Knutson, a retired school teacher, said he was happy to be at the rally, but was disappointed more people didn’t show up and express their opinions.
“I saw the small item in the paper that there was a rally to try to get out of Iraq. If I’m close to any of those types of events, I try to attend,” he said while noting that he was on the 1st Avenue bridge in Cedar Rapids for the vigil that noted the fourth year of the war. “I was disappointed with turnout that night, and I’m disappointed in many ways with turnout today, too. I’m still hopeful that someday there will be more people that will see the light and not support this horrendous war.”
While organizers said they obviously would have liked to have filled downtown with individuals calling for an end to the war, they also said gathering roughly 25 people to rally and deliver petitions to legislators on a workday wasn’t insignificant.
The rally was organized by Women for Peace Iowa to call attention to the war and for delivery of a petition to the offices of three of Iowa’s members of Congress.
Text of the petition:
Mandate for Peace
Petition to stop funding war and fund a safe withdrawal.
To Our Senators and Congressman,
I oppose the war in Iraq. I believe this war violates American values, wastes taxpayers’ dollars, harms the Iraqi people, fuels anti-American sentiment, and makes us less safe. I believe the best way to end the war is to stop funding it. Congress should provide funding only as needed for safely withdrawing all of our troops (all by the Embassy guards) out of Iraq and out of the region. Support the troops; bring them home safe, now.
Amy Logsdon of Iowa Citizen Action Network said her organization is involved because the most Americans are opposed to the war.
“We’ve gotten involved in the efforts to end the war in Iraq because we believe in government of the people, by the people and for the people,” she said. “We call on our Congressional representatives to to stand with the people and not stand in lockstep with the president on this immoral and wrong-headed war.”
Sue Dinsdale, who heads up Iowa operations for Iraq Project and has a son who has completed tours of duty in Iraq, says she’s involved because she has to be in order to bring about an end to this war.
“I am traveling across the state to visit Sen. Grassley’s office … to let him know how we feel,” she said. “I got a call during this rally today and heard that he had voted, once again, wrong on the Levin-Reed amendment. That just reinforces how important it is that everyone needs to speak out and make their voice heard.”
The petitions were circulated by Women for Peace Iowa over a 20-day span and included roughly 750 signatures. None of the targeted lawmakers was in his office when the petitions were delivered, but many in attendance spoke with staff about their personal concerns in relation to the war.
“This is what you do when you are in a democracy,” said Judith Pedersen-Benn, local activist and Women for Peace Iowa member. “It is important to make sure our representatives understand what we want.”
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