War Protesters Want Troops Home, Want Peace
Last updated Sunday, March 11, 2007 7:20 PM CDT in News
By Trish Mehaffey
The Morning News
FAYETTEVILLE -- The song "Peace Train" quickly was drowned out Sunday by hundreds of marchers who came to the Fayetteville square chanting, "1, 2, 3, 4, we don't want your oil war."
As they got closer, a woman in the back of a pickup was yelling, "Human rights are under attack. What do we want?"
The marchers replied "Peace!"
She asked, "When?"
"Now!" the marchers answered loudly.
Several marchers held signs reading "Impeach Bush," "Stop the War," "Not one more death, Not one more dollar, Not one more day" and "Imagine Free Speech."
A pink banner, "Women Of The World Say No To War," was displayed by a group of women who a few years ago took off their clothes to make their peace statement on Dickson Street.
The OMNI Center for Peace, Justice & Ecology hosted Sunday's peace march from the Walton Arts Center to the square to mark the fourth anniversary of the Iraq War. The rally included speakers, music and poetry readings promoting peace and admonishing the actions of the current Bush administration.
Melanie Dietzel, co-president of center, said the rally is to remember all those who have died and to let the administration know, "We want it to stop. We want peace in the world." She believes the troops should be brought home as quickly as possible.
Gary Belew said he comes every year to the protest, hoping it will be his last.
"They should bring the troops home. They shouldn't be there. We should pull out now. I think the tide is turning against the administration."
Diana Welch said she understands the troops can't be pulled out all at once, but the process should begin.
"Why do we keep doing this. We align ourselves with people like Saddam, back at one time, and then we take them down. We keep making a mess, creating chaos."
Shawna Thorup, who began crying after one of the speakers read poetry, said she has a 3-year-old son and it breaks her heart knowing "kids are getting killed" over in Iraq every day. "We live in the greatest democracy in the world and if we can't teach the process of how to solve our problems by not slapping each other down, then who can? We have to talk to each other.
"My dad was in the Vietnam War and our generation didn't really have a war," she said. "Shouldn't we be proud of that? Anyone with a son shouldn't want this."
Bradford Bowen said what he thought probably couldn't be printed. He has become cynical about the entire issue. He's been coming to these rallies for four years and feels like nothing can be done. It seemed better when the Democrats took control, but then they didn't have a plan, so "they're just as terrible."
Judith LeBlanc, the keynote speaker, urged the crowd to call their state representatives and senators and push for the end of this war.
She is the national co-chairwoman of the United for Peace and Justice Coalition. She recently returned from the Middle East where she met with Iraqi parliamentarians, and she was in London last week to participate in a large antiwar rally.
Le Blanc said things are changing because as this march is going on, there's a debate going on at Capitol Hill to set a date for bringing the troops home.
In the former Republican-controlled Congress, there was never any discussion of that subject, she said. People in Latin America are even protesting the war -- "he can't even get a break over there," she said smiling.
"Peace and justice. We can't have one without the other," she said.
Ocie Fisher, a local blues singer, closed out the rally with John Lennon's "Imagine" and then got the crowd involved in Edwin Starr's song, "War."
"War ... huh ... good God y'all,
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing ... say it again."
Reader Comments (110 comment(s))
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TomSongs wrote on Mar 11, 2007 8:25 PM:
pbc wrote on Mar 11, 2007 8:35 PM:
Well said pbc wrote on Mar 11, 2007 9:00 PM:
Peace Out wrote on Mar 11, 2007 9:50 PM:
I have to agree with Peace out and pbc wrote on Mar 11, 2007 10:47 PM:
Gladys Tiffany wrote on Mar 12, 2007 12:37 AM:
God Bless America wrote on Mar 12, 2007 12:45 AM:
Support the Troops wrote on Mar 12, 2007 3:22 AM:
Here's An Idea wrote on Mar 12, 2007 4:08 AM:
Protesters wrote on Mar 12, 2007 7:05 AM:
hmmm wrote on Mar 12, 2007 7:48 AM:
amazed wrote on Mar 12, 2007 7:52 AM:
che wrote on Mar 12, 2007 7:55 AM:
Aunt of a Soldier wrote on Mar 12, 2007 8:00 AM:
Boby wrote on Mar 12, 2007 8:03 AM:
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Conchicky wrote on Mar 12, 2007 9:06 AM:
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Try to do right wrote on Mar 12, 2007 10:14 AM:
STP wrote on Mar 12, 2007 11:15 AM:
Bobby wrote on Mar 12, 2007 11:36 AM:
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Craig wrote on Mar 12, 2007 6:22 PM:
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Bobby wrote on Mar 12, 2007 7:20 PM:
Peace protesters be careful wrote on Mar 12, 2007 7:26 PM:
Stop sending our troops to defend freedom for stupid people wrote on Mar 12, 2007 7:38 PM:
Words of wisdom wrote on Mar 12, 2007 7:51 PM:
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Hey Bobby wrote on Mar 12, 2007 9:45 PM:
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telling someone to leave the country wrote on Mar 12, 2007 11:15 PM:
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Russ wrote on Mar 13, 2007 4:47 PM:
disgusted wrote on Mar 13, 2007 5:35 PM:
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Government loves you wrote on Mar 13, 2007 6:37 PM:
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John Adams never had to fight the Extreme Fundamentel Moslums wrote on Mar 13, 2007 11:25 PM:
Manyhats wrote on Mar 14, 2007 10:12 AM:
creating a viable government wrote on Mar 14, 2007 11:24 AM:
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disgusted wrote on Mar 14, 2007 7:54 PM:
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supportthetroops wrote on Mar 14, 2007 10:16 PM:
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Barbie Croteau wrote on Mar 15, 2007 1:13 PM:
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Bobby wrote on Mar 11, 2007 7:56 PM: