Reports from the Field: January actions

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Minocqua

With the thermometer at -4 and the wind chill at -20, eight Northwoods Peaceniks stood on the corner of highways 51 and 70 in Minocqua for our monthly vigil on Jan. 24. Assuming a handicap of -2.5 for every wind chill degree below zero we score this as the people equivalent of 20. Hope to actually see more and more of you next month when we have been promised above zero temperatures but will be competing against the Birkebeiner. Let me know if this date (Feb. 21) is bad for you. It corresponds to the third Friday, Wisconsin’s declared day of the month to demonstrate for peace. Apparently our stand impressed a number of drivers as we got a lot of favorable acknowledgements and the usual number of young soldier aged men out of uniform signaling strong disapproval. We can only hope they won’t end up in Afghanistan.

Eau Claire

Like everywhere in the country, it was a cold night in Eau Claire. We experienced wind chills around 20 to 30 degrees below zero. This limited the normal number of attendees, but we were able to get ten very committed peace activists out. We had a couple of war veterans and one man whose daughter is currently serving her second tour of duty in Baghdad. Our presence on the corner of a very busy intersection was quite a sight for passers-by. They knew we "meant business!" I'm looking forward to warmer temperatures in February and a larger showing of people who know that we have to keep up the pressure to end these immoral and costly wars.

De Kalb, IL

January 16, 2009: Local citizens brave the cold to send a positive message of hope and change for 2009. Members of the DeKalb Interfaith Network for Peace and Justice stood on the corner of 1st and Lincoln highway, as they do every Friday, with a special vigil to mark the beginning of a new administration, an administration they hope will bring positive change for the country and the world. Lolly Voss, one of the organizers of the event said, "We hope that this new administration works to end the war and invest in the needs of people here at home."

Superior

" Oh, the weather outside is frightful!" Neither rain, nor snow, nor wind chills cold enough to freeze your backside could keep a half a dozen hearty souls from standing for peace in Superior WI on Iraq Moratorium Day. While usually the twin port cities of Duluth,MN and Superior, WI hold separate Iraq Moratorium pickets, due to a week of weather which rarely rose to get to be zero degrees, we thought we'd consolidate our forces for the sake of warmth! Participants convened afterwards at the Red Mug coffeehouse just across the street to plan for next months event, so wash those long underwear, make yourself a sign or two, call a friend or family member, and be on the corner of Hammond and broadway on Friday, February 20th. See you there!

Milwaukee:

About 20 hardy souls braved sub-zero temperature and winds for Milwaukee's abbreviated January Iraq Moratorium vigil. Several of us adjourned afterward to a nearby coffee shop to discuss plans for February.

Milwaukee:

I cannot attend today's Iraq Moratorium vigil because of a schedule conflict, but I changed both my facebook and myspace pages in honor of the Moratorium: facebook myspace

Sheboygan:

Sheboygan poet and Vets for Peace member Gerald W. Bertsch has committed to writing a poem for peace every day until the war ends. Here's today's poem in observance of the Moratorium:

Iraq Disappointment

There weren’t any bombs.
Surprised? Hard to believe.
Disappointed? Certainly.
But not deterred.

We really wanted to find bombs.
We surmised they were there.
Finding them wasn’t necessary.
We’d did the war anyway.

Sorry we didn’t discover bombs.
Sorry so many died.
Can’t let it get to you.
Compromised? Nah.

Madison: I sent this to President-elect Obama at change.gov:

I worked nearly full time and contributed more than my heirs think I should have to elect Senator Obama. I was motivated by many things but Iraq was near the top of the list. While viewed by many as a liberal, I can't stand the waste of precious resources. The Iraq war is a waste of $1.4 trillion, our prestige, lives, bodies, and minds. Please end it as quickly as possible and rethink your views on Afghanistan. Thank you. -- Tom Krajewski.

Sheboygan:

I was out in the cold/wind/ice/frost in Sheboygan for our weekly peace vigil after reading a book about Shackleton the past week. Then on to Milwaukee for a fundraiser to help with travel expenses for George Martin, UFPJ co-chair,then two house concerts wearing a black arm band for conversation starter.

Madison:

Peace activists, Wis. Network for Peace and Justice staff (pictured: Todd Dennis and Steve Burns) and Iraq Veterans Against the War colleagues attended an event at the Veterans Affairs office today, as a way to honor the Iraq Moratorium. The event was called: A Day of Recognition of Gulf War Illness – put on by the WI Dept. of Veterans Affairs. Presenters there report that FINALLY there is recognition that there is a real “syndrome” of illness for one-fourth of those who served in Kuwait and the Gulf War in 1991 – affecting up to 200,000 veterans. Long-term effects of exposure in 1991 to depleted uranium (DU) and untested vaccines are still unknown. This group is advocating for more research and cures for these illnesses. As this information spreads out to the public through the VFW clubs, VA hospitals, and Veterans Affairs events and press, recruiters will have a more difficult time getting people to join up – countering the appeal of glory and adventure, with potential sentence of a life-time of illness. (Note: we went indoors today for our IM event – with below-zero temperatures.)