Residents Join Anti-War Effort With A Quiet Vigil For Peace

By Shannon Hicks

Newtown resident Joan Ellen Gereg joined organizers across the country to set up peaceful candlelight vigils on Wednesday, August 17, to support the Crawford, Texas, vigil of Cindy Sheehan. The Newtown event took place at Edmond Town Hall and was exactly what had been promised: quiet and peaceful.

Cindy Sheehan is “The Anti-War Mom” who has been camped out near President Bush’s ranch in Texas since his arrival on vacation earlier this month. She hopes to meet with the President to discuss the war. Mrs Sheehan was also the mother Casey Sheehan, age 24, who was killed in Iraq last year on Palm Sunday.

A political action group, MoveOn.org, has been supporting Mrs Sheehan’s protest. On Monday, the group put a notice on its website that it would, along with the groups True Majority and Democracy For America, respond to Mrs Sheehan’s request that supporters start candlelight vigils in their communities. Within 48 hours the Internet had worked wonders.

More than 120 people registered for the event in Newtown. Many showed up with their own candles and signs that read Stop The War, Peace, Anything War Can Do Peace Can Do Better, Bring Our Troops Home Now, and Bring Our Children Home. A handful of people carried signs with a quote attributed to Mrs Sheehan: “Before one more mother’s child is lost.”

For some people Wednesday’s vigil was a show of support for a woman they have not yet met, while for others it was their way of protesting the war. The event was peaceful from start to finish. No one argued loudly, and there was no counterprotest seen.

The vigil started at 7:30 pm, with people quietly gathering in the town hall’s front courtyard. Soon Ms Gereg was joined by Monroe resident Sue Bannay, who played her bagpipe and slowly led a procession from the front of the town hall to the sidewalk leading to the side driveway of the town hall, and circled back to the front courtyard.

The group followed this circuit a few times, before ending in the front courtyard. There, people of all ages spoke quietly among themselves. Some in the group made their way to the shoulder of the road in front of the town hall, where many waved at passing cars; some held their hands in peace signs and others stood silently holding their signs and candles.

Sandy Hook resident Diane McCafferty was among those protesting the war Wednesday night. She carried a candle and a large framed color photograph of her son in his Marine uniform.

Lance Corporal James McCafferty graduated from Newtown High School in 2002 and enlisted that November. LCpl McCafferty has served one tour in Iraq. His unit is currently back on its base in Arizona, and his mother is hoping there will not be a second tour of duty. The unit is scheduled to return to Iraq in December.

“I feel relieved that he is back in this country,” Mrs McCafferty said, “but I still feel for the families who have soldiers over there, especially since I feel we’re not making any progress in stabilizing that country and making it safer. We’re not making our own country any safer, for that matter.”

World War II veteran Arthur Langlieb, a resident of Heritage Village in Southbury, and Southbury resident George Hall were also at the vigil.

“We’re sympathetic with Cindy [Sheehan], the way she’s strong enough to speak out. We’re here supporting her,” Mr Langlieb said.

One of the youngest participants at the vigil was Anthony Voss, 11, of Rockville, Md., who was visiting his grandparents this week in Newtown.

“I believe the war on Iraq is a really bad attempt to try to say we are fighting a war on terror while others are helping themselves to the riches in the Middle East,” said Anthony, who admits he tries to learn more about the world around him than most kids his age.

“I really don’t think George W. Bush is to blame for all this,” Anthony continued. “Everyone is a good person, but people make bad choices. Even Saddam Hussein made bad choices. That’s what can divide you from being praised and being shunned and hated.”

Newtown’s vigil was among more than 1,500 similar events that were taking place across the country Wednesday night. According to MoveOn.org, more than 50,000 people registered to take part in the events nationally. Local events were also planned in Bethlehem, Monroe, New Milford, Redding, and Ridgefield.

“This all happened very quickly,” said organizer Joan Ellen Gereg, who is involved with MoveOn.org. “I found out about this only two days ago, and it’s been a whirlwind ever since.”

The event was scheduled to last for just 30 minutes, but ran closer to 45 before breaking up as quietly as it had started. Even so, Town Hall Manager Tom Mahoney, who was able to step outside to join the group for a few minutes, praised the group’s efforts.

“It’s been very peaceful and quiet tonight. It’s very nice, and well organized. There have been no problems at all,” Mr Mahoney said.

Whether anything comes from Wednesday’s event or not remains to be seen, but one participant pointed out that movements have to start somewhere.

“This is how the Vietnam resistance started,” said Joan Verniero, a resident of Monroe. “Someone went to Johnson’s ranch to protest the war.”