Joyful ending to Chicago peace rally

As the Oct. 27 peace rally concluded in Chicago's Federal Plaza, my husband and I headed back to our car, retracing the path we'd marched, having been surrounded by thousands of anti-war protesters three hours earlier. On an almost empty, darkened street voices behind us commented on the sign I still carried high. I turned around. A young man and his mother both smiled broadly.

"I just got back from Iraq," he said. "Thanks for marching."

I was filled with joy. Until that moment, a small part of me felt that marching in the street has little impact. I've become used to my opinion being disregarded where I reside, in Wheaton, a Republican stronghold that, despite its proclaimed religious underpinnings, isn't overflowing with peaceniks. Sadly, my neighbors think supporting the troops in Iraq involves voting Republican, tying yellow ribbons, and mailing the troops "boot-cut" socks, baby wipes and letters from schoolchildren. Throughout our nation, a growing number of us believe just the opposite: supporting the troops in Iraq means bringing them home.

A young soldier's wife who spoke at the rally thanked us for marching. She asked us to write to our elected officials to make them end the war that has so harmed her husband and family. Her thanks were echoed by another speaker, a young U.S. soldier, who spoke about his horror at being sent to Iraq, which had no responsibility for the 9/11 attacks, instead of to Afghanistan, which he knew did. As these brave souls spoke, I fervently wished there were more of us gathered to hear their words. Imagine if 500,000 of us had made the simple effort to show up on a Saturday afternoon to protest this unjust war.

The protests are not over. Join us. Contact your representatives. You can make a difference.

Karen Lappa Haas

Wheaton