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Yesterday I spent some quality time with a group of beautiful people, right in the middle of downtown Columbus Ohio. It was the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. About 400 people gathered to protest the war and rally instead for peace. It was a friendly and diverse crowd spanning several age groups, languages and cultures, as evidenced by their attire. Nevertheless, they were united in their desire to bring about peace. I could feel the energy which coaxed the tears right out of my eyes. Funny how that works!
We arrived at the rally site early, and greeted the peace marchers as they arrived with drums, chants and noisemakers. This was a seriously happy group, if you can understand that apparent contradiction. They came around the corner led by a young lady walking and doing the hula-hoop thing without missing a beat. It suggested the grace and energy of the crowd that followed. I couldn’t help but smile. The drums! Drums, calling out with power, sending power into our feet and our hearts. Old couples walking hand in hand. Young mothers pushing their babies in strollers. Mohawks and buns and spikes and braids and crew cuts and none of the above, in all colors natural and playful. Veterans for peace. Clergy. Wheelchairs. Flags and banners and posters and buttons. We ARE the people!
The marchers circled the rally site and eventually gathered around the stage. We listened to musicians until the speakers stepped forward. They were from several countries, and they all exhorted us to work for peace. Well, that’s what we were all about anyway, and we responded to their exhortations with a variety of noisemakers and peace signs raised high. In contrast the entire time we were there, several police cars sat out on the street, claiming the center lane and announcing their presence with flashing lights. A couple of state troopers stood behind us. Nobody attacked us, nor did we attack anybody else. The state and local law enforcers had absolutely nothing to do after escorting the parade itself. Wouldn’t you think someone would get a clue about that? It’s the other end of the political spectrum that needs a collection of "peace" keepers.
The crowd wasn’t as big as we would have liked, which means we have more work to do. But for this day, no matter. I appreciate the fact that no prior background checks were conducted to verify that the people gathered here were actually supportive of peace. If there were antagonists, they were quiet. How could it be otherwise? I can’t imagine that this kind of crowd would have seen any necessity to ask for police help in escorting a merely noisy dissident with an appropriately designed t-shirt away to prevent the possibility of interrupting the speakers. Also, the rally was on public property. No tickets or loyalty pledges were required for admission, unlike gatherings of those of the conservative stripe.
Afterwards I thought about something else: No suits, no furs, no Texas "big hair".
One speaker, especially, caught my attention. Mike Ferner, a member of an organization called Veterans for Peace, spoke powerfully and provocatively, challenging us to take the moral high road and stop being such obedient citizens. One suggestion he gave was to withhold a small portion of our income tax payments, perhaps $25 or $50. Since he prefaced this by explaining it as a relatively harmless way to protest, I was interested in knowing what else he has in mind. Fortunately I was able to speak with him afterwards and he’ll be sending some information to me, which I look forward to sharing. I know this isn’t the first time I’ve heard about this form of civil disobedience.
I hope the next peace rally has so many people that the police are needed just to keep a lane clear for the cars. Oh wait. That’s not right. What I really hope for is that another peace rally isn’t necessary.