Residents observe four years of Iraq War

Area residents held a peace vigil at the Lawrence Library Monday.

By: Lea Kahn
   The hard rain that was falling did not dampen the spirits of two dozen people gathered at the Lawrence Library on Monday night to mark the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
   The crowd, which included residents from Lawrence Township and neighboring communities, held signs aloft that proclaimed "War is Failure," "Not One More Death, Not One More Dollar," and "Peace Now, Out of Iraq."
   Lawnside Drive resident Charles Hardy, who organized the event, thanked the group for coming out to the peace vigil — one of thousands nationwide that were held Monday and sponsored by the political organization MoveOn.org.
   "We all know why we are here," Mr. Hardy said. "We want to promote an end to the warfare in Iraq that the U.S. is so tragically involved in. There is much political work to be done to help guide our nation toward that goal, but I am envisioning this day (today) as a peace action that transcends politics.
   "Our society can change to accept peace and negotiation as leading elements of our foreign policy in place of militarism," he said. "It is important that we maintain a peace focus in our lives both now and after the troops come home from this fiasco. Think peace, talk peace, live peace."
   Mr. Hardy led the group to the portico at the Lawrence Library, facing Brunswick Pike. The group held up its posters and also sang songs — many of them straight from the Vietnam War era.
   With a nod to the late John Lennon, the group chanted, "All we are saying is, give peace a chance." They also sang Pete Seeger’s "If I Had a Hammer" and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," which were made popular by the 1960s folk music trio of Peter Paul and Mary.
   Several members of the crowd broke off and walked down to the curb on Brunswick Pike at Darrah Lane, holding signs and candles. Most motorists rushed past them, but the occasional driver tapped the car horn to acknowledge the group.
   Charles McGovern, who lives in Lawrence, said he believed the Iraq War was all about President George W. Bush’s personal pride. The Ppresident cannot admit that "it’s over, the war was a mistake," he said.
   "It’s time for this war to be over," Mr. McGovern said. "We are here to show we believe it should be over. Not one more person should die because of our presence in Iraq."
   For Pennington resident David Grimley, attending the peace rally "is nothing I have ever done before in my life."
   But Mr. Grimley, who was accompanied by his wife, Michele, and sons Ian and Brian, said he believes the war has gone on long enough. It was important to attend the peace rally to call attention to the war, he said.
   "It’s important to have your own say and to have a belief," added 15-year-old Ian Grimley, a sophomore at Hopewell Valley Central High School.
   "George W. Bush should know better than to invade random countries," Ian said. "After 9/11, we had the entire world, with the exception of a couple of countries, behind us. With Iraq, he threw most of it away."
   Michele Grimley said she felt badly for the children of Iraq who are being injured and killed. It’s not a safe situation for the Iraqis or the Americans, she said, adding "American soldiers are dying over there in a senseless war."
   Since the start of the Iraq War on March 19, 2003, the Department of Defense reported that 3,214 American service members have been killed in combat and non-combat incidents.