Last night's vigil attracted its 1st horn honk and wave of support before the vigil had been set up. John Fortier and I were carrying the sign, not yet readable to traffic and the candle, but someone in a white car already knew what the vigil was about and expressed support for it.
That support and the support of others, including you dear reader, is very important. Yesterday in various parts of Iraq near its capitol, Baghdad, there were 3 separate bombings and a shooting, leaving at least 27 people dead and many more wounded.* While the prior day in Afghanistan, the Taliban launched a 20 hour assault in some of the most secured areas of Kabul, the capitol. They attacked the U.S. Embassy, NATO headquarters, and police headquarters. It took U.S. military support to end the siege. But it sent the message to Afghans and others all over the world that after 10 years of U.S. War and occupation, no place in Afghanistan is safe.
But thousands of miles away at our vigil street corner alongside Pacific Coast Highway, it was busy with the rush hour traffic, but peaceful as drivers honked and waved and gave us two fingered peace signs. At one point, John stepped out to speak with a 30 year military veteran who was expressing his support when the signal turned green. Nobody in that lane or the right most lane next to it moved or honked a horn in protest as John and this man spoke for 20 seconds more and then they waited patiently and quietly while John came back safely to the sidewalk.
The last 10-15 minutes of the vigil was joined by a 54 year old woman who was walking her little black and white dog. She lives across the street and wanted to participate. When the vigil ended and we were walking away, the sign no longer visible to traffic, a man in a white car honked and waved his support, a lovely ending that completed the circle to how the vigil began.
Dick
* For more information, please see "3 bombings, shooting leave more than 25 dead in Iraq," Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq-attacks-20110915,0,2122555.story
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