For Cherise Tasker, enough is enough.
“My son is almost 13 years old,” said the Columbia resident, who served in the U.S. Navy for four years, at an anti-war protest with more than 40 people Tuesday evening in Columbia. “If we continue to escalate the violence [in Iraq], there?s going to be a draft, and I don?t want any part of that.”
More than 650 candlelight vigils took place nationwide at the same time, drawing about 11,000 people to honor soldiers who have served, and called on Congress to bring troops home and stop funding the war, said Columbia resident Ruth White, event organizer. The events, including one in Westminster, were hosted by the national Democratic organization MoveOn, which began as a political action committee in 1998 and has grown to more than 3 million members, according to the group?s Web site.
“I appreciate what these troops are doing, but I wish there was policy direction,” said Robert Terry, of Columbia, whose 27-year-old son is a lieutenant scheduled to go to Iraq in October. “I?m no pacifist, but I don?t want to waste these people.”
Tasker?s children Alexander, 12, and Madison, 7, were among the youngest protesters who waved peace signs and “Bring ?em home” posters at the candlelight vigil at the intersection of Little Patuxent and Broken Land parkways.
“I think we need a new president,” Madison said. “He?s not very smart and he lied to get us there.”
The protesters met in smaller groups to comfort each other and discuss the numbers: 3,733 U.S. soldiers dead, 69 of which were from Maryland; 27,250 soldiers wounded, 382 of which were from Maryland, according to icasualties.org, which keeps track of the U.S. casualties and fatalities from the Iraq war.
“By calling our soldiers heroes because they?re dead, they are denying the public the right to grieve,” said Jana Meacham, 62, of Laurel, whose younger brother died in Vietnam. “It?s one of the biggest injustices.”
