Residents rally to bring troops home

Tiffany Tuell

(Updated: Thursday, December 24, 2009, 12:11 PM)

A small group of Mountain Area residents braved the cold Friday evening, Dec. 18 at the corner of Highway 41 and Highway 49 for a peace vigil, sending a message to end the wars in the Middle East and bring American troops home.

Their message was met by a steady stream of vehicles honking in agreement.

"We're here because we're very upset," said Lynn Jacobsson. "Congress has decided to fund more war rather than send our troops home. We're worried that there is no end in Afghanistan. The majority of America wants our troops to come home."

For Peter Cavanaugh, the rally hit home.

"I have a cousin who is a Navy Seal lieutenant commander," Cavanaugh said. "I am very much in support of him and the troops, but I don't want to see them throw away their lives for an insane proposition."

Jacobsson said she thinks America's actions against Pakistan will gain more recruits for Al Qaeda.

"A lot of innocent civilians are being killed along with targeted insurgents, creating hate and animosity towards America," Jacobsson said. "Pakistan is nuclear-armed, and that is where Al Qaeda is moving."

Betty Persson said she was at the vigil to promote education rather than war and to promote "peace in Afghanistan."

"We're not going to bring democracy to Afghanistan -- we're promoting death of civilians," Persson said. "If we brought books and education, we would turn it around more than by creating another war."

The protesters also sought to send a message to Republican Congressman George Radanovich. Jacobsson said he should vote against war appropriations.

"America needs the money at home for education, health care and for people to regain their homes and work on unemployment," she said.

Coarsegold resident Bob Keystone and his two daughters were among the protesters waving signs.

"I'd rather spend money on health care than on the war," Keystone said.

"I want health insurance for my dad," Hannah Keystone, 13, said.

"We need to stop the war," her sister, Elianna, 9, said.

The future of children across America is one of the greatest concerns for Peter Leinau.

"I'm out here because of the invasion and occupation of Iraq," Leinau said.

He said he has held strong to his point of view that the United States was wrong in the war's inception and its continuation.

"The killing and pretext is wrong," Leinau said. "We can't afford this morally or financially. I've been an educator 25 years for children to have a future in a sustainable world, but it's heartbreaking to see where our leaders are taking that future."