Anti-war vigil carries on a year later

Suzie Harrison

From a distance, the sights and sounds of activity could be felt

moving through Ocean Avenue’s corridor of trees toward Main Beach. It

wasn’t just the regular Saturday buzz of a sunny day in Laguna --

rather the atmosphere of people gathered with flags, banners and

smiles assembled in peace.

Cars on Coast Highway honked their horns, at times it sounded like

a symphony of support. Many passengers held their hands out the

window making peace signs.

It was part of Laguna Beach Peace Vigil, a grass-roots group that

believes in peace and exercising First Amendment rights. The group

is made up of professors, engineers, therapists and computer

programmers. Since the first word of war, people have gathered in

peace, and the group grows as participants walk up to join in.

The crowd on Saturday was bigger than usual as it marked the

anniversary of the bombing of Iraq. Signs read “If you long for

peace, work for justice,” “$804 billion on military, $63 billion on

education,” “Peace is patriotic,” “War does not stop terrorism,”

“U.S. out of Iraq, U.N. in,” among others.

Jeanie Bernstein has been instrumental in the initiation and

maintenance of these vigils.

“The Saturday vigil has a long and remarkable history,” Bernstein

said. “I and a couple other people my age are among those who

conducted a silent vigil and those date back to 1968.”

She said that after the Vietnam war they had a “No Nukes” vigil

and also gathered during the Cold War.

“And then we formed again for the first Gulf War,” Bernstein said.

“This incarnation is two years old, when the U.S. began bombing

Afghanistan.”

Bernstein said the number of people who attend varies each week,

with the most being about 200.

She said that there is nothing more important than world peace,

and without peace there’s nothing.

“Look at all the money [war costs], where it’s going, when it

could go to schools and medical,” Bernstein said.

She’s also a very dedicated environmentalist and pointed out that

war is the worst thing to the environment -- not only direct damages,

but also all the resources it uses.

Tara Board, 9, took part in the vigil. She was hanging out with

some friends and family and had a sign in her hand.

“I know that peace is a lot better for us than to have war,” Tara

said.

Laurel Jacob attends regularly.

She said that she thinks the reason she keeps doing it over the

past year and a half is to be a witness to what [the group] believes.

“You can think about the problems and try and learn,” Jacob said,

“but if you don’t come out and make a stand, then it’s not really

real.”

Irene Bland is a longtime peace advocate. “The best way for people

to get involved is first, register to vote and then begin talking to

neighbors and friends to get the vote out,” Bland said. “The only way

we’re going to change this situation is to beat President Bush.”