1 January 2007 Memorial gathering, Boone County courthouse organized by the Columbia Peace Coalition (of which Mid-MO FOR is a member group)

Updated version of News Release—Public Statement

The Columbia Peace Coalition held a candlelight Memorial at the war monuments at 8^th and Walnut Sts. for all who have died in Iraq, outside the Boone County Courthouse Monday, January 1, from 5:30-6 p.m. Approximately 100 people gathered. For one media account log onto KOMU’s url:

http://www.komu.com/satellite/SatelliteRender/KOMU.com/c261de75-c0a8-2f11-0163-66f433d41528/e0f84680-c0a8-2f11-003f-0bf2932e41b6

The timing of this vigil was prompted by the death on New Year’s Eve of the 3,000^th U.S. military service member to die in Iraq. (To ascertain the current number at any time, one can go on the web to http://icasualties.org/oif/)

Participants came together to mourn all life lost in this tragic conflict and calling for an end to the Iraq war, bringing all U.S. troops home as expeditiously as possible. The memorial gathering included a silent time initiated by Rev. Walker-McClure (see below), recorded music by Iraqi Rahim Al Haj, live music by Steve Jacobs, introductory comments by FOR coordinator Jeff Stack, reflections from and a Quran reading by Rihab Sawah (host of “Arab Culture, Arab Music,” every other Saturday at 2:00 pm on KOPN 89.5 FM), the reading of names (though more accurately a ratio of 20+ to 1, this evening Iraqi names 5 to US, 1) lives lost in Iraq, playing of taps by Zach Rubin and recorded, prayerful Arabic music.

Peace Coalition members are deeply concerned about the impact of every life lost, and feeling profound empathy for the families and loved ones of the now 3,000-plus U.S. men and women who’ve died in this war. CPC members are, of course, mourning all those who’ve been killed or died due to this war. The number of Iraqis who’ve lost their lives is not well documented, but is conservatively estimated at a few hundred thousand, and could well be more than half a million.

This vigil is sponsored by the Columbia Peace Coalition, whose members include: Columbia Friends Meeting, Democracy for Missouri, Green Party of Central Missouri, GRO Grassroots Organizing, Interfaith Peace Alliance of Mid-Missouri, Islamic Center of Central Missouri, Mid-Missouri Chapter of Global Action to Prevent War, Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation, Mid-Missouri Peaceworks, Mid-Missouri Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, MU United Activists’ Network, Native American Support Group, Rock Bridge Christian Church, September 11th Inside Job Awareness Campaign, St. Francis Catholic Worker Community, Students for Progressive Action, UMC Faculty, Staff and Students Concerned About Democracy and Public Knowledge, Unitarian Universalist Social Action Committee and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

Reflections by Rev. Karen Walker-McClure, Pastor, Russell Chapel CME Church

I am humbled to have the opportunity to speak at the memorial service honoring the 3,000+ Americans who have lost their lives in the senseless war in Iraq. As I thought about what to say, I decided to look to three sources of wisdom:

My Mother: When I told my 90 year old Mother that I was coming here today, she made sure she let me know that she is totally opposed to the war. She experienced being the mother of a child in combat in the 60’s while my oldest brother served in Viet Nam. So her perspective on the war is that of a mother. My brother was fortunate enough to return, from Viet Nam, though he returned wounded both physically and psychologically. Mother’s compassion is for all of the Mothers who have lost their children in this war. She said, “Whether you are the Mother of a U.S. soldier or the Mother of an Iraqi soldier. There is no difference in the pain you experience when your child dies.

My next source of wisdom was the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I read a sermon that he preached at his church. The sermon was entitled A Christmas Sermon on Peace. Though he preached this in 1967, it is quite appropriate for 2007. Dr. King told his congregation, “We have neither peace within nor peace without. If we don’t have good will toward men in this world, we will destroy ourselves by the misuse of our own instruments and our own power. Wisdom born of experience should tell us that war is obsolete… And so, if we assume that life is worth living, if we assume that mankind has a right to survive, then we must find an alternative to war. He continues... “Now let me say that the next thing we must be concerned about if we are to have peace on earth and good will toward men is the nonviolent affirmation of the sacredness of all human life. Every man is somebody because he is a child of God. And so when we say “Thou shalt not kill,” we’re really saying that human life is too sacred to be taken on the battlefields of the world. Man is a child of God, made in God’s image, and therefore should be respected as such. Someone should remind us that even though there may be political an ideological differences between us, the Iraqi’s are our brothers, and one day we’ve all got to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, In Christ there is neither male nor female. In Christ somehow there is neither bound nor free. We are all one in Christ Jesus.

My final source is the Holy Bible: II Chronicles 7:14: If my people that are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sins and heal their land. We must humble ourselves and pray. We must seek the face of God and turn from the wickedness of killing innocent people. Until we do that no healing will come to this land.

A (John) Small Poem

NEW YEAR’S DAY - MY BLACK CAT

(Dedicated to Amy Goodman, Cindy Sheehan, John Schuder, Jeff Stack, Mark Haim and all those who love peace)

She looked at me … coal black deep eyes … on fields of green … questioning?

This wise old cat … she feels the pain … eyes filled with tears … what’s going on?

Men and women … three thousand now … dead, cold stone dead … why?

Their final words … what were they, please … “This war is good?” … I think not.

The wounded too … how many, please … why not come clean … for our protection?

Civilians too … How many please? … small boys and girls … mein Gott im Himmel!

War on terror? … war of terror … based on lies … 9/11?

Al qua’ida … Saddam Hussein … Osama bin Laden … connected?

WMD’s – no! … Yellow cake – no! … mobile labs – no! … democracy – no!

Corporations - maybe … war bases – maybe … Israel – maybe … what’s real?

Hegemony? … political control? … greed and power? … OIL!

Muslims don’t hate us … not our freedom … they hate our quest … for domination.

The Christian right … God’s on our side … Whose god is theirs? … We’re right?

Armageddon … parousia … judgment day … is it upon us?

The dark night … the loss of hope … deep despair … war is these.

Revenge is mine … eyes for eyes … the death of god … war’s these as well.

NO MORE !!!!!! … the great spirit … God is love … Allah rules

Bless’d are the poor … as well the meek … bless’d are peacemakers … war no more.

Support the troops … Bring home the troops … Save our women … Save our men

No more torture … No more killing … No more Gitmo … No more spying

Disappearing, no … habeas corpus, yes … no more murder … no more war crimes

No more Cheney … No more Bush … No more Gonzales … impeach them all

Talk with Iran … Talk with Syria … and for god’s sake … support the UN.

Jesus said “love your enemies” “do good to those that hate you”… There’s hope!

Happy New Year from my Black Cat …

--John Small

John lives near Hartsburg in southern Boone County. He offered this poem for reading at the memorial. In the interest of keeping the program short that cold night, we were unable to provide John the chance to share his thoughts out loud there. We are glad he’s let share the poem via the website.