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BY BOB KASARDA
bkasarda@nwitimes.com
219.462.5151 | Thursday, November 10, 2005 | (No comments posted.)
VALPARAISO | Many of the passing motorists took a look at the signs posted in front of the county courthouse Wednesday and, following the instructions posted there, honked their horns in support of peace.
A fewer number of drivers yelled insults and opposition to the small group of anti-war protesters.
Neither of these groups' concern Munster resident Nick Egnatz as much as those motorists who stared straight ahead, refusing to pay any attention to the protest.
"Those who choose not to see the issue, that's upsetting," he said.
Egnatz was among a group of eight demonstrators who gathered over the noon hour Wednesday both to draw attention to the opposition to the war in Iraq and to promote an anti-war exhibit scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Valparaiso University's Christopher Center library and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Highway of the Flags Veterans Memorial at Ridge Road and Indianapolis Boulevard in Highland.
The exhibit, "Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War," features more than 300 pairs of combat boots representing the number of National Guard service people killed so far in the war in Iraq, he said. The exhibit is part of a larger collection of more than 2,000 boots representing all the dead soldiers from this country and more than 3,000 pairs of shoes memorializing a fraction of the Iraqi civilians killed in the conflict.
Dune Acres resident Helen Boothe said she was very moved when she came across the exhibit during the recent anti-war march in Washington.
"It's stark," she said.
Egnatz, who is a veteran of the Vietnam War, said the exhibit is more powerful than words can described. He compared the impact to that of the prisoner abuse photos from Abu Ghraib.
"It brings home the consequence of war," he said. "The loss, the emptiness."
The exhibit was created by the American Friends Service Committee and is being sponsored locally by the Northwest Indiana Coalition Against the Iraq War.
Among those demonstrating Wednesday was Valparaiso resident Lorri Cornett, who raised concerns recently with the local school board about the federally required release of names and contact information of high school juniors and seniors to military recruiters.
One passing motorist Wednesday yelled for the demonstrators to support the troops. Both Cornett and Egnatz said that is exactly what they are doing by calling on the government to bring the troops home and make sure they receive the benefits they deserve.
Egnatz said the country has already taken a clear stand against the war by failing to fill the miliary recruiting quotas last year.
"If the American people supported the war, that would not have happened," he said.
How to get involved
Those seeking more information about the local anti-war effort can visit www.exitiraq.org.
The regional group meets at 7 p.m. Sunday at Temple Israel, 601 N. Montgomery St. in Gary.
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