September 29, 2006
Link to story and video on WNWO Toledo
(Tiffin, OH) —- They came to Congressman Paul Gillmor’s office in Tiffin with a chain, a song and a message: end this war.
“Mr. Gillmor, this insanity must come to an end,” says Sr. Paulette Schroeder of St. Francis Convent, as shr and others from her order uncoiled a chain of paper klinks on the congressman’s floor.
“So we trust you will help it come to an end,” she adds. “When people can see it, visually, it’s in front of their face. They can’t see soldiers dying. When they see another visual … it shocks you.”
Demonstrators say each of these links in this chain of 3000 represents a serviceman or woman killed overseas in Iraq or Afghanistan. Each of these links also represents about 33 Iraqi soldiers and civilians killed during that same amount of time.
Republican Congressman Gillmor, speaking from Washington, D.C., said he hears their complaints, but doesn’t think our troops can return home yet.
“To do it on an immediate basis would create a lot more problems than it would solve,” he tells NBC24. “I think it would result in a lot more violence, a lot more warfare.”
The demonstrators call for a timetable to withdraw from Southwest Asia. They also suggest using our military budget to help build infrastructure in these countries, instead of stationing troops.
“We have to stop thinking about this as ‘cut and run’ or ‘stay the course,’” says Josie Setzler, demonstrator. ” Our options can’t be reduced to such simple alternatives.”
Anti-war groups will have a big conference coming up the middle of next month at JESU Parish, here in Toledo.
Matt Trezza
09/28/2006