Our vigil on the university Quad is routine and it is not routine. Maybe "predictable" is a better label. Since the first few weeks of this (well over a year ago) we really haven't heard anything new or of substance from those opposed to our view.
Yesterday an individual breezed by, cheerfully calling out a question as he passed, "Why do you only come out to protest when the weather is nice?" My colleague turned after him and said, "Excuse me? Excuse me?" I should have asked the individual why he's still here. Why does he only support the war from the safety of his current location?
This is quite quite common.
Today we had several individuals stop to talk. Three high school students, here for some contest event, in similar dress pants and blazers, stopped out of curiosity. They were supportive and amazed that we were doing this. One of them told us he assumed that no one on our campus shared his (or our) view of this mess.
We do this to let others know they are not alone.
Another individual "saw the crowd" and stopped to talk. He, too, was supportive.
Toward the end of our vigil another stopped to engage my colleague in debate. I didn't pay much attention to their conversation since it was rather subdued, so I quietly conversed with the student activist who was with us. People passing in the distance waved to us.
The debate became more heated. Finally, my colleague asked the individual if he so strongly supported the war, why didn't he enlist, why wasn't he over there now? As this individual walked away he said, "I've filled out my Selective Service form."
A friend recently wrote me, "If America as we know it is truly destined to end in our lifetimes, these are the people who will bring it to its knees ..."