Saturday October 29

Today's vigil was a small group -- three at 5:00PM, five at 6:00. Again a gray and cloudy day, but without rain until after the vigil.
A young man pedaling a four-wheel cycle stopped to ask directions to a motel. He was from England, near the end of a cross-continent trip raising money for wounded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said that, riding all across Canada and through Washington state, his trip had been well received, but that in the leg from Portland and Corvallis drivers had "chucked" things at him and even run into the back of his cycle. That was dismaying to us, though we enjoyed the talk.

Friday October 28

Three vigil-ers at the beginning of the hour, seven of us at the end. The day was gray but warm, and the rain held off until after 6:00.

Thursday October 27

Cool and sunny with marvelous fall colors. Two people to start the hour, nine of us at the end. Today I brought my two dogs; they set out after an inoffensive dog passing by. :(

Wednesday October 26

Today was a gray fall day. Seven or eight of us at the vigil for much of the hour.

Tuesday October 25

Three or four at the beginning of the hour, eleven at the end. Early in the vigil we were briefly joined by three young men on their way to the bus station across the street. They did not stay long, but they had energy and enthusiasm.

Monday October 24

About a dozen people throughout the hour. Ann Staley, a Corvallis writer, read a poem for the daily witness at the vigil, particularly for her neighbor, who attends regularly, and for the American soldiers who have died in Iraq.

Sunday October 23

Half a dozen people at the beginning, ten at the end of the hour. We talked about Occupy Corvallis and about preparations from Corvallis for the SOA Watch witness in Georgia the weekend of November 19-20.

Saturday October 22

Half a dozen people at the beginning, eight at the end.

Friday, October 21

Clouds and crowds this late October Friday.  There was a steady hum of energy around the Presidential announcement of troop withdrawal from Iraq.  Folks were dropping by to celebrate. Some among us had less enthusiasm than externally expected.  My cynical side was muttering about mercenaries remaining and the horrors we are leaving in our wake.  Still there was a dozen regulars and 3 who came to mark the day when the end was announced.  Then, near the hour's end,  five others who from the volume and tone of their holding forth had a grievance or several to vent upon any willing listeners.
In the passing traffic I noticed an unusually high percentage of jolly waves.  Even the negative "commentary" was leavened - a sedan passed with two young women, the driver leaning hard and long on the horn with an emphatic finger thrust our way.  Two cars back a woman honked with sprightly energy and waved with enough zest to drive away the prior hostility.

Thursday October 20

Two people at 5:00PM, and folks came steadily throughout the vigil until there were nine or ten at 6:00. There were three younger activists, a welcome addition to "the regular crowd". A man with his own sign, "Poverty is the worst form of violence -- Gandhi", said that he hoped to show people that our problems -- violence, the economy, war, the environment -- are all interconnected. Indeed.

Wednesday October 19

I walked to the vigil and arrived fifteen minutes late. About a dozen people throughout my time there. A passerby talked about the World Series with us.

Tuesday October 18

It was a lovely fall afternoon in Corvallis, and the vigil was well attended, with as many as fifteen people. Some have their own signs. We welcome all the newcomers, perhaps we can talk about stories behind the signs.

Monday October 17

Four of us at 5:00PM, people coming and going throughout the hour, ten vigil-ers at 6:00. Some of us read the poem Buyer Beware by Marge Piercy. And we talked about, what are the local impacts of our wars? and is there something we could do to respond to those impacts?

Sunday October 16

I walked to the courthouse and arrived halfway through the vigil. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon, with about ten people.

Saturday October 15

Three or four at the beginning of the hour,  nine or ten at the end. There was a football game at the university, so there was heavy traffic in Corvallis, but most of the cars did not pass by the vigil at the courthouse.

Friday October 14

Numbers about a dozen throughout the hour. We had visitors from Portland, two dogs, and a personal sign: "Poverty is the worst kind of violence -- Gandhi."

Thursday October 13

Five at the beginning, twelve at the end. A vigil culture brief for Thursday the 13th was a lively discussion of favorite films, particularly movies based on the science fiction novels of Philip K Dick.

Wednesday October 12

Four at 5:00PM, eight at 6:00. It was a lovely fall afternoon, welcome after two weeks of showers. A passing driver raised a handmade sign, "YOU ARE AWESOME." We are honored.

Tuesday October 11

Four at the start of the hour, eleven at the end. Two or three new folks joined us -- everyone is more than welcome! If you are against the US wars, thanks; if you are in favor of the wars, come for a discussion.

Sunday October 9

Half a dozen people at the start, a dozen at the end. I left my headlights on when I got out of my car, fortunately one of the vigil-ers pointed it out to me.
Today's Corvallis Gazette-Times had a lengthy front-page article about the vigil. The story was generally positive. It raised a question that I think about often: the point is to end war, not to have vigils -- what could we be doing more effectively?
http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/article_56c6973c-f23a-11e0-abc5-001cc4c03286.html?mode=story

Saturday October 8

Maybe fifteen people on year 11, day 2. The war goes on.
In the afternoon there was a display of the Remembrance Rug, a latch-hook rug done by Rodger Asai from Albany to remember all the people, American, Iraqi, and others, who have died because of the war on Iraq. There is a design in the rug, such as a cross or a triangle, for named individuals. Rodger associates the countless strands of yarn in the rug with the million-plus Iraqi casualties of the war.
It was several years after the Vietnam War ended that the United States erected the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington. We are "fortunate" to have a memorial before the end of fighting in Iraq.

Friday, October 7 - 10th Anniversary

This was the 3,653 day of the vigil and, of course, of our war on/in Afghanistan.  I wish I could report a vast out-pouring of people filling the block.  Even more I wish I could report a cease-fire and brilliant diplomacy and humble withdrawal of our militant presence from all foreign lands.
When I arrived a few minutes before 5 today only the press was there waiting - a reporter and a photographer.  Slowly, slowly the numbers grew and signs came out of the van and photos were taken. A new "sign" swayed from the back of the van - white on black, stating : "honor the dead, heal the wounded, stop the war."  A woman from Philomath came for the first time, drawn by a recent letter to the editor about the purpose that motivates one vigil regular.  This woman said she feels powerless to know what to do in the face of the many huge problems.  The vigil was something she could do, taking a public stand.  Someone brought an eye-catching arrangement of an american flag hanging side-by-side with a beautiful blue and white peace flag. The passers-by were friendly. A young man with a peace flag joined us, saying it was important to remember this day.  Two international students stopped to ask what it all was; briefly they stood with signs then said farewell as they went on.
21 to mark the end of a decade of war.  I left glad for those who came.

Thursday October 6

Today, October 6 2011, is the end of ten years of the courthouse vigil.
Three people at 5:00PM, seven or eight at the end of the hour. A young man in a pickup stopped, to tell us that war was good for the economy. I think two reasonable responses would have been, peace is better for the economy than war, and, is it OK to kill people for the sake of the economy? But we did not find either response, and he drove away swearing at us.

Wednesday October 5

Today's vigil had threatening clouds, but the rain held off until after 6:00PM. About half a dozen of us, the number increasing and decreasing through the hour.
A passerby remarked that the vigil-ers are the most persistent people he had ever seen. Someone responded, people keep dying in our wars.

Tuesday, October 4

The rain arrived just in time for the vigil, umbrellas and rain gear are getting much use these recent days.
Ten this day.  We are remembering the tricks to hold the signs, umbrellas and wave to the friendly passers by.  A fine statement from Carlos Mejia on courage and leadership and war resistance circulated.
I am counting days toward the 10th anniversary of vigil beginning in response to the bombing of Afghanistan: today is 3,650.  How much longer?

Monday October 3

Another rainy vigil. Eleven people by the end of the hour. One passing truck tooted its horn in encouragement, a drawn-out sough which some of us wanted for our own cars.

Sunday October 2

A damp hour before the courthouse, but not as rainy as Saturday.

Saturday October 1

Only one of us there at 5:00PM, but over the next half hour several vigilers and the signs came. On the first day of October, after a cloudy but dry-ish day, we were soaked with rain. I remember that in the winter of 2010-11 just past, on many rainy days the rain quit for the hour of the vigil. This winter is starting off the other way around.

Friday September 30

Two people at 5:00Pm, eight at 6:00.