Ed Flaherty introduced us to three young people who had made the trip to Iowa
City from Cedar Rapids for the vigil. 

Not to be scooped by the morning vigil's visit by the CR Gazette and KCRG, the Iowa City Press-Citizen sent a reporter, who interviewed Ed.  I heard Ed tell the reporter that in 2003, two days before “Shock and Awe,” the U.S. invasion of Iraq, there were 150 protesters there on Clinton St.  Ed has been holding vigil Friday nights at 5:00 since then.  

Like this morning, signs and candles were held.  Names of war dead were read, and a bell was sounded after the reading of each name.  The bell-ringer had to leave and handed me the bell.  I was honored to ring it after each name.  It was something I could do when there seems to be nothing you can do.  As we stood on the Pentacrest, across the street from Iowa Book & Supply, I thought about the Viet Nam war protests on this very campus decades ago.  Has nothing changed? 

Someone had a drum.  

Tom Fiegen, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, was there.  He held a sign, took a turn reading names, and said a few words to the group. 

It was cold, and began to snow.  We had a moment of silence, then the group disbanded.