I joined about 150 or so fellow anti-war citizens of the Philadelphia area last night at Independence Mall for a candlelight vigil commemorating the third anniversary of this unlawful and irresponsible war in Iraq. It was freezing. It was windy. But that didn't stop a good sized crowd from turning out.
The names of Pennsylvania's armed forces who died in Iraq were read aloud. Names of Iraqis killed during the course of the war were read aloud. The Dante Zappala, the younger brother of Army Sgt. Sherwood R. Baker, the first Pennsylvanian PA National Guardsman to be killed in armed combat since WWII said some words. He touchingly said how he has tried to come to terms with his brothers death and tried to understand why he died. He said that he had not and that after much consideration, feels that he never will. It's a lack of closure that many families need and do not have.
I hope I won't have to attend another vigil in March of 2006 marking the end of the fourth year of this war.
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