Posted by chris, a resident of the University South neighborhood, on Aug 27, 2007 at 2:11 pm

This demostration should take place in a district with hard-core Republican representatives. Around here, there are no representatives and very few people to convert.

I would rather spend my time and energy on something that has practical effect and not something that just makes me feel good and superior to people who have opposing views.

Posted by GMC, a resident of the Fairmeadow neighborhood, on Aug 27, 2007 at 3:53 pm

How about a "Think twice before we let Al Quaida win" rally. Just an idea. I do appreciae the idea of remember the toll of this war, however. Lets not let those deaths be in vain.

Posted by Elaine Elbizri, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Aug 27, 2007 at 4:10 pm

Chris you are spot on these demonstrations are nation wide and Repulican representatives are a special focus. There are more than 600 vigils tomorrow and the message is to tell congress to end this war.

GMC - Let's go after Al Queda not the Iraqi people and their nation. Read Barbara Boxer's support for these vigils:

From: Barbara Boxer <info@barbaraboxer.com>

Date: Aug 27, 2007 1:07 PM

Subject: Take A Stand On Iraq

Help us end the occupation in Iraq.

Got to www.MoveOn.org to find a "Take a Stand Day" event near you on Tuesday!

Did you hear President Bush last week talking about Iraq? Instead of

listening to the vast majority of the American people on Iraq,

President Bush is talking about how wrong it was to leave Vietnam.

Well, just a reminder to this President: U.S. troops stayed in

Vietnam, in the middle of a civil war, for more than ten long and

painful years. More than 50,000 of our young people died, countless

wounded mentally and physically. Suicides and homelessness still

follow too many of our Vietnam veterans. How many more would have died

if George W. Bush had been President in the 1970's? How many more of

our troops and innocent Iraqis will die if we don't finally end this

war?

For the past ten weeks, Americans Against Escalation in Iraq (AAEI) --

a broad coalition of organizations working to end the war -- have been

ratcheting up the pressure on those who keep voting to keep the war

going.

Tomorrow, August 28, AAEI's "Iraq Summer" program culminates in one

nationwide day of action: Take A Stand Day. In coordination with

coalition partner MoveOn.org, they're hosting Town Halls on Iraq and

Stand Up Vigils across the country to send a clear message to all of

my colleagues in Congress and to the President: It is time to bring a

responsible end to the war.

Can you attend the Take A Stand Town Hall or Stand Up Vigil in your

community on Tuesday and make sure Congress and President Bush know

that it is time to end this reckless war?

Sign Up Here: Web Link

In September, the White House will release its Iraq report on the

troop escalation and General Petraeus will testify before the Senate.

Our courageous men and women in uniform are doing everything they can

in Iraq, and they have performed superbly -- but they cannot win this

war militarily. Without a change in our political and diplomatic

strategy in the region -- and that is President Bush's responsibility

-- there will be no real progress in Iraq.

I am asking you to join thousands of Americans tomorrow, to say loud

and clear: George W. Bush's strategy in Iraq has failed. We must end

this occupation in Iraq. It is time to redeploy our troops out of the

quagmire in Iraq.

Sign Up Here: Web Link

In Friendship,

Barbara Boxer

U.S. Senator

Posted by Reality Check, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Aug 27, 2007 at 4:26 pm

Us leaving will not end the war...just increase the overall death rate of innocents in Iraq when the Sunni and Shia extremists battle for control of the country. The increased bloodshed will be on the "end the war" activists' hands.

But, I guess that is what the "end the war" people want.

Agree wholeheartedly...don't forget the killed and wounded US soldiers who have volunteered to support the Iraqi people who want democracy, which in the end is good for us!!

Posted by Resident, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Aug 27, 2007 at 4:27 pm

MoveOn.org is an anti-American organization. It's not President Bush's strategy that failed...it's Congress that has approved and allowed the war to continue. Why are you giving Hillary Clinton and the rest of the Democrats in Congress a pass? It's time for a reality check. Congress is controlled by the Democrats and they have condoned this war by continuing to fund it. I don't see any end to that funding either. Therefore, I don't see any end to this war. A President cannot make this decision alone....he or she needs the support of Congress to continue. George Bush has that support from this Congress which is controlled by the Democrats. Complain to them...they have the ability to end it now if they wanted to. I know it's hard to hear, but they don't want to end it.

Posted by Walter_E_Wallis, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Aug 27, 2007 at 5:42 pm

[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

Posted by GMC, a resident of the Fairmeadow neighborhood, on Aug 27, 2007 at 6:11 pm

Regardless of whether we should have gone into Iraq in the first place (a very legitimate discussion), we are fighting Al Quaida there now, and if we leave - they win. The US and Iraqi civilian death toll is staggering. Who is car bombing the marketplaces? Al Quaida! The US hasn't been fighting Iraq since 2003. We've been fighting IN Iraq.

Pleae have a rally - speak your mind and feel good about it whatever your viewpoint.

Posted by Walter_E_Wallis, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Aug 27, 2007 at 9:15 pm

Palo Alto had a ballot proposition essentially withdrawing support from the Vietnam war effort. It passed, and I believe General Diap mntioned it in his memoirs an part of the encouragement to keep fighting after he had been militarily defeated.

Posted by wow, a resident of the South of Midtown neighborhood, on Aug 28, 2007 at 6:45 pm

Wow,,,I didn't know that Walter..so, Palo Alto has ALWAYS been this way?

I hope that this time around more people remember the consequences of quitting before we are done. The blood of a couple million massacred south Vietnamese and Cambodians is on the hands of those who propogandized us out of Viet Nam..I hope they don't want millions of Iraqi lives on their hands as well.

Posted by concerned citizen, a member of the Egan Middle School (Los Altos) community, on Aug 29, 2007 at 9:19 pm

[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

Posted by Palo Parent, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Aug 29, 2007 at 9:39 pm

[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]