Giving peace a chance
Activists take their antiwar message to the street
ELGIN -- He raised one hand and made a peace sign with his index and middle fingers. With the other hand, he hoisted a homemade sign around his neck that read "Honk for Peace."
Ed Herdrich waved at motorists driving along the Kimball Street bridge who honked or shouted words of support.
(Marina Makropoulos/Staff Photographer)
(Marina Makropoulos/Staff Photographer)
Every week, he stands on the bridge for a peace vigil with members of the Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren and the Fox Valley Citizens For Peace.
The U.S. Army veteran is not protesting the war.
"I'm much more about peace," Herdrich said.
For the past year, the weekly peace vigil has been held at various spots in Elgin. For spring and summer, the vigils were moved to the Kimball Street bridge and will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. every Wednesday.
The rallies are faith-based, organizers said. The Church of the Brethren, founded by Mennonites and Quakers, also hosts other events promoting peace.
Betsy Ducote, an Elgin nurse, is a member of the church and has been an activist for most of her life. In the 1980s, she attended anti-nuclear war rallies. The Iraq War spurred her to take action, she said. She is opposed to war in general, and the events leading up to the conflict were disturbing to her, she said.
"I think we need to speak out," said Ducote, a mother of three, who goes to as many rallies as possible. "I think there is a lot of people who are not happy with the war but feel they can't do anything about it. I think one of the reasons for the vigils is we need to be visible. We need to show the people who feel nothing can be done (that) people can make a difference."
Ducote has noticed the peace rallies get more positive support than negative, although it's hard to gauge sometimes, she said. Occasionally, there are shouts of criticism stemming from the belief the rally is against U.S. soldiers. Ducote does support the troops, she said. Her daughter recently created a sign that sums up her mother's view: "Honor the warrior, not the war," Ducote said.
"I think the most important thing is to listen," Ducote said, "because I think people need to know we respect the rights of everyone to express their opinions. And while I may disagree, it doesn't change my respect for those people. I would hear them out, and I would present my view of things and perhaps give them a different perspective."
Nikko Kinder, a 16-year-old Larkin High School student, walked past the rally and listened to how many people honked. He thinks a peace rally is a good idea but teens his age do not seem interested in furthering the peace movement.
"Some kids talk about it (peace) but others do their own thing," Nikko said. "It can have an affect if more people start joining."
Cheryal Brumbaugh, of Elgin, attends the rallies for her young son, Christopher, 5, who was busy throwing pieces of bread into the Fox River for the ducks. Brumbaugh kept an eye on him as she stood with 10 others along the south sidewalk of the bridge, spanning a swollen Fox River.
"We've been getting a lot of honks, a lot of support," the Elgin mom said. "Every now and then we get people who are upset at us."
Her decision to protest is based on her beliefs, Brumbaugh said.
"I do it for myself, for my child. I do it for God," she said.
Kim Ebersole and her daughter, Sarah Driver, both of Elgin, held signs reading "Pray for Peace" and "Seek Peace and Pursue It," from Psalm 34.
Driver's boyfriend is enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and serves in Afghanistan.
"I would like it if he were able to come home," she said. "I know he feels he is doing his duty to the U.S., which I respect him for ... but I don't want to see anything happen to him. I'd like to see us find a way to work toward peace."
Based on the number of people attending the peace rallies, Driver feels more people are seeking that peace.
"I want more people to join us," Ebersole said, the wind whipping her sign around.
Vigils are held despite any inclement weather, which doesn't deter Ebersole.
"I think about the people in Iraq and Afghanistan, and standing on a bridge is nothing like what they are facing," she said. "They are facing death and violence every day. This is the least I can do to stop the violence."