[Peace] 3 Thank Yous

[Kranich, Kimberlie]

Dear AWARE:

A broken leg and then surgery has prevented me from participating at the
weekly "Prospect For Peace" demonstrations and the vigil the day of the
bombing.  But I have been following everything through the listserv and in
various conversations with friends.  It has been heartwarming to see our
numbers grow, to have the cooperation of the police, to get good media
coverage and to keep peaceful in the face of the pro-war demonstrators'
violent and antagonistic behavior towards us.

Thank you!  My leg will heal faster because if you.  I hope to be with you
next weekend.

I've sent a letter of thanks to News Gazette reporter Paul Wood with some
gentle criticism and a letter-to-the-editor thanking the police for
proctecting us and also to let readers know the attitude and behavior of the
pro-war demonstrators.

Those letters are posted below for anyone who cares to read them.

Appreciatively,
Kimberlie
****************
Dear Editor:

I'd like to thank the Champaign Police Department for its professionalism
during our weekly anti-war demonstrations on North Prospect and the street
march in campus town and candlelight vigil at Westside Park as the US bombs
began to fall on Iraq. 

AWARE, the sponsor of the "Prospect for Peace" demonstrations, first
contacted the police back in October after the driver of a truck drove up
onto the sidewalk almost hitting an elderly demonstrator.  The driver was
cited for reckless driving.  We met with police and the city legal
department and developed guidelines that preserved our Constitutionally
protected right to assemble and hand leaflets to shoppers.  AWARE
distributes these guidelines to everyone who stands in our line to
demonstrate.

Five months after AWARE started demonstrating, pro-war forces from the Slot
and Gun decided to hold a rally in the same spot 30 minutes earlier than our
weekly 2-4pm demonstrations.  We contacted the police and asked them for
protection. Officers stood guard.  In our efforts to remain peaceful, AWARE
yielded our normal spot to the pro-war forces and demonstrated on the other
side of the street.  While the pro-war protestors focus on us with
name-calling and insults over a P.A. system, we remain focused on speaking
to shoppers about the grave concerns we have about this war.

We've stopped parking (and shopping) at Lowe's and Tires Plus after they
started towing our cars, especially since they allow pro-war demonstrators
to park without being towed. 

We invite the community to join our peaceful demonstrations to stop the
killing in Iraq and prevent US bombs from falling in Iran and North Korea.

Sincerely,
Kimberlie Kranich
AWARE Member
*******************
Dear Mr. Wood:

I have been reading your articles about the anti-war protests on North
Prospect, the counter demonstrations and the street demonstrations and vigil
the day the US bombing against Iraq began. I appreciate the accuracy and
fairness of your reporting. Thank you.

As a member of AWARE and a participant at many of these demonstrations, I
appreciate that you quoted several of us and allowed us to speak about the
many reasons we are against this war.  Any uninformed reader of your reports
will come away with more than one reason to find fault with Mr. Bush's war.
 
Your reporting takes us seriously and does not stereotype the participants
in our Prospect for Peace demonstrations.  

My only criticism is the absence of a description in your reports of the
taunting of anti-war demonstrators by pro-war demonstrators and AWARE's
peaceful response.  The pro-war folks decided to demonstrate on the same
side of the street on the same day 30 minutes earlier than AWARE's regular
scheduled demonstrators.  To keep the peace and avoid the conflict the
pro-war organizers were hoping to create, AWARE yielded our "regular" space
and demonstrated across the street.  The fact that Lowe's has decided to tow
the cars of anti-war demonstrators and not pro-war demonstrators is also
missing from you reports.  I realize that space limitations may have
prevented this information from being part of your reports.  Great job
overall!

 I have always felt that individual News Gazette reporters are fairer than
your editorial and headline staff who earns your newspaper its decidedly
conservative right wing bias. 

Thank you for doing your job in a fair and serious matter.  I appreciate
that.

Sincerely,
Kimberlie Kranich