No peace vigil in your community? Organize one!
What is a vigil?
Participating in a vigil is a way of communicating to your community that you care deeply about the war and will work to end it. In a vigil, you may stand with a protest sign and/or a candle on a street corner, alone or with others. A vigil is a witness for peace.
Why is a vigil important?
When people see you, perhaps it will make them think about the importance of peace. A regular vigil sends a message to the community, and perhaps to elected officials, that people are serious about this issue. As a witness to peace, you may give courage to someone else to stand up for peace, in his or her way. And finally, regular participation in an ongoing vigil is empowering to the participants and helps build community and defeat isolation among peace activists. You may even make a new friend.
How can I begin a vigil in my community?
Decide on a location and a time. Find one or two like-minded folks. Prepare some banners and/or signs. Stand on the corner.
The peace vigil in Olney was started by a few Quakers who live in an assisted living facility. Their presence brought out other interested folks. The local Democrats for America group encouraged participation. Now, there are regularly about 10 or 12 people who come to the weekly vigil.
As long as you don't block the sidewalk, you probably do not need a permit.
What can I expect to happen if I participate in a vigil?
Most people who see you will probably not indicate their agreement or disagreement with your stand. A few will give you a "thumbs up" and others a "thumbs down."
For the Olney peace vigil, many more passersby give a "thumbs up" sign than express disagreement. Some people shout encouragement from their cars, a few shout out obscenities.
Is it really worthwhile to do this? Does it make any difference?
We cannot know for certain the impact of our actions. Here is a quote from The Impossible Will Take a Little While, by Paul Rogat Loeb:
"In the early 1960s, a friend of mine named Lisa took two of her kids to a Washington, D.C., vigil in front of the White House protesting nuclear testing. The demonstration was small, a hundred women at most. Rain poured down. The women felt frustrated and powerless. A few years later, the movement against testing had grown dramatically, and Lisa attended a major march. Benjamin Spock, the famous baby doctor, spoke. He described how he'd come to take a stand, which because of his stature had already influenced thousands, and would reach far more when he challenged the Vietnam War. Spock talked briefly about the issues, then mentioned that when he was in D.C. a few years earlier he saw a small group of women huddled, with their kids, in the rain. It was Lisa's group. 'I thought that if those women were out there,' he said, 'their cause must be really important.'"
