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Day to Remember and Reflect: Assumption Commemorates 2nd Anniversary
of Iraq War
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for more photos of the event.
March,
2005—Assumption
College marked the second anniversary of the war in Iraq on Monday,
March 21, with a series of events planned by an on-campus group,
People for Principled Patriotism (PPP). These members of the Assumption
community have been carefully planning a number of events to commemorate
this occasion—a day to pause and remember all those who have
died as a result of the war, both Iraqi and American.
Name tags bearing the names and photos of the soldiers who have
died were sold for $1.00 apiece. Purchasers of these tags were asked
to wear their badge on Monday as part of the day’s events.
All monies raised will go toward LIFE for Relief & Development,
an organization that rehabilitates hospitals, schools, and water
purification plants in Iraq and provides supplies for orphans and
schoolchildren.
In a touching tribute to the fallen American soldiers in Iraq, members
of the Assumption community hand-folded more than 1,500 paper cranes,
each one commemorating an American life lost. The project began
to take shape in October 2004, when the death toll numbered approximately
1,000 American lives. Since then, that number has grown by more
than 500. The project features cranes hand-folded by members of
the Assumption community, based upon the story of Sadako and
the Thousand Paper Cranes, the timeless Japanese tale of a
dying girl’s determination to promote peace in the world
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Another symbolic gesture to honor victims of war was the display
of a bowl full of beads sitting in front of the cranes, representing
the estimated 16,000-18,000 Iraqi civilians that have died up to
this point. Materials containing information about these civilians,
including their names, ages, and occupations of the first 3,000
to die, was available next to the beads. There was also an exhibit
of books related to Iraq, war, and peace. On the second floor of
the library, a poster memorial with photos of each fallen soldier
was displayed, along with three thought-provoking poems carefully
selected to inspire reflection on the events of the past two years.
At 12:00 noon on Monday, there was a public reading of the names
of the deceased American soldiers, in the breezeway between Alumni
and Desautels Halls. The event began when the chapel bells struck
noon, with a minute of silence followed by a prayer. Afterwards,
approximately 25 students, faculty, staff members, and administrators,
beginning with Thomas R. Plough, president of the College, read
the names, hometowns and ages of each fallen soldier.
English professors Lucia Knoles and Ann Murphy teamed up in September
to form PPP, a grassroots organization designed to promote peace
and to increase awareness of critical issues affecting the United
States. These women have translated their passion for justice into
a successful group, whose two dozen members consist of students,
faculty, and staff all working towards a common goal. PPP saw much
of its action concentrated around the 2004 Presidential election,
with panel discussions and other varied informational events.
“Back when we started, there was a sort of ‘uncomfortable
silence’ about the war, post-9/11,” said Knoles. “There
was a feeling of ‘we shouldn’t be talking about this,’
in fear of being unpatriotic. But now that the war is not as clear-cut
as everyone originally thought, it is becoming easier to question
the circumstances.”
Murphy agreed. “Students are starting to see the war hit home
a little more,” she said. “They know people who have
gone to war, people who have died, and people that have returned
home with cases of post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s becoming
more real.”
Although college students in the 21st century have sometimes been
characterized as indifferent about current events, Knoles, Murphy,
and the PPP are working hard to combat any apathy.
“We believe that a lack of opinions comes from a lack of information,”
said Murphy. “Apathy stems from fear and a lack of knowledge.
Our group is doing things to increase the community’s awareness,
so that they will form their own opinions.”
Knoles and Murphy hope that Monday’s schedule of events will
provoke reflection and careful contemplation in the members of the
Assumption community.
“I truly hope that someone will look at one of the posters
of the soldiers, stop, and think, ‘My God, she’s dead.
Why did that happen?’” said Murphy.
“Our real goal is to make people think. We want people to
stop being complacent and to start thinking their own thoughts and
forming their own beliefs,” said Knoles. “We want them
to ask themselves, ‘What can I do to make the world a better
place?’ The challenge is not to turn away, but to think about
what we can do.”
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