Stand for peace
POLSON — No matter what type of weather is thrown their way, they are out there. Snow, sleet, rain, negative or 100-degree temperatures — this group is there.
Sure, it may sound like postal workers, who set the standard for dependability. This group, though, doesn’t deliver mail, but a different message: one of peace.
For the last 10 months, a group of Polson residents have taken to the corner of 1st St. East and 4th Ave. East, in front of the Lake County Courthouse, every Monday from noon to 12:30 p.m. to “Stand for Peace.”
“I think people need to remember that peace is the ultimate goal and this reminds people that it’s possible,” group founder Suzanne Luepke said.
People driving by the intersection, which features a four-way stop, on Monday, seemed to take to the message. Most passers-by waved, honked or flashed a peace sign to the group of nine (and “official” peace dog Sophie) that held signs and messages promoting a lifestyle of peace.
“I’d say about 75 percent of people who see us acknowledge us in some way,” Luepke said. “I’ve heard people around town say that what we’re doing is a really good thing.”
Luepke stresses that the weekly event is non-partisan and open to anyone. While peace is the ultimate goal, she did say that the group has the utmost respect for the military and that peace is an achievable goal.
“My son’s been to Iraq twice, my son-in-law has been twice and my nephew has been to Iraq three times,” “Standing for Peace” group member Jackie Ladner said. “My family has been through a lot, and I have great respect for the troops. I just wish we could have peace and bring these wars to an end.”
Such a group has been around for years around the world, Luepke said. It began as the Women in Black in Israel in 1988, a group dedicated to “mourning the victims of violence in silent vigils worldwide.” A Missoula-based group began a similar vigil every Friday afternoon, and after Luepke and other group members stood down there, they decided to transplant a group to Polson. This dedicated Polson team hasn’t missed a week since May when they first began, no matter the weather. The group of nine on Monday braved snow and below-freezing temperatures, a week after having endured negative temperatures.
“We average about six to 10 people, and we’ve had as few as three and as many as 13,” Luepke said. “But we haven’t missed a week.”
Luepke said the noon hour gives the group more exposure to those driving by on their lunch breaks, and that most of the international groups try to use that time for consistency. The message will never get old, so most members of the group are in for the long run.
The Polson group agrees, though, that the most important tradition the “Standing for Peace” group has is to finish their weekly half-hour vigil with a “World Peace Prayer:”
“Lead me from Death to Life,
From Falsehood to Truth,
Lead me from Despair to Hope,
From Fear to Trust.”