To the editor:

I would like to commend the J-W for sending Joel Mathis and Mike Yoder as reporter and photographer to the Washington, D.C., rally against the war in Iraq. It was great to feel that our hometown paper was right in there following the actions of this particular group of citizens.

My husband and I also took that grueling bus ride and rallied at the nation’s capital. Of course the numbers always become a game after an event like this. I have decided to pay attention only to the estimate of my husband, the math major, who bases his figures on the length of the march, density of walkers, etc. He figures conservatively 130,000 human bodies were there.

Here in Lawrence, the Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice had two independent counters report 630 and 670 people at the courthouse that Saturday. I think we can all be proud that our community can generate this level of participation.

During the course of the D.C. march we found that our favorite chant was a question and answer refrain: “What does democracy look like? THIS is what democracy looks like!” No matter what sides of the issues we find ourselves on, we can be glad we have the right to speak out.

Barbara Michener,

Lawrence