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Candles in the rain By Chris Miller Ashland Daily Tidings More than 200 hearty souls packed Ashland's Plaza, braving intermittent downpours and cold weather, to keep their candles lit in opposition to a U.S.-led war against Iraq. The Sunday night candlelight peace vigil brought out Ashlanders from the tender age of two months to well into their retirement. Rod Hirschboech keeps his candle burning while ducking the rain during Sunday's candlelight vigil on the Plaza. Ashland Daily Tidings/CHRIS MILLER Hiding from the rain under the eaves of the Plaza shops, Ashland resident Leslie Davis said her reason for spending her Sunday night in the rain with a single lit candle was, "Because I feel that it is important to pray for peace." With her two-month old daughter perched atop her back, draped in a rain parka, Davis added, "I don't want people to die ... on either side." Rob Hirschboech said he came out to oppose what he sees as an insane policy by the U.S. government. "I believe that (war) is a last resort," Hirschboech said. "And we haven't come to that yet." Hirschboech said that he believes Saddam Hussein to be a thug, but added the United States has backed other leaders in the world, including the Shah of Iran, who are equally deplorable. "If you train a pit bull, you don't put him in charge of your children," Hirschboech said. The final flame went out at 8:10 p.m. when the peaceful feelings overflowed into Alex's Plaza Restaurant, where pianist Jim Quimby played "We Shall Overcome" as patrons in the bar sang along. Ashland residents who were unaware of the vigil stopped to give support and reflect on why peace rallies are important to the country. "I believe this vigil displays that a large percentage of our population has serious problems with our national cause of action," Ashland Mountain Supply Manager Chris Garvey said. "Reconciling that course is essential for our future national health - physically and mentally." Protests rang out across the country Sunday, both for and against war, with one of the larger peace rallies in Chicago where an estimated 10,000 people crammed Chicago's Daley Plaza Sunday afternoon. Some other protests across the country on Sunday: In Detroit, a crowd of about 2,000 gathered at a church and listened to religious leaders call a war with Iraq "an affront to God and a crime against humanity." In Louisville, Ky., hundreds stopped by a booth on Saturday for free signs supporting President Bush and U.S. troops overseas, while about 200 peace activists opposing a possible war with Iraq marched alongside protesters seeking change in the city's police department. In Pittsburgh, several hundred anti-war protesters gathered in a park to protest any military strike on Iraq. In St. Paul, Minn., about 1,200 people led by Christian and Muslim clergy staged a mock funeral at the Cathedral of St. Paul for those who would die if the United States wages war with Iraq. In Providence, R.I., veterans and families of military personnel stationed in the Middle East were among hundreds of protesters who marched through the downtown area to oppose a possible war with Iraq. In Oklahoma City, nearly 400 people lined the downtown streets in a prayerful plea for peace. In Mountain Home, Ark., about 200 residents gathered Sunday to show support for an Arkansas National Guard company scheduled to leave Monday for the Middle East. In Columbia, S.C., about 200 people gathered to protest expected war in Iraq at Martin Luther King Park. "I believe the UN is the way to go, it provides legitimacy," Hirschboech said Sunday. "We're assisting in making the world a more dangerous place." The Associated Press contributed to this story. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -