March 17, 2008 — A local anti-war activist and supporter of the advocacy group MoveOn.org is gearing up for St. Thomas to join nearly 800 communities nationwide Wednesday night in a candlelight vigil opposing the war in Iraq.
Steve Marshall is hosting a vigil in Emancipation Garden beginning at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. It will last approximately one hour and feature candle lighting and stories from service members' families describing the war's effect on their lives. The local vigil will dovetail with an estimated 790 such vigils nationwide sponsored by the group, which is an email-based organization focusing on "education and advocacy on important national issues," according to the MoveOn.org website.
MoveOn.org earned national attention in September when it purchased a full-page ad in the New York Times critical of Gen. David H. Petraeus, the senior commander in Iraq. The ad was entitled "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?" and it accused the general of lying about the progress of the war.
"Unfortunately, it was a bit of a misstep on their part," Marshall said. "I think that sometimes people's heartfelt opinions about the war make them not realize that sometimes they're going to be offensive in their opinions."
Nevertheless, Marshall's determination to see the war end and the troops returned home has prompted him to partner with MoveOn to raise awareness "… of the needs for new priorities in Washington regarding the war and how we need to focus more on domestic needs," Marshall said.
The war is estimated to have cost $1 trillion, according to national news sources. Casualty counts from icasualties.org, which compiles U.S. and British government statistics, put the coalition death toll at 4,298, of which 3,990 are American forces. Nine of those are Virgin Islanders, according to Morris Moorehead, director of Veterans Affairs in the territory. Moorehead declined to comment on Wednesday's vigil.
Marshall said his anti-war stance is not to be construed as anti-military — quite the contrary. His sister, 40-year-old Margaret Marshall, is a lieutenant in the Navy and stationed in Iraq as a communications officer. She has left her husband and two small children at home in Virginia. In addition, Marshall said his cousin did two tours of duty as a helicopter pilot in Iraq. Each day that he has family stationed there is a day he spends crossing his fingers, Marshall said.
"I've never understood how politicians say that it is against the troops to wish that they were able to come home," he said. Indeed one of the (MoveOn.org) slogans is: "Keep Them Safe — Bring Them Home."
The public is invited to the vigil, and Marshall encourages people to bring their own candles, though candles will also be provided.
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