March 19th, End of the 5th year of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Raindrops all night, and we conjure ways to knit in a downpour. Converging at noon on the diamond-shaped section of Times Square where the recruiting office opens its doors, Granny Peace Brigade and friends knitting-in.
Knit a row; purl a row; every stitch we’re more in touch with the pain and loss of this immoral, illegal war. Stump socks, all colors, for U.S. vet and Iraqi civilian amputees, clothes for Iraqi babies in orphanages and refugee camps. The rain tapers to a mist – we continue, knitting, singing Raging Grannies songs.
All the while we knit and sing, stationed between us and the door to the recruiting office is a compact little phalanx of people chanting like cheerleaders, “Win the war, then have peace.” We want to tell them, “we love the troops, but they can’t WIN!” We’ve all lost so much. Let’s get our heads together and find a way for everybody, our troops and Iraqi people, to go home and start healing the heartache!
We will keep our needles stitching until the peace arrives.
– Caroline Chinlund
Granny Peace Brigade 