Shouts and Support
Protests and surging polls reflect two views of the war
"My wife and I talk about what we will do if New York City is hit with a `dirty bomb' or a briefcase nuclear device," says Todd Rawlings, 36, housing program coordinator for the city of Burlington. "What effect would it have on us in Burlington? New Yorkers would be leaving the city, heading north. If radioactive materials are blown up here, where would we go?"
Soldier's story. In the nation's midsection, one lunch hour in Indianapolis brought a small group of protesters to the bottom of the steps leading up to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, erected in 1902 to honor Indiana's war dead. Scores of downtown office workers sat on the wide steps, enjoying the springlike sunshine as they ate their brown-bag lunches. As the protesters stood holding their signs, a soldier in Army fatigues, boots, and a black beret approached with his girlfriend, preparing to eat the hot dog he bought from a street vendor just a few feet away. As he climbed the steps, the lunchtime diners broke into applause, some even cheering him as he and his girlfriend sat down together about 50 feet from the line of protesters.
The young man was Sgt. 1st Class David Bowling of the Indiana Army National Guard. Bowling, 34, of Indianapolis, said he thought the crowd's applause was "pretty cool" but also that he bore no ill will toward the protesters. "I celebrate their right to protest," he said. "I don't agree with them, but I celebrate their right. It's what we're all about in this country." With a smile, he added, "I'd like to go shake their hands, but my girlfriend won't let me."
With Terence Samuel, Reed Karaim, Emily Guziak and David S. Powell
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