Tuesday, March 20, 2007

GR Press: Protest arrives at Ehlers's Door

More and more citizens are holding Congressman Ehlers accountable for his actions.

Demonstrators on Saturday took part in a nationwide protest to highlight the war's fourth anniversary.

"There's no question this war is a disaster," East Grand Rapids resident Martha Hayes said, standing near East Beltline Avenue and Burton Street SE.

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Ada resident Don Wilson said he hadn't protested anything in his 75 years, but couldn't ignore this effort to bring an end to the war.

"It's not a Democrat or Republican issue, the war. The groups should unite and bring this thing to an end."

Before long, the 150 or so protesters took that message to the Grand Rapids home of U.S. Rep. Vernon Ehlers. They marched down his street, getting a thumbs-up from a neighbor down the street. One put fliers in doors that read, "CRIME ALERT! One of your neighbors has provided legal and financial support for the following crimes: The killing of more than 3,000 U.S. soldiers, approximately 650,000 Iraqi civilians torture of prisoners, and paying contracted mercenaries to prosecute the war in Iraq."


I certainly do not approve of using profanity to get one's message across. Nonetheless, the Congressman needs to be aware that just because he has consistently won re-election by a landslide, doesn't mean he can't ignore the voice of the people he was elected to represent.