Maureen Farris, John Looney Peace, Justice
and Nonviolence Intern/Eyes Wide Open Ohio Exhibit Coordinator shares
her thoughts...
We brought in the New Year remembering
some of the events of 2005, and hoping for a more peaceful 2006. Eyes
Wide Open Ohio was shown in a vacant downtown Akron building during
the First Night events on December 31st, 2005.
Many individuals who would not have
been exposed to such a display were able to view the exhibit. Two 8
year old boys seemed very interested, and asked why some of the boots
did not have a picture or a name. Was it because they did not want anyone
to know about them, one of them asked? (Note: AFSC repects the wishes
of several families who have asked that their loved one's name not be
included in the exhibit...however, we do include "anonymous boots"
to represent the true count of troops from Ohio who have been killed
in Iraq).
Most of the visitors seemed grateful
that we had such an exhibit, even though it did not follow the general
mood of the evening. Even people coming out of the bars stopped in to
take a look and ask a few questions. I hope that we helped people to
realize the true cost of the war in a way that they could relate to,
and maybe inspired some people to make the new year a more peaceful
one.
