Anti-war rally draws 100 people

An anti-war rally organized by the Southeast Missouri Coalition for Peace and Justice drew approximately 100 people to the Osage Community Centre Saturday."War can be avoided and should be avoided," said Tom Sager, a peace activist from Rolla, Mo., and the rally's guest speaker. "The reason I think it will be avoided is this group of people right here. If people speak out for peace in large enough numbers, there will be peace."

Sager, an emeritus professor of computer science at the University of Missouri at Rolla, has traveled to Iraq four times with an organization called Veterans for Peace to help the country rebuild its water treatment plants. Such systems were destroyed in the Gulf War and have been impossible for the Iraqi people to fix because of post-war sanctions, Sager said.

"This is basically crunch time. This month is critical," Sager said. "It will be decided in February 2003 whether we will live in war or peace."

The Southeast Missouri Coalition for Peace and Justice is planning another peace rally from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 15 at Capaha Park.