As I approached our living room windows to open the blinds this morning, I noticed one of the buds on the peace lily was open to the sunshine, A good sign of peace! For months, only the leaves of this plant have been growing. Several weeks ago, two tightly-wrapped buds appeared on its slender stalks.  The open blossom is a good sign of peace, especially for today.
 
            Why “today?”  My plans included a trip to the Hilldale Shopping Center. If you haven’t seen Hilldale in the past 9 months, it has been completely transformed as an urban center adding a second mall of stores, a row of condominiums facing Midvale Blvd., and a 4 story parking ramp between them and the stores. Construction begins this spring on a hotel adjacent to the Shopping Center and a building housing the Whole Foods grocery and condominiums.  A second building for condominiums is being delayed until the market improves.
 
            Next time you are in Madison we might share a meal in the fine restaurant of the Sundance Cinema at the South end of the Mall. We were walking toward one of the six theatres one evening and the founder/designer himself passed us in the hallway: Robert Redford.  For MKT, it was “ROBERT REDFORD!”
 
            I went to Hilldale to be with other persons in a monthly witness for peace. I had schedule conflicts with their earlier events on the sidewalk downtown in front of Senator Kohl’s Office and at both the East Towne and West Town Malls. The first person I met was Ron Frye, a good friend from Baraboo who now lives in Madison and teaches at MATC. He was one of many persons who use the mall for a walk with a family member or friend. We walked a full lap before locating the people I was joining.
 
            I was the ninth person in a group that included Bonnie Block, current President of the United Nations Chapter, Fred Brancel, friend of our family since 1972, Mary Beth ______ ,a peace person at St. Paul’s Catholic Center on campus when I was at University Church, Joy First and Janet Parker, leading peace activists in Madison/Monona, Char ________, (new) and Judy Miner and Steve Burns, Staff for the Wisconsin Peace and Justice Network of over 250 (!) peace groups in Wisconsin,
 
            After introductions, I learned there were three roles for us when we took our place right across from the doorways into Macy’s:  1) handing a small leaflet to shoppers and walkers who went past us (some would accept them, others would not; 2) Two readers, one reading the names of Iraqi men, women, and children killed in the War and the other reading names of U S Military person killed in Iraq. I chose to be a reader and later a leaflet-passer.
 
            The third role was chosen by 3 people, including Bonnie. Each lay on the floor, covered by a white cloth with words painted in bright red, Stop the War. The tile floor must have felt hard for the hour they lay there without any cushion or pillow. 
 
            As soon as we arrived in this area, the Mall Security Officer came and informed us we were not allowed to have a protest in the Mall.  “This is private property and if you do not leave, I will call the Madison Police.”
 
            We knew Malls are private property even if their halls are the new “Main Street” of America. And we knew only the Police had the authority to inform us we had to leave or face being ticketed and arrest us if we did not leave.  So I and the other Reader continued to read the names and the Security Officer continued to repeat his warning.  Then he called the Mall Manager, the Mall Security Patrol, and a young man dressed very informally but was also a Security Officer.
 
            All of them told us we were on private property and were not allowed to stay here.  We kept on reading the names and passing out the leaflets.  As I read the ages of the U S military persons killed in the war, I remembered Anne telling her 8th graders at Hoover in Waterloo, IA, who were “enthusiastic” about the war, “In five years this will be your war to fight.’ The war is soon to be five years old.  I wonder what those young men and women are thinking today.
 
            After a while, the police were called. But it was 40 minutes before two Madison police officers arrived.
 
            I thought one Officer might stand up in front of us and, in a loud voice, tell us all to leave or face arrest.  Instead, he walked up to each one of us and very quietly said that they received a complaint from the Mall and we were in violation of the City Ordinance against Trespassing. We should move back from where we were or receive a ticket. Then, if we refused to leave, we would be arrested and carried away.
 
            Each of the three people on the tile floor responded to the Officer in a calm voice that they would accept a ticket and then leave.  What does “free speech” cost? Tickets on City Property are $108. Tickets on private property are $424.  However, the judge for the trial of for persons arrested at East Towne reduced the fine to $108 and sentenced the individuals to 10 hours of Community Service. 
 
I had decided ahead of time I would “step back” if told to do so. I chose not to get a ticket or be arrested.

            One reason  was this afternoon and tomorrow I am a Docent at the Exhibit in the Capitol Rotunda of 24 Posters against Nuclear War being circulated across the nation by Steve Leeper, son of Midge Leeper Miller.
 
            I stepped back and joined the other 5 people in singing “We Shall Overcome” with two verses I added,
 
“Peace will surely come – Someday!”  and
“We have found our voice – Today!”
 
            Afterwards, we did not leave right away but stood talking to each other and the Officers until, after about 20 minutes, they said we all needed to leave. During that 20 minutes, I thanked the Police Officer for his quiet way of talking to us individually. I learned he is part of the West District Office which is within sight of our living room windows and very close friend of Officer Caleb who came to our building and spoke to our Board.
 
            Earlier,l learned that the Security Patrol man in uniform had been in the Navy in Iraq in 2003.  I said he was one of the lucky ones to come home safely and in one piece. He agreed. I then said “I know you didn’t make the policy that prevents our being here – though if we were selling Christmas cards or brats instead of opposing the War, we probably could be here. Then I asked him to tell someone in his family or a co-worker or a friend what he had seen here this morning.
 
            Just before I left, I listened to a man say to me, “You are a traitor to your country. You are helping the Muslims win this war and when they do, they will cut off your head.” 
 
            I asked him if those were his views or the views of people he knew.
            He said they were his views. 
           
            I said, “Thank you for telling me what you think.”  Though I know there are people “out there” who think as he thinks, I seldom hear anyone say that to me directly.
 
            I was glad to discover I didn’t try to defend myself and my rights as a citizen or argue with his views. Nor did I have any physical sensation of fear or anger.
 
I hope it is a sign I am on the way in myself to the peace I seek for the peoples and leaders of our nation and the world.