November 21, 2009
UTNE READER

Small Steps Toward Peace

(Page 2 of 2)

April 2003
Nina Utne Utne magazine 
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I was surprised by my own lack of apprehension and by the crystalline quality of those moments of waiting. A young woman standing next to me turned, her face clear and full of feeling, and said, ?I just want you to know that my name is Holly.? When people since then have told me that they appreciate my commitment, I think of Holly and the other women who had no previous connection to the group or each other and I feel humbled by their courage.

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Then came the handcuffs and the mug shots and the stripping of possessions and the ride in the paddywagon.

At the jail we were shuffled through booking and fingerprinting and having more possessions confiscated. We were bureaucratically arranged and rearranged in small concrete block cells. We were treated gently, for the most part. I can?t even imagine what the prison system must be like for most people.

After we were released, there was a moment when I was waiting for the other ?prisoners? by myself, and I got into a conversation with a policewoman. She asked about the Code Pink buttons, so I offered her one. ?Sure,? she said, and then paused for a moment. ?We?re not allowed to choose sides, but a lot of us think this war is a very bad idea.?

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