Peace rally draws hundreds

By Christine Anne Piesyk | March 18, 2007 |

Therapist Mary Coe spoke Saturday to hundreds of activists and angry Americans gathered in Nashville for the Walk in their Shoes rally protesting the fourth anniversary Iraq war and call for the safe return of our troops from what was repeatedly called “an unwinnable war” being waged on faulty policies.” The event at Owen Bradley Park was sponsored by the Nashville Peace and Justice Center and was attended by members of Clarksville’s FreeThinkers for Peace and Civil Liberties and Clarksville Online.

Coe, who was profiled on 3/14/07 in Clarksville Online, made a brief but eloquent statement on the mental health facing troops and their families after multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. “Families are devastated” by the problems returning troops experience upon their return. ” Children are afraid, they feel ‘anticipatory’ anxiety over future deployments” or are struggling to adjust to returning parents who are moody, angry, and feeling rage. Coe said that the second deployment saw returning troops with a much higher level of emotional problems, and is afraid of what will happen when troops return from a third deployment that is expected to leave soon.

Among the speakers at the rally was Linda Englund of the Chicago-based Military Families Speak Out. She stood at the podium with a photo of her son, a two-time Purple Heart and Bronze Star marine. Her message was clear: “bring our troops home now and take care of them when they get here.”
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PRESS RELEASE: Clarksville Coalition of Civil Rights Leaders Unite for Common Cause

By Terry McMoore | March 18, 2007 |

Several civil rights leaders have decided to reconstitute the Clarksville Coalition of Civil Rights Leaders (CCCRL). These citizens believe that civil rights issues in Clarksville continue to go unresolved.

The coalition, originally founded in 2005, has been inactive due to the conflicting schedules of the leadership. However, after assessing the current status of civil rights compliance and protections in Clarksville and Montgomery County, some civil rights leaders believe it necessary to unite.

“In unity there is strength,” said Dr. Nancy J. Dawson, coalition chairwoman. “The time has come, to end, once and for all, the racial problems in Clarksville,” Dawson said. «Read the rest of this article»

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