Lansing Peace Community's 2008 Holiday Peace Message

Cold winds and wet snow flakes characterized the Greater Lansing's peace community's weekly peace vigil on Friday. When noontime rolls you take what you get weather-wise and hope that you have dressed appropriately. On cold winter days, you hope the number of people who show up exceeds the temperature on the Boji Tower clock.

Lansing's peace community has now held 380 straight vigils -- more than a year's worth of Fridays supporting our troops and supporting peace. We'll be back next Friday, too, and the Friday after that. We'll be in the front of the Michigan Capitol, if necessary, throughout Barack Obama's term if U.S. troops are still warring in Iraq or Afghanistan. We'll be there rain, sleet, sun or snow.

For any of you readers who live and work in Lansing, especially downtown Lansing, you are welcome to join the peace vigil on Fridays at noon. You can stand with us in support -- or grab one of the signs if you like. Everyone is welcome. If you want to break the ice, just say "Rico Thomas Rico invited me," and get a laugh when they say "Who?".

On the occasion of the 380th vigil, I shot the group's annual holiday peace photo (see above), though turnout was lower than usual because of the day's snow storm. The picture will be sent with a holiday card to U.S. Senators Levin and Stabenow, our House reps, and President-elect Obama. To see all the photos shot at the peace vigil on Friday click here.

This year, I recorded an additional video message from the Greater Lansing peace community. In the video, I asked people what suggestions or resolutions they would have for President-Elect Obama for next year. Watch the video below or click here.

-- Rico Thomas Rico

Words of Wisdom for Barack Obama