'Standees' pay tribute to friend, call, as always, for world peace

It was heartening to see a sizeable gathering of people standing for peace at the War Memorial on Saturday, Feb. 4.

When Walter Hrozenchik and I used to stand for peace many, many years back, in front of the Danbury Public Library, during the Desert Storm days of the '90s, we would get four or five persons to stand with us. Often we were the only two!

And many were the cars that went by with the drivers giving us the finger and shouting obscenities at us!

It was very different this time. Those gathered there were not four or five, but about 20!

They have come to be known as "Standees for Peace." They were there to mark the fifth anniversary of 260 consecutive Saturday Vigils and to pay tribute to Walter, a well-known peace activist who passed away on Jan. 29 of this year.

Imagine that. Standing there on 260 consecutive Saturdays!

The group has been standing in front of the War Memorial every Saturday over the last five years, urging an end to wars and giving peace a chance.

On Feb. 4, the group stood at the usual place from 10.30 a.m. to noon, holding signs with various messages, including "War would end if the dead could return," "Afghanistan -- $720 million every day," "Grannies for peace," "War is costly."

They stood against a backdrop of a large blue banner, stretching about 20 feet, that said "ALL WE ARE SAYING IS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE."

To pay tribute to Walter, one of the Standees and I held up signs that read "Walter Hrozenchik a Veteran for Peace" and "Remember Walter and his legacy of PEACE."

Among those present at the event was Lynn Taborsak.

What was most heartening was to see that this time around cars whizzed by, hooted their horns and gave us, not the finger but a thumbs-up sign! Not one thumbs-down. Not one insult.

The winds of change are a blowing in Danbury. Thanks to groups like Standees for Peace.

I commend the Standees for Peace for their tenacity and their dedicated and single minded devotion to peace and non-violence.

After the "stand-in," the group went to the Irish Club and hoisted a toast to Walter.

Gulamhusein Abba, longtime friend of Walter Hrozenchik

Danbury