New Haven Independent

A Missing Vertebrate?

by | May 20, 2006 3:35 AM | Permalink

Wayne Coste (pictured at left) of Simsbury was protesting the war in front of the Democratic state convention to “remind the Connecticut Democratic Party that we need an anti-war plank in the party platform.” Mr. Coste calls the war in Iraq “shameful and dangerous.” He supports Senatorial candidate Ned Lamont because of his anti-war stance. He called Senator Joe Lieberman “a missing vertebrate in the spine of the Democratic Party.”

“The Democratic Party has no business nominating a pro-war Senator,” said Gregory Spear of West Hartford (pictured above, second from left), holding a sign reading, “Bring the troops home now… Stop the War!” According to Connecticut Opposes the War, a majority of Connecticut residents are opposed to the war in Iraq, and an even higher percentage of Democrats are against the war. “The Democrats are succumbing to Lieberman’s threat to run as an independent, split the Democratic vote, and get a Republican elected. Threatening to elect a Republican shows that Lieberman is not running like a true Democrat.”

Though soft-spoken, these elementary-aged kids from Manchester carried a loud message, written in chalk across their protest signs: No more war. “I feel a little sad [about the war] and I just want the troops to be safe,” said Dylan Luzzi (pictured third from left). So she gave her mom, Jamie Fitzgerald, permission to vote for Lamont.

Liz Joy, mother of three young boys (pictured above) who were more proud to show off their bright red tongues than their anti-war feelings, said she was protesting the war on behalf of her children’s generation, wanting to create a “better world for her children to inherit.”

A veteran of the Korean War, Guy Blais of Windsor wants Democrats “to take an anti-war stand, since war is so destructive on every level.” Blais likes Lamont because “he is critical of the failing war while Lieberman champions it.” Although Lamont does not yet have the name recognition of Lieberman, “many in CT are looking for an alternative, and Lamont is the intelligent, credible candidate people have been searching for.”

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