A group of Iowa activists met Tuesday in a culmination of a summer of action. The group was participating in the Take a Stand Campaign to influence congressmen to vote against the continued war. Time for Peace, a local anti-war organization, helped with the event.

The Pioneer Room in the Memorial Union was decorated with red signs that read “Support the Troops, End the War.”

“Obviously you all chose to attend this gathering because you do not approve of this war,” said Kevin Arritt, member of the Ames High Progressive Club. “Your commitment to being against the war cannot end until the war is over and our troops are back home.”

The meeting featured 11 different speakers who spoke on aspects of the war, from supporting the troops at home to permanent military bases.

The meeting was the final event for the Iraq Summer Iowa campaign.

“With this meeting we will send a loud message to Sen. [Chuck] Grassley and Rep. [Tom] Latham that we do not approve of this war,” Arritt said.

Representing Grassley was a plastic lawn mower, and Latham a suit on a hanger, both featuring pictures with President Bush.

Sue Dinsdale, the leader of Iraq Summer Iowa, said they extended invitations to Grassley and Latham, but neither accepted.

Terri Jones, whose son committed suicide shortly after returning from Iraq, spoke on what the war had done to her family. She said the father of her son still supported the war. Her younger son was mad at the world. Jones said she had been trying to get records and medals on her son, Jason, but the military said they were not found. She said the military does not keep track of the suicide names.

“No other family deserves to go through what my family has gone through, and that is why I stand up here today,” Jones said.

Iraq veteran Mario Bonifacio was another speaker of the evening.

“I feel we need to start pulling our troops out of Iraq,” he said.

Dianne Liepa, from Sen. Tom Harkin’s office, spoke on Harkin’s support for a timetable for troop redeployment.

“We need to be relentless. From now until the day our troops are back home, we need constant action – action in the streets . action in the paper . action on campus,” said Greg Bonett of Time for Peace.

Bonett encouraged students to get involved, saying that if even 20 students joined the action, they could transform campus.

“We need to create a climate that no matter where Tom Latham or George Bush choose to look – whether it’s in the papers, on the radio, or in the streets – everywhere, they see people, mad as hell, saying, ‘End this war now,'” Bonett said.

Jeffrey Weiss from the American Friends Service Committee said it appeared that the United States was installing permanent military bases in Iraq. State Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Iowa, said American troops were being cared for in unhealthy conditions.

“We have to stop the war. We have to support the troops. But we have to support the troops even after the war,” said State Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Iowa, associate professor of economics. “We have to step up and do what’s right for those people who have answered the call.”

Tom Harrington, professor of plant pathology, gave the closing remarks. He said the government was not giving public the truth and asked the people who attended to put pressure on Latham and Grassley to help end the occupation by changing their votes.