Poignant Sign of the Times

Poignant Sign of the Times, originally uploaded by MettaMomma.

A Tallahassee, Florida- based group, advocating an end to U.S. involvement in the war in Iraq and returning all troops home is hanging more than 4,000 white origami cranes in the sculpture garden at the entrance to Railroad Square in downtown Tallahassee.

The debut of the installation will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, December 7th and remain up until the end of the year, weather permitting.

The “Cranes,” a universal sign of peace, represent the number of coalition soldiers who have died in the Iraq war. The installation also honors Julian McMackin Woodall, 21, a local Marine killed in Iraq in May, who loved to make the cranes as a child. Julian's mother Meredith McMackin has been involved with the sponsoring group since long before his death. He would have turned 22 Tues., Dec. 4, 2007, the day the exhibit started going up.

The installation is sponsored by the local group “Tallahasseeans Who Believe It’s Time to Come Home.” The group was responsible for the luminary memorial at Lake Ella in March that commemorated the 4th anniversary of the war. Since the luminary event, almost another 700 troops have died.

Su Ecenia, one of the group’s organizers said, “Hundreds of people in our community participated in folding, stringing and hanging these cranes. We are unified in our desire to see this war end and for the safe return home of our troops.” '

The 4,000 cranes were made by hundreds of local people including members of spiritual communities, schools, a Girl Scout troop and private citizens.

If you'd like to get info so as to do this project in your community, contact me and I'll tell you how to get in touch with the organizer here. Su is a homemaker and former nurse who after she saw a documentary showing injured Iraqi children decided to do what she could to draw a quick end to the war. We'd love for this idea to be adopted by other cities