On March 18, the eve of the second anniversary of the U.S. war with Iraq, nine members of Franklin’s Voices for Peace coalition stood at the corner of Iotla and Main streets, holding banners and waving to passing cars.

“1,500 US Dead; 11,200 US Wounded; 100,000 Iraqis dead; $150 billion spent; 0 reasons to be there,” read Doug Woodward’s white poster-board sign.

The group — mostly middle-aged, tucked shoulder-to-shoulder against the wind’s icy blast — smiled every time a passing motorist tooted a horn or gave a thumbs up.

“More and more peopling are smiling and nodding,” said Trish Severin, Woodward’s wife and one of the charter members of the group. “It feels like the tide is turning.”

Protest against the war, particularly with Franklin’s Voices for Peace group, has come in rolling waves. When the war began and the Franklin group founded, nearly 80 people showed up at meetings to express their support for an alternate solution.

Now, as the war has dragged on, the sense of urgency has died down. It’s not that the sentiments are any different, it’s that life has gone on — attendance at monthly meetings has dropped to a steadfast group of about 15.

“It’s a lot of busy people,” Severin said, referring to the group’s membership.

The concept of a protest may seem foreign to younger generations unfamiliar with sit-ins or walk outs, tear gas and riot gear. As a young teacher, group member Joanne O’Connor said protesting was a fairly normal course of action — for civil rights, for women’s rights, against the Vietnam War.

“It was part of society to stand for something and state what you believe publicly,” O’Connor said.

Over the years, O’Connor has stuck with showing her convictions. She met Severin in Columbus, Ga., during a protest against the School of the Americas, which has trained many Latin American soldiers that protestors say have gone home to commit atrocities. The two women learned they lived near one another and teamed up for Voices for Peace.

Group members say the group does not exist as an anti-American or unpatriotic organization.

“We are really not anti-war, we are pro-peace,” said group member John Womack.

Korean War veteran Bill Carlson spent his tour fearing the possibility of being ordered to shoot another human. The only member of his unit sent to Germany rather than the front lines, Carlson avoided combat, but after gasoline rations were stolen from his base, was placed on guard duty with orders to shoot to kill.

“You cannot imagine how much internal turmoil I went through that night, waiting to go on my midnight shift,” Carlson said.

He prayed that whoever stole the gasoline would have sense enough, not to come back for more. Luckily, that prayer was answered.

Now, Carlson issues a similar prayer, one for the awakening of the mass consciousness.

“Humanity is governed by mass consciousness and the actions that take place, war, or peace, or whatever, are a direct result of this mass consciousness,” he said.

What must happen, Carlson said, is change — a development of hope for a better tomorrow.

“All war has ever created is more problems that crop up later,” O’Connor said.

For more information about the Voices for Peace organization, visit www.voicesforpeace.com.