While the potential for war in Iraq has been debated at the highest levels of government, one local neighborhood association in the City of Charlottesville has weighed in on the issue. On November 12, the Board of Directors of the Locust Grove Neighborhood Association stepped out of its usual realm -- concern about the local park, prowlers, picnics, traffic and sidewalks -- and dove into world politics. The board passed a resolution asking that the United States not declare war on Iraq:

We are greatly concerned about the effect of war on our neighborhood. We are also concerned about neighborhoods, villages in Iraq and around the world. Given current circumstances, we ask that peaceful means be pursued to solve the problem with Iraq, and that the United States not declare war against Iraq.

At its Tuesday night meeting, the neighborhood association board discussed how war would not be good for the neighborhood, and how disasterous war would be for villages in Iraq. The author of the resolution, Sarah Pealsee said that she felt inspired by former Senator Paul Wellstone (who voted against Congress' war resolution), and felt compelled to speak out. Her neighborhood association's board agreed unanimously (Press release, November 14, 2002)