For the past five weeks, people have been gathering at the corner of Fountain Street and Bridge Avenue each Thursday afternoon to make public their opinion on the United States’ policy toward Iraq.

It started out with a handful of people who wanted to hold a peace vigil. But as weeks went by, people representing all sides of the issue began showing up, many toting signs, to express their opinion.

Thursday, the day after the U.S. attack on Iraq began, around 50 people showed up to the &uot;opinion intersection&uot; to make their outrage or support known.

&uot;I’ve been here every week but the first,&uot; Keith Porter Sr., of Albert Lea, said. &uot;I just believe what we are doing is right. You’ve got to support our president, and you’ve got to support our troops.&uot; He held a homemade sign with the same message.

Porter has three children in the military, one of whom is on active duty in Kuwait. He said he also has a long family history of military service.

&uot;Some people out here don’t really know why they are out here,&uot; he said.

Porter said he doesn’t like war, but feels it is necessary for the situation.

&uot;War is hell,&uot; he said. &uot;But I feel we’re dong the right thing.&uot;

Next to Porter, the feeling was mutual about war, but not about it being right.

&uot;I think there are definitely other ways we could have handled this,&uot; Jake Loper, of Albert Lea, said. &uot;I think it’s sad we didn’t explore all options. There are going to be a lot of innocent people destroyed in all probability.&uot;

Many supporters held up &uot;Liberate Iraq, Support our Troops&uot; signs, which have been made and distributed by an Eagan, Minn. man. Many of them said that protesting the war is not a good morale builder for troops.

&uot;I think it’s very important to support our troops,&uot; Lisa Wedel, 14, a freshman at Albert Lea High School, said. She held a &uot;Liberate Iraq&uot; sign. &uot;I think peace is important too, but the troops need to know we’re behind them.&uot;

Wedel decided to come to the rally because she’d seen signs posted around school advertising it. The signs had been put up by another freshman girl. The girl’s parents, concerned with how her activism might get her in trouble, grounded her.

&uot;I think it’s neat that she felt strongly enough about it that she put the banners up and was willing to get grounded,&uot; said Todd Brist, a high school teacher who held a ‘Liberate Iraq’ sign. &uot;You really have to compliment all these kids who came out here today and are willing to speak strongly about their opinions.&uot;

Two students, Daniel Nelson, 17, and Megan Cochran, 17, both of Albert Lea, stood in front of Texaco with signs that had messages of peace and diplomacy.

Both said they supported the military, but not the conflict.

&uot;You can support the troops without supporting the war,&uot; Cochran said. &uot;Some people call us anti-American for saying that, but I think the right to protest is really what being American is all about.&uot;

Brist said he thought war protesters were interested in party politics more than moral outrage.

&uot;Where were all these people when Clinton was doing these same kind of things?&uot; he said.

But his main reason for being out on a cold and rainy Thursday was apparent with his sign.

&uot;It’s really about one cause,&uot; he said. &uot;Supporting our troops. We think that the Iraqi people deserve the freedom we’ve been enjoying for the past 200 years.&uot;

Across the street, three women said they had family and fellow church members in the military, but all said they thought the war was wrong. They held homemade signs with peace symbols on them and words of support for troops.

&uot;I support the troops,&uot; Lu Saul of Albert Lea said. &uot;But I would have rather seen more work with diplomacy and the U.N. It is really sad to see a country destroyed by war.&uot;

&uot;It’s not a pretty business,&uot; she added.

Most activists said they’d keep coming out each Thursday until the war is over.