7/15_thompson

Sally-Alice Thompson strums her guitar outside the University Bookstore Thursday afternoon, supporting a number of protesters rallying against a war between the U.S. and Syria.

Thompson, a World War II Navy veteran and retired elementary teacher, said the U.S. military should stay out of conflict in the Middle East.

“I think we’ve wasted enough lives, enough money, enough petroleum for nothing — it’s time to quit,” Thompson said. Thursday’s rally was one of many for Thompson, who has been involved with Veterans for Peace for the past 20 years. Thompson said her interest in protests began years after retiring as an elementary school teacher.

“My husband and I both had a transition from going along with everything the government did to realizing we have to oppose a lot of things the government does,” she said.