In Chip Clawson's mind, the United States' invasion of Iraq was a political decision that might come back to haunt us.

"What we are doing in Iraq doesn't make us any safer," the Helena military veteran said. "We are trying to dominate. We're recruiting terrorists by our actions. We need to change the way we are in the world."

Sitting across the table from him, Candida Quinn offered a different view. While she recoils at the thought of violence, restoring human rights isn't a bad thing, she said.

"I don't want to vilify the objectives," Quinn said. "I'm not comfortable with labeling myself as ‘anti-war' because I am concerned about human rights (in Iraq)."

The two were among a group of 80 who gathered Sunday to talk about how the war is affecting their lives and the community. The event — titled "A Community Responds to War" — was organized by several civic groups and held at the Carroll College Campus Center.

Free of political slogans, banners and flag-waving, college President Tom Trebon set the tone. Set aside political rhetoric, he said, in order to listen and to learn from each other.

Not all checked their ideals at the door, but the tone was nothing less than civil. Facilitators compiled a list of concerns and responses, which Trebon summarized at the end of the gathering.

The war is a just cause, some said. No, it's not, others countered.

Many said they were unsettled at the images of war. Some blamed the media for trumpeting the war, while others complained there wasn't enough information available. Parents should limit children's access to TV coverage of the war, a school official said.

Others wondered what the ultimate cost in dollars and humanity would be. Would the economy rebound? Is it safe to travel overseas?

Talk about the war isn't always so polite around Helena, participants said. Discussions about the war are becoming increasingly polarized, with opposing sides preferring the other to shut up. Is it not possible to oppose the politics of war and still support the troops?

"If everybody believes in the policies of the United States, then we're not a democracy," said David Orndoff, who said he spent seven years fighting in Vietnam.

A Persian Gulf War veteran said perhaps the most important thing Helenans can do is make sure the soldiers have support when they return home.

Many Montana-based National Guard and reserve units recently have been pulled from their day jobs to serve in the Middle East, and it's not easy to readjust to everyday life again, said W. Lee Smith. You're raised to respect a person's life, he said, and then as a soldier suddenly you're asked to take it away.

Smith — once homeless, now unable to work, but recovered from physical and mental scars suffered in the war — wants to see that the right services are in place for the newest crop of veterans and their families.

"I don't want to see veterans and families suffering while they're waiting for care," Smith said.

Reporter Jason Mohr can be reached at 447-4075, or jason.mohr@helenair.com.