Anti-war demonstrators rallied Thursday on the south lawn of the Capitol, urging state lawmakers to consider the cost a U.S. war in Iraq would take on Montana's economy.

Calling war a coward's escape from the problems of peace, nearly 175 demonstrators braved the frosty air, hoisting signs and cheering speakers who included state House and Senate Democrats from Missoula and Helena, a Buddhist monk, and a professor from Carroll College.

Rep. Christine Kaufmann, D-Helena, said the United States spends more than $350 billion a year on its military. In comparison, she said, the so-called Axis of Evil spends a combined $15 billion a year.

"Do you think we're safe enough?" Kaufmann said. "This war is not about terrorism, it's about global domination."

Of the nation's military spending, Kaufmann said, Montana's share comes to $154 million a year. She said that money could provide health insurance to 110,000 Montana children, pay for 1.7 million days of day care, or provide cash assistance to more than 28,000 families. It could pay for the fees, books and supplies for all students attending state universities, she said, or cover the salaries of 4,480 public school teachers.

Kaufmann went on to say that the last time she spoke out for peace, shortly after Sept. 11, her adversaries threatened her and labeled her anti-American. She shrugged off the name-calling and cautioned the crowd from being silenced by empty threats.

"Their intentions were to keep me quiet and their intentions are to keep all of us quiet," she said. "Peace is not partisan. Peace is patriotic."

Sen. Jon Ellingson, D-Missoula, spoke briefly, earning cheers from the crowd.

"This is the way powerful movements get started," he said. "We must rise up and lead, and we must start here."

A fact sheet provided by the Helena Peace Seekers said the average Montana household contributed $432 in taxes to the military in 2001, but only $44 for education and $4 for job training.

"Already in 2003, the military is getting a much higher percentage," said spokesman Frank Kromkowski. "We're asking the Montana Legislature to consider if Montana can really afford this."

Kromkowski said UN humanitarian agencies estimate that 500,000 Iraqis would be injured in the early stages of a U.S. war in Iraq. Less than half the nation's population would retain access to clean water, with overall civilian damage expected to reach levels well beyond that which occurred in the 1991 Gulf War.

"America should not put thousands of its men and women in harm's way for an unjustified, pre-emptive war to boost profits of the oil and weapons industries," he said. "An attack on Iraq would make the world less safe and intensify anti-American sentiment around the globe."

Reporter Martin Kidston can be reached at 447-4086, or by e-mail at mkidston@helenair.com