A rebirth in wisdom and protest

In Dunn Meadow, a white poster board sign with "Our Grief is Not a Cry for War" hangs on a makeshift tent. In front of the tent, among other things, are two bales of hay, a card table and a green 10-gallon bucket holding a first aid kit, a can of paint and a bottle of aspirin. \nThe peace camp in Dunn Meadow went up the day the war against Afghanistan began, and participants say it will stay until the aggression stops. Sunday afternoon, a man who called himself "Home Fire" was reclining in one of the tents next to the bales of hay.\nAlan Murray is his legal name, but he is known to friends and strangers alike as Home Fire. When asked where he was from, he responded, "I came into being this very moment."\nA 48-year-old self-proclaimed student of metaphysics, Home Fire said he "lives outside." \nSunday afternoon, he reclined in a blue Shakespeare chair and nursed a mug of coffee. His long red beard went a full foot from his chin and his brown CAT boots were well-worn.\nAlthough well-known at the peace camp, Home Fire said he actually has spent little time at Dunn Meadow.\nHe has spent the most recent portion of his life in Bloomington, describing his job as "writing, studying and maintaining relationships." \nHome Fire said he was also involved in a bike rally in March, which led him to a six-month court battle. During the rally, he said he was arrested for obstructing traffic. Fighting the charge has occupied a large portion of his time in the last six months.\nNow, he survives with the help of friends and strangers. In front of him sits bags of cereal, a spread of bananas and a box of crackers. The food and supplies were donated by "friends sympathetic to the cause," Home Fire said. A half-eaten Snickers candy bar sits on the card table next to fliers heralding the Islamic Cultural Center, 1925 E. Atwater Ave. The Cultural Center, Home Fire says, actually brought the protesters Middle Eastern dishes to show its support. It's that support that's keeping him from going hungry.\nHe described himself as "a work-a-day guy" until the age of 35. He attended a Florida junior college and has been a water purification specialist and a construction worker. He wouldn't say how long he attended college.\n"I resist your measurements, because all they serve to do is to pigeonhole me into someone else's sense of being," Home Fire said. \nAlthough he didn't earn a degree, he is regarded as a wise man around the peace camp. Bart Peiffer is a Bloomington resident who is staying at the peace camp to show support. When asked about Home Fire, Peiffer said "he's a very intelligent man." Besides metaphysics, Home Fire also finds himself reading a good deal of philosophy.\nSean Bagley, who goes by the name "Steps to Freedom," is Home Fire's oldest friend. Steps is also a believer in Home Fire's wisdom. Steps said Home Fire is turning into a strong teacher. \nHome Fire has also been married and has a son with whom he maintains regular contact. \nBut at age 35, his "normal" life ended.\n"I was sitting at my kitchen table one day thinking about consumerism and decided that 'this can't go on,'" he said. \nFrom there, he withdrew from the workforce. His one concern was losing touch with his son, but he said his decision actually freed up more time for him to be with his son. \nOn a calm Sunday afternoon, all seemed well in the peace camp. Home Fire said he enjoyed what he did, and that, "If it ain't fun, don't do it."\nThe rest of the peace camp is made up of a variety of people. Some, like Home Fire, have no set professions. Some work for the Green Party, and some were unaccounted for. People came and went, and Home Fire said there are usually only six to 10 people present at the camp, working in shifts.\nHome Fire said he doesn't know how long he'll be at Dunn Meadow, but said his plans after the war are going to be "day to day"