Peace pallbearers hurt Kerry

Boston Herald ^ | 8/30/04 | Boston Herald editorial staff

[kattracks]

What's that saying about you can't choose your relatives? The same can't be said about choosing your political supporters. Certain voters are attracted to candidates by a blend of policy, message and personal appeal that each presidential campaign team spends millions to fine-tune through polls, focus groups, speeches, media appearances and, of course, TV ads.

So the protesters marching for peace through the streets of New York, for better or worse, yesterday were the face of the Kerry campaign. We'd understand if Kerry handlers' inclination was to pull brown paper bags over the protesters' heads. And gags for their mouths would do quite nicely, too.

The image on Americans' TV screens wasn't ugly in the same way as Chicago 1968, but it was ugly nonetheless. Flag-laden caskets, we presume representing Americans killed in Iraq, were the signature visual of the peace march. As offensive to the troops and their families as that exploitation surely is, it's the words which must make John Kerry [related, bio] cringe, too. Alternating chants of ``Bush sucks'' with signs proclaiming Bush a liar were the least of it.

It was particularly striking that the anti-Bush protest was juxtaposed on the news with video from Kabul, where pro-Taliban forces killed some seven children and at least one American in an attack in Afghanistan's capital city. Why? To try to disrupt democratic elections planned in that country in October.

Symbolic caskets of those victims weren't carried in the march.

[kingattax]

more freaky mutant protestors on TV = more Bush votes

[lawgirl]

Wow this coming from Boston? I am shocked.

[ninonitti]

The Boston Herald knows John Kerry.

[GeronL]

NYC will get very ugly, especially on Thursday. Its the worst thing for the Kerry campaign

[SamAdams76]

Symbolic caskets of those victims weren't carried in the march.

Nor were symbolic caskets of the victims of 9/11 carried either. I wonder how many more victims of terrorism there would have been had our troops not had what's left of the terrorists pinned down in caves and ditches over there these past 3 years. Certainly the streets of NYC have been made safe for silly protests such as this.

[Steel and Fire and Stone]

I wonder how many more victims of terrorism there would have been had our troops not had what's left of the terrorists pinned down in caves and ditches over there these past 3 years.

Well, the obvious contrast for any fair minded person would have to be, what about the 9/11 victims.. where are they're caskets represented in the march? The contrast between a few thousand military caskets to 3,000+ civilian caskets, would be stark.

What's more, how many of the military families would authorize a "casket" to represent their lost loved one? Perhaps the protestors should engrave REAL NAMEs on those caskets? First, only a handful of caskets would be represented, because the vast majority of military personnel and their families believe in the cause for which they fight, and tragically for some, have died for. Secondly, I doubt that many of the protestors know a "real, live" U.S. service person, or if they do, hold them in any regard whatsoever.

The bottom line is, the parade of caskets was largely a parade of the hypocrites. The "pall bearers" neither care about the military dead, nor do they consider their service virtuous. But, hypocracy is the norm for the leftist & Democrats.

SFS

[Fresh Wind]

For every chant of "Bush sucks", I heard 100 chants of "Fox News sucks". And, for every Kerrie sign, I saw 10 Nadir signs.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

You could have done the same thing in 1944 or 1864. In 1864, my grandfather's grandfather was a police captain in New York City (second precinct). There were antiwar riots in NYC in July of that year.

Rioters laid siege to police stations, assaulted policemen, lynched Blacks - who were seen as the cause of the War - and burned Federal Government buildings.

BTW, I think it makes as much sense for Jews to join the "Peace" demonstrations as it would for Blacks to join the antiwar riots in 1864.

If the U.S. had taken the same approach to the Arab-Israeli conflict as France and the EU, there might never have been a 9-11, there might never have been Gulf War I or Iraq-American War. There would certainly no longer be an Israel.

[MortMan]

And, for every Kerrie sign, I saw 10 Nadir signs.

Pardon me, but your freudian slip is showing;-D (Nadir?)

[dawn53]

I found it interesting that the Swiftvets are running an ad with Kerry's anti-war testimony, and on TV we're watching an anti-war march.

Just backs up what the Swiftvets are saying, IMHO.

[Fresh Wind]

"Nadir" from dictionary.com:

The lowest point: the nadir of their fortunes.

An extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything

The lowest point; the time of greatest depression.

Freudian? Maybe. Slip? Nope!

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Filmmaker Michael Moore (C) and activist Jesse Jackson (R) move down Seventh Avenue during a protest march towards Madison Square Garden, the venue for the Republican National Convention (RNC) in New York. The protest, organized by United for Peace and Justice, is the largest protest against the RNC which begins August 30(AFP/Getty Images/Chris Hondros)

Tom Roepke, a New York City public school teacher, sunbathes next to a sign protesting the war in Iraq on the Great Lawn in New York's Central Park on Sunday, Aug. 29, 2004, the day before the start of the Republican National Convention. (AP Photo/Dean Cox)

A man holding a protest sign with the inscription 'Darn Good Liar' demonstrates in New York City. Thousands of protesters, led by filmmaker Michael Moore, activist Jesse Jackson and other personalities, assembled for a march past Madison Square Garden where Bush will be nominated for a second term this week.(AFP/Paul J. Richards)

New York City Police officers move protesters and the media off a traffic island in New York's Times Square after they cracked down and began making arrests August, 29, 2004. The group of mostly lesbian and gay protesters had marched north from the main protest march, which passed Madison Square Garden, site of this week's Republican National Convention, ending in Times Square when the police decided to make arrests. REUTERS/Henny Ray Abrams

Demonstrators carry fake coffins representing the U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq towards Union Square during a protest organized by the group United for Peace and Justice in New York, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2004. Tens of thousands of Bush administration opponents denounced the war in Iraq and demanded the United States withdraw its forces. (AP Photo/Joe Cavaretta)

Women demonstrators chant slogans against President Bush as they walk through the streets of Manhattan during a protest organized by the group United for Peace and Justice in New York, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2004. (AP Photo/Joe Cavaretta)

[ken5050]

Rememebr all the Dems who wanted to allow the media to film the coffins arriving in Delaware from Iraq?..

[rabidralph]

This morning, the 6 o'clock news report from CBS radio-affiliate WTOP had a soundbite from a protestor who said, "These are all the people who hate George Bush!" Whether they're Kerry supporters or not, the American people will get the message that a great deal of them HATE the president and that will work in his favor.

[TaxRelief]

We need to erect statues and memorials in every city to the "victims of Terrorism", the "victims of religious persecution", "the victims of communism" and the "victims of abortion".

[TaxRelief]

"These are all the people who hate George Bush!"

Good news! Out of a population of 282 million, only 100K hate Bush. . .

[Spook86]

I was at the Bush rally in Troy, OH, Saturday morning. Not surprisingly, the press downplayed the significance of that event. More than 20,000 people--two police officers told me the crowd was closer to 25,000--turned out on a Saturday morning to see the President. W was in rare form; comments regarding his ability to connect with you in person are spot-on; he had that crowd in the palm of his hand, and we left determined to deliver Ohio to President Bush. Incidentally, the rally attracted 20--count 'em, 20--Kerry supporters/protesters. It was a microcosm of what you saw in NY Sunday; a typical assortment of aging hippies, abortion-rights wackos, environmentalist kooks, and a stray union type (or two). They had the good sense to stay away from the Bush crowd; I heard a couple of "Bikers for Bush" guys express a desire to "have a talk with them," but we were more concerned about seeing the President. After the rally, the pro-Kerry folks sulked away, heading for their Yugos for the trip to NY, and a chance to link-up with more misguided souls....

[Angry Enough]

This is great. It's a throwback to the political unrest of the late sixties and early seventies - the exact timeframe John F. Kerry wants you to forget about! I believe this is called poetic justice - or maybe it's the boneless chickens coming home to roost.

[The G Man]

lawgirl

The Boston Herald is a VERY conservative newspaper. No surprise at all.