Date: This Sunday, April 6, 2003
Time: 2pm - 4pm
WHERE: Corner of Barranca & Culver, Irvine, CA
Take 405, exit Culver, 1 mile East of exit
We invite your family to support this fine establishment!
Southern California PING!
For months, there have been "anti-war" rallies in the area while local city and county councils have passed "anti-war" statements. Finally, the REAL Americans stood up to be heard today, and heard we were. Hundreds occupied the 4 corners of the main intersection in town to the cheers, honks, waves, and thumbs up of passers-by. The highlight of the day came when the "anti-war" fruits and nuts marched from one end of town to the other, down Main Street, directly in front of us. Of course they needed a police escort to protect themselves. The "appeaseniks" disgraced themselves with every imaginable sign comparing Bush to Hitler and desecrating the American flag, from putting a peace sign in place of the stars, to flying it upside down with missiles painted on it. Think "San Francisco-lite" and you'll have a good mental picture of this collection of angry hippies, lezbos, and anarchists. Some attempted to try to tell us something through bullhorns as they marched by, but they were completely drowned out by our chants of "SUPPORT THE TROOPS!" so I have not the foggiest idea of what wisdom they were trying to impart upon us.
Later, as their group broke up, some straggled back by to get back to their vehicles (Yugos and electric cars powered by lawn mower engines mostly), although most obviously took another street. Those that did brave walking back through our gauntlet certainly got an earful. One of them actually had the audicity to say "It's about freedom!" Evidently he was referring to his right to protest the war. Some of us started laughing at him for making such a hypocritical statement, since he was there to protest the Iraqi people enjoying freedom. Another idiot who ventured through thought he was cool by holding up a sign that said "George sucks". Then he looked smugly at us and asked "What are you going to do?" He made the mistake of doing this a few feet from me. I got in his face and "asked" him "How many people have you liberated today???" He gave up trying to ignore me and finally responsed "How many have I KILLED today?" Again, I laughed at his inability to face the question. I said "No, the word is LIBERATION!" He then hightailed it with the lady he was with who didn't dare utter a peep. As for my lady, her favorite chant was "PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH" when the assorted fruits and nuts came rolling back down the hill.
I do have to brag on the sign we made and displayed throughout the rally. On one side was your basic "GOD BLESS AMERICA AND OUR TROOPS" with some pictures added that I printed out (one pic each of US Marine holding Iraqi baby, US Marine shaking hands with friendly Iraqi man, and the famous shot of ex-POW Jessica Lynch on the stretcher with USA flag draped on her). On the other side, the sign said "BUSH LIBERATION LIST" at the top. Below that was "Afghanistan" with a check mark in the box next to it. Under that, it said "Iraq" with a check-marked box. Finally, the 3rd item on the list was "California" with an empty box. Written below, in distress, it said PLEASE! HURRY! with arrows pointing to the "California". It got a lot of laughs from the good guys, while the "appeasenuts" gave me assorted dirty looks. There were, of course, many other signs. One that stood out that I loved said "WANTED: FREEDOM-LOVING IRAQIS TO EXCHANGE FOR ANTI-AMERICAN CITIZENS. WE'LL DELIVER FOR FREE."
All in all, it was a very spirited, and inspiring experience. In the near future, the question of the day may well be "What were you doing when the evil Saddam was taken down and Iraq liberated?" like people ask what others were doing with JFK was shot. I will be able to proudly say I was sharing the moment with fellow patriots at a SUPPORT THE TROOPS rally. What are those "peacenuts" going to say - "Ummm, I was marching to stop the liberation?" Now there's something to be proud of. NOT.