Images taken from http://www.victorlams.com/etc/
Posted on 01/18/2003 3:47:24 PM PST by LisaFab
LisaFab checking in from frigid but still FREE Washington, DC.
Sitting in our nice warm hotel room after a cold yet inspiring day of standing up for freedom and against the equally ignorant and arrogant America-haters we encountered all over DC today.
The weekend started out well with a planning dinner last night with about 40 intrepid FReepers and supporters at the Orleans House restaurant. I'm sure others will fill in the details as this is just a quick update so that we can go out for a few adult beverages before Amtraking back to CT tomorrow morning - we will however first join a few at the White House to act as 'human shields' for President Bush as the other side plans to dress up as 'weapons inpectors' (ha ha).
At 9:00 AM (temperature 9 degrees) had our rally of about 80 folks with great speakers including Curtis Sliwa who spoke with great fervor in support of our cause. (Details of rally to follow.)
The rally ended about 11:30. After lunch, we made our way by Metro to the Marine barracks to watch the 'march.' On the Metro we were confronted by some polite peaceniks, who, after seeing my stylish FR jacket asked "are you people with that conservative group that supports this war?" I answered: "We are with the conservative group that supports the US Military and its Commander In Chief." After a few more minutes of banter we reached our common destination.
As we made our way toward the Marine Barracks we actually were walking with the peaceniks as they were illegally 'marching' on the sidewalk (the worst part of the trip.). When we got to the FR command post the group was already giving it to the protesters. Waving flags, holding posters with pithy sayings, chanting with and without bullhorns and generally engaging the 'enemy'. It was exhilarating to say the least.
My sign: "Pacifists Are The Parasites of Freedom" (not the one pictured on another thread but GMTA) got a lot of attention photo-wise as did NaysToShays: "A.N.S.W.E.R.? You're Commies!" Every time an anti-Bush chant or poster went by I confronted the authors with the question: "How did you like Clinton's wars? Were they racist? Why are only Bush's wars unjust?" The silence was deafening - the few who did answer said they thought ALL wars were unjust. I replied: "That's funny, I didn't see you on CNN protesting then." A real show-stopper, I have to say.
Well, it's getting to be Miller-Time so OI will say Eagles Up to all who FReeped all over the USA today. Hope you feel as good as I do tonight.
Where do these people come from...are they all on the government dole...I can't imagine them holding a real job.
Funny, when I choose: "Yes, Saddam is a threat" the vote doesn't record. (Well, it could be my fault, I use adsubtract :) Should I demand a recount?
I did find that standing on the snowy areas was a lot colder on the tootsies than the just plain frozen grassy patches!
Those Sliwa Stalwarts were something. They had those berets on, but NOTHING on their ears. I said to Curtis that he should have berets with ear flaps - he just laughed. You have to hand it to those guys. They took the cold like the he-men that they are.
The interviews I had were from Reuters, The Wash. Post and CBS and ???CCD???(whoever and whatever they are). They all seem to start out with the same question "What are you doing here?" Don't they have a clue?? One wanted to know my opinion on the anti-war people's position. I said "What position?" I said that if there were 10,000 of them, then there would be 10,000 positions, and a lot of them over there had an agenda. I also said that most of them were probably well-meaning people who got caught up in a media movement, but if you asked half of them to pick out Iraq in a map----they probable couldn't! Another reporter ended the interview very quickly when I didn't act like a VRWC fascist. I quietly told her that I was anti-war, too. I said "Who in the world WANTS war?" I said "No one here WANTS war, we just want Hussein out of there and out of power, by whatever means it takes, including exile." I guess that wasn't what she wanted to hear, so she moved off to someone else.
One incident was kind of funny. There were a couple of passing anti-war types on their way to their rally. They saw my poster (BEST DEFENSE? GOOD OFFENSE?) and came up to me and asked what my sign meant. So I read it to them, and asked them what was so difficult about its meaning. Of course they were in their liberal put-down mode, so the guy repeats his question. I decided to have some fun, so I started with the word 'best' and translated that for him. I said the next word was a little harder, but would he bear with me for a bit while I explained it to him. The whole thing went on this way and then I showed him the other side of my poster (PEACE THRU STRENGTH) and asked if he had difficulty with its meaning. He then went into his real rant and talked about the money being wasted on Iraq when there were people hungry in the world. I was tired of this guy by now, so I told him to empety his own pockets and give it to the hungry and to stop bothering me! He left.
All of our speakers were inspiring. Nothing like the screaming I'm hearing on the C-Span re-run.
One thing I was pleased to see on TV was the posting of President Bushs 'war poll' backing, as a contrast to the news about these nation-wide rallies. I hope the socialist leaning of these speakers at the anti-war thingy was not lost on the Ameican public.
I didn't (couldn't) get to the barracks, bu it sure was nice to be with all my friends last night, and sharing the crisp, brisk, morning in the park.
What's a Patti Smith?
I did find that standing on the snowy areas was a lot colder on the tootsies than the just plain frozen grassy patches!
Those Sliwa Stalwarts were something. They had those berets on, but NOTHING on their ears. I said to Curtis that he should have berets with ear flaps - he just laughed. You have to hand it to those guys. They took the cold like the he-men that they are.
The interviews I had were from Reuters, The Wash. Post and CBS and ???CCD???(whoever and whatever they are). They all seem to start out with the same question "What are you doing here?" Don't they have a clue?? One wanted to know my opinion on the anti-war people's position. I said "What position?" I said that if there were 10,000 of them, then there would be 10,000 positions, and a lot of them over there had an agenda. I also said that most of them were probably well-meaning people who got caught up in a media movement, but if you asked half of them to pick out Iraq in a map----they probable couldn't! Another reporter ended the interview very quickly when I didn't act like a VRWC fascist. I quietly told her that I was anti-war, too. I said "Who in the world WANTS war?" I said "No one here WANTS war, we just want Hussein out of there and out of power, by whatever means it takes, including exile." I guess that wasn't what she wanted to hear, so she moved off to someone else.
One incident was kind of funny. There were a couple of passing anti-war types on their way to their rally. They saw my poster (BEST DEFENSE? GOOD OFFENSE?) and came up to me and asked what my sign meant. So I read it to them, and asked them what was so difficult about its meaning. Of course they were in their liberal put-down mode, so the guy repeats his question. I decided to have some fun, so I started with the word 'best' and translated that for him. I said the next word was a little harder, but would he bear with me for a bit while I explained it to him. The whole thing went on this way and then I showed him the other side of my poster (PEACE THRU STRENGTH) and asked if he had difficulty with its meaning. He then went into his real rant and talked about the money being wasted on Iraq when there were people hungry in the world. I was tired of this guy by now, so I told him to empety his own pockets and give it to the hungry and to stop bothering me! He left.
All of our speakers were inspiring. Nothing like the screaming I'm hearing on the C-Span re-run.
One thing I was pleased to see on TV was the posting of President Bushs 'war poll' backing, as a contrast to the news about these nation-wide rallies. I hope the socialist leaning of these speakers at the anti-war thingy was not lost on the Ameican public.
I didn't (couldn't) get to the barracks, bu it sure was nice to be with all my friends last night, and sharing the crisp, brisk, morning in the park.
What's a Patti Smith?
Was it really an "anti-war" rally? Judging by the signs and posters, there was no cohesive message. One sign against animal expereimentation: "Stop the war on Animals. Stop Animal Experimentation!" Another sign "Stop Coca-Cola's War on the Columbian People!". (Now that I think about it -- I recollect they had it spelled "Columbian" rather that the proper spelling "Colombian") On the way home I tuned in some local FM "public" radio station, and also CSPAN radio. A woman from Philly speaking at the Mall rally: "Stop the War on America's Poor and Homeless!"
No real focus. Protest as mindless Process. All shallow puffery, no heart in it. Except for the Iraqis and Palis who also were there. Still, "No blood for oil" was the most common sign I saw.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
Can you blame 'em?! Hey POD!! I wanna buy a copy of that Rally Footage, please...MUD
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