FOR THOSE ARRIVING LATE: Part 1.
And so the Speechifying was set to begin.
It was 215PM so that meant I was likely to have to sit throug 90 min. of Anti-Bush, Anti-War, and other assorted pontificatin'.
I should have brought along some aspirin.
Boy was I in for a pleasant, um, disappointing surprise. ;-D
The 1st 10 minutes a bunch of old 60's-era types decided to relive the good old days by dancing to the music, in a lively, joyous, celebratory, circle, holding hands with some of the younger, newer, generation.
I'll admit to smiling at, and enjoying, their enthusiasm, however misguided the politics behind it.
Apparently the Mistress of Ceremony for the day was Rebecca Schoenkopf, the raucus, opinionated, columnist known as COMMIE GIRL, who writes an often interesting, often funny, column, on life in the OC, for our county's very own Leftist Rag, the OC Weekly ( FULL DISCLOSURE: I have had something of mine published in this magazine in 2004 -- READ: OC Weekly Says I'm Screwed! ).
All around the world, yesterday, rallys such as this occurred, and the result was underwhelming in many places.
From a report on Stop the ACLU:
Anti-war protesters marched in Australia, Asia, Turkey and Europe on Saturday in demonstrations that marked the third anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq with a demand that coalition troops pull out.Around 500 protesters marched through central Sydney, chanting "End the war now" and "Troops out of Iraq." Many campaigners waved placards branding President Bush the "World's No. 1 Terrorist" or expressing concerns that Iran could be the next country to face invasion.
Indeed, the protests would have probably been even smaller if it were simply pacifist dreamers gathering. Without the hatred of America to fuel these moonbats, many wouldn't have put the hash pipe down and gotten off their couch. If these folks were truly anti-war, they would be protesting the hate filled extremist terrorists that want to impose tyranny on the world under the banner of Islam. Instead, we can see their true motives, and if they were smart they would realize why they can't gather any significant support for their cause. We all want peace, but we have to look at where the root causes are that are keeping us from getting there. If you ponder it, we are always at some kind of war. War and peace and like yin and yang, and more often the only way we can achieve peace is through war with those that destroy it.
Appeasement will never get us there.
WARNING - SOBER REALITY CHECK AHEAD: After seeing my local one, and sitting through some, speeches, I could believe that except that FOX NEWS is reporting on the far more larger protests by the misguided, misinformed, and duped.
Up 1st to the microphone was Jim Washburn a reporter for OC Weekly ( Orange County doesn't have many options for where to find it's Leftist Journalists, sorry ):
He approaches the stage busily engaged in reading the front section of the Los Angeles Times.
At the mike, he peeks out from behind the paper, looks at the ad on the back, and points out that May Co. is having a sale. ;-D
That his biggest laugh came right off the bat should tell you something.
I wish I'd had a tape recorder because he packed so much in so few minutes that it was hard to keep up with his spewing.
I tried though:
1. Hard to believe 8 years ago we were brought so low by a President. ( A few laughs as he pokes fun at Bush and Cheney ).
2. He was mad at Dems for not supporting Conyers.
3. He accused Bush of supporting torture at Guantanamo.
4. ANYBODY HERE PREGNANT?
I smile and raise MY hand, and get almost as many laughs, from those around me, to the left of the stage, as his poking fun at Bush and Cheney. ;-D
5. He accused Bush of not providing enough body armor and supplies to the troops.
6. He attacked Rumsfeld.
7. He called for a change in government by changing people.
8. He made the claim that the majority of people in the country oppose the war, and when someone in the back of the audience yelled "75%!" didn't ask where the person got THAT figure, but just accepted it, and ran with it.
9. He attacked the media for not reporting saying important news "Falls down the hole".
( I don't know were he gets his news, and reporting about what's going on in Iraq, but I can guess that it ain't FOX NEWS ( fascinating poll on 3/16 ), Mudville Gazette ( the whole damn site is a Godsend, and a goldmine, but how about starting here ), Little Green Footballs ( see my comment on Mudville, and then start here with pictures, and over 575 comments ), or any place else that I do. Much less read the same Blogs. ;-D
10. He said that a lot of his country is old and already dead, then praised protesters in Latin America for tossing the US, and corporations, out of the region.
11. He accused the public of acting like cult members when it comes to the War, and other Bush policies.
12. He attacked what he called "Republican Gerrymandering.
13. He wants people to start asking about Colateral Damage in Iraq: "We are willing to kill someone elses kids to protect our own."
14. He said that in some ways it was better with Saddam, but in some ways it's better without him. ( Gee, how nice of him to cover his Ass by straddling the fence, heh, heh ).
15. He believes that the "Army and Ca. National Guard are spying on people because they think you are a threat."
"it's time for Camp Reagan and you are ALL going!"
There was suprisingly little cheering through all this, and so much quiet that I was able to write all this down without a problem.
COMMIE GIRL came back on stage and got everyone to cheer excitedly again by introducing her son, and getting everyone to say good-bye to COMMIE MOM.
Then she pulled a funny: She asked everyone to look up and wave at the Satelites. ;-D
Everyone laughed nervously, and looked up. ;-D
The next speaker was Karl Warkomski, an Aliso Viejo City Councilperson, and a member of the Green Party.
Thanks to Jubal, of OC Blog, we have an inkling why he even bothered to show up at this event: Seems he's feeling a bit beleagered, and is desperate for praise affection, and attention these days.
Like Washburn he, too, got his biggest laugh 1st by cracking a restuarant joke:
A Republican would take you to Romano's Macaroni Grill and pay the tab.
A Democrat would take you to the local "Joint" for a mean named for a famous patron of the establishment.
A Green would go to the Park, forage for any edibles, cook you a meal, and then ask for a donation.
Yes, I laughed with the rest of them. ( I may not agree with Leftist politics, but I DO often enjoy their humor. )
His appearance was all downhill from there:
1. Bush is embarrassing!
2. No more Bushit! ( Not even close to being original as he just saw someone waving the sign I saw earlier. )
3. BTW, will the FBI Photo Journalist raise his hand. ( More nervous laughter. )
4. If Iraq didn't have oil we not be there.
5. What's OUR oil doing under THEIR sand? God and Jesus must have put it there! ( this attempt at humor got plenty of laughs from the crowd. )
6. Bolivia and Ecuador will be invaded someday bacause the US wants their oil.
The last speaker was Vicki Castro: She is a teacher of high school math who lost her son in the War back in 2004.
Like Cindy Sheehan she makes the rounds protesting Bush, and the War.
Although she's a Republican, she holds Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld personally accountable for her son's death.
She gets probably the loudest, longest, most enthusiastic ovation of the day when she holdsup a picture of her son, and who can question it being well deserved. For her loss, and for the sacrifice of her son.
So now she is speaking out.
She emotionally tells of the last phone call she got from her son, and about how he died:
"He was just sitting down having lunch. They cost my son his life, because they wanted to have the Iraqi National Guard sitting there eating lunch with them. We're not there to socialize. That isn't why we went there."
Someone infiltrated the mess tent, and blew himself up, and she blames the Generals, and Rumsfeld, and mistrusts their explanations, and actions to try to prevent it from happening again.
She talks of what if's, accepting that maybe her son would have died anyway, if he had been aware enough to jump on the terrorist, taking the brunt of the explosion.
"The intelligence was dead wrong! My son is just DEAD!"
"The reasons for going were wrong, and the reasons for staying are as flawed as those for staying."
"Every body coming is a piece of our future lost. Every Iraqi lost is a piece of THEIR future lost."
She calls for "Bringing the Troops home", and a chant of "Bring them home!" starts up and just as quickly ends as she continues speaking.
She claims that America is not welcome in Iraq as Liberators. ( Read the 1st part of the earlier link to Mudville Gazette for a sliver of the truth. )
As she finishes COMMIE GIRL returns to announce the end of the festivities, and thank everyone for coming.
I look at my watch, and am startled to see that it is only 245pm!
All that ranting took less than half an hour.
By the time I left at 3pm people were leaving the park, and one has to wonder if some of the people at the tables were also packing up well before the scheduled 4pm end of the event.
As I walked around I talked to a couple of young Asian girls about their sign, and told them I was the only Subversive there that day.
When they asked why, and I told them it was because I was a Conservative, they asked where was i just after noon when a speaker asked if there were any Conservatives in the audience, and got a big laugh.
So I was late, OK, but at least I DID show up to "Represent". ;-D
So ends my extremely long report.
I KNOW it's a lot to take in, with a ton of important links you might not even want to explore ( Googling A.N.S.W.E.R. will turn up all sorts of Socialist, and Marxist, related websites, message boards, and articles. ), but what I've reported here is important for being just a small glimpse into the activities, and mindset, of those behind the Anti-War, Anti-Bush, Anti-America, Anti-Capitalism, ad-anti-infinitum culture that is out there lurking among us, and that could propel the Democrats into control of Congress in 2006 ( 1st up, how about we Impreach the Prez! ), and send one of them ( God forbid it's HillaryClinton! ) into the White House if the Republicans don't quickly get their act together ( Like yesterday, people! ).
Spread the word, and stay vigilant!
Good report -- keep an eye on this crowd.
:)
Posted by: jaspar | 03/19/2006 at 06:35 PM