Anti-war activists greeted heartily

[thedrifter]

A hero's welcome
Anti-war activists greeted heartily
By Samara Kalk Derby
September 5, 2005
Had Cindy Sheehan been with them, they might have needed Camp Randall Stadium.

As it was, a group of eight anti-war activists aligned with Sheehan drew more than 800 people to the Barrymore Theatre Sunday night, filling it to capacity, for a Bring Them Home Now Tour.

The standing ovations began before the visiting activists even took the stage.

When popular jazz musician Tony Castaneda, whose sextet warmed up the audience and who is a member of Military Families Speak Out, called for bringing down "this corrupt, murderous, lying, inept George Bush administration," the crowd was on its feet cheering in a show of solidarity that would be repeated dozens of times throughout the evening.

The delegation received a hero's welcome.

The activists are part of a movement that started when Sheehan, whose soldier son Casey Sheehan was killed in the Iraq war, set up camp outside of President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, in a futile effort to get the vacationing president to come out and speak with her.

Since her crusade began in August, Sheehan has become a household name, jump-starting a flagging peace movement. A black and white banner beneath the Barrymore stage pleaded: "Bush, talk to Cindy."

Three buses left "Camp Casey" Wednesday and will reunite Sept. 24.at an anti-war rally in Washington, D.C. Sheehan herself is traveling on a bus touring Southern states.

Karen Meredith of Mountain View, Calif., stood in for Sheehan. Her only child, Lt. Ken Ballard, 26, was killed in Najaf, Iraq, a year ago.

"Get them out of there, get an exit plan and get them to New Orleans where they are needed badly," she said about the country's citizen soldiers, many of whom are in National Guard units that otherwise would have been available to respond to Hurricane Katrina, which obliterated much of the Gulf Coast.

"It is patriotic to hold our government responsible," Meredith said.

Besides the emotional grief the war has wrought, Meredith delineated its financial toll: It has cost the federal government $192 billion, Wisconsin $3.2 billion and the city of Madison $110 million, she said.

As the country suffered war fatigue, one mother dared to ask the president "Why?" Meredith said. "Cindy Sheehan put the war back on the front page where it belongs."

Patrick Resta of Philadelphia was one of two Iraq war veterans traveling with the group.

Resta said President Bush was unprepared for Sept. 11, he was unprepared for the war in Iraq, and he was unprepared for Hurricane Katrina.

"Well, three strikes and you're out!" he shouted, to loud applause.

"We're not wanted in Iraq, and if we were I can assure you Iraqis would be getting interviewed on Fox News every five minutes," said Resta, a medic with the North Carolina Army National Guard, who served in Iraq the better part of last year.

Madison was the fifth stop for the traveling activists. The three-bus tour plans to visit 42 cities in 26 states.

Tour member Al Zappala of Philadelphia, whose son, Sgt. Sherwood Baker, was the first Pennsylvania National Guardsman to die in combat since World War II, urged the crowd to write letters to congressional representatives and talk to neighbors.

Then he caught himself.

"We're in Madison. I don't know if you have many neighbors who disagree with you."

Ellie

[yellowwing]

HA-HA on Cindy! The Barrymore Theatre is in Madison WI, Wisconsin population: 5,363,675. And she could only rally 800. :banana:

I guess the only good thing Katrina has done is knock Cindy off the front page.

[Devildogg4ever]

True, thats a good thing! Been even better if it could have knocked her off of her pedestal!! http://downsouthhunting.com/images/smiles/angry_slap_1.gif

[Wyoming]

Perspective! It's all about perspective.

Wing has it right - Town of 5,363,675 and 800 in the theatre.


Dollar to a day old dog turd that they bused in a goodly amount of that 800.


Several days ago, I posted an article, 'Marine Wife Outraged' or something to that nature. That totally sums up my feelings.

[yellowwing]

"5,363,675 and 800" - maybe Jane will rethink her tour.

[ivalis]

the article says the place was filled to capacity, no telling how many more wanted to attend.

[Joseph P Carey]

Originally posted by ivalis
the article says the place was filled to capacity, no telling how many more wanted to attend.

And...Maybe they had to bus-in that many...Quien sabe?

[ivalis]

trust me on this one joe, not in Madison.

[SuNmAN]

You guys talk as if it was some type of sin to protest a war. I sympathize with these people. They have lost their most loved ones in a war with questionable objectives for an administration with questionable competency.

Don't get me wrong, I think its a great thing we're doing for the Iraqi people, and we should never pull out until we have accomplished our mission, but these people, as American citizens have every right to question and protest the war in Iraq.

[Joseph P Carey]

Let us just say that I remember John Kerry and his bunch during the Vietnam War, when they would get up and tell horror tales of what they did in Vietnam, and many of them, most of them, were never there, or ever saw a VC, and most discouraging, were never in the military. The Left wing knows no limit to lies or to theatrics to gain a couple of more followers.

Their motto: The Truth be damned! The end result is all that matters.

[AWeissmann]

True Sunman, this is what the military is for, to give Sheehan the freedom to protest but there is a line that is crossed when you say the president is the #1 terrorist in the world. If these people do not like living in the States there is always France.

[yellowwing]

Let us just say that I remember John Kerry and his bunch during the Vietnam War...
Granted, Joseph p. Carey. Do you want to join the rest of us in 2005?

Let me give you a clue. The Republicans now control the Senate and House. There is a Republican President. Basically, the Republicans run the country.

The eviscerated Democrats are reduced to filibusters to just even be heard.

Yet look at Fox News and Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh, and you can get your daily dose of FEAR THE LIBERALS.

Are you really that afraid of Liberals to garner this much media?

[Joseph P Carey]

Truthfully Wing, I fear no one, and no thing! But, to not use the knowledge one has gained of one’s enemies is what is tantamount to a sin against one's self, and one's intelligence! The old saying, 'know your enemy' comes to mind!

It may be 2005, but I believe that in 2035, I still shall remember!

[yellowwing]

'know your enemy'
Perhaps that's where I get all this. I grew up in the shadow of the Russian Bear. In training, there was a Soviet Agent everywhere, just waiting to exert control.

Now, truthfully I am suspect every time the government exerts control or fails to fulfill 100% of its percieved obliged duties.

Whether its special fire arms registration or RFID chips implanted like Bush Sec of Human Services, Tommy Thompson.

Personally I think Tommy Thompson was a nut to voluntarily get a government implant. Would you want one?

[Joseph P Carey]

Now, we are all implanted with location chips? Hmmmm! I have enough piece of sharpnel in me to be located by anyone with a good metal detector.

Are you talking of Tommy Thompson the band, or the former Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services? As this has nothing to do with bad music, I can only assume that you are talking of the chip that the latter had placed in him by a private company called Verichip, but I am still trying to see any government involvement in this. If I remember correctly, it was his idea to do so, not the government's.

[yellowwing]

If I remember correctly, it was his idea to do so, not the government's.
You see that's exactly where I hate that you got us Kerry-ites. On the same day that we had the 3rd and final Presidential Debate, the Federal (under GWB) Food and Drug Administration, approved the radio implant device for human beings (citizens).

And my man John "I'm a Hero" Kerry didn't say sh*t about it. The one freakin issue that could have swayed the Evangelic Base, and Kerry let it go.

P*ssed me off to no end! That mutherfrucker was trying to lose the election.

Dammit! If he don't want the job than GWB was the best man.

Sheet, bureaucracies. I have seen small Indian budgets go through the same thing. "If you don't spend $1 million now, you'll have to spend $20 million later." And the standard answer is, "Gee, $1 million is a lot of money."

[Joseph P Carey]

If I remember, the chips you speak of were a private venture for citizens that wanted their medical history known. It is not unlike the lost dog chips that have been in use for some time now to identify Horse, Dogs, and cats, and give information about them and their owners, but it is not a location device.

The chip that Mr Thompson had implanted in him can be read with a special scanner/reader, unfortunately, if you do not have the correct reader the device is useless.

As far as John (This Traitor Reporting for duty, hand salute) Kerry, you have to cut him some slack, after all, the guy is still debating in his mind as to whether or not he should challenge the Ohio vote count, and his mind does not have the capacity to do much more. He is rumored to have come close to a decission, but now he does not know what the original question was. Check back with him next week, he should have an answer by then.

As far as the Native American Nations, I can foresee some of them loaning the US Government money in the future!

[SuNmAN]

Originally posted by Joseph P Carey
Let us just say that I remember John Kerry and his bunch during the Vietnam War, when they would get up and tell horror tales of what they did in Vietnam, and many of them, most of them, were never there, or ever saw a VC, and most discouraging, were never in the military. The Left wing knows no limit to lies or to theatrics to gain a couple of more followers.

Their motto: The Truth be damned! The end result is all that matters.

Senator Kerry saw combat action in Vietnam. On the other hand President Bush only served a short stint in the Air National Guard and was never deployed to Vietnam.

[Joseph P Carey]

Here we go again! Senator Kerry saw combat, and President Bush did not! <br />
<br />
Well, all I can say to that is, Senator Kerry was a traitor who went over to the enemy, like Benedict Arnold, and President...

[yellowwing]

Hmmmm...let me get back to you on that.

[themom]

Originally posted by yellowwing


Yet look at Fox News and Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh, and you can get your daily dose of FEAR THE LIBERALS.


Perhaps I am misunderstaning you here, but I have listened to Rush on and off for 10 years, and it's been been quite a long time since I have heard him say, if he ever did, that we need to FEAR THE LIBERALS. Mainly he says, "THE LIBERALS ARE ON THE RUN"

[SuNmAN]

I'm really gonna have to look up your claims to believe them, because they seem awfully one sided. What do you mean when you said Senator Kerry &quot;went over to the enemy&quot;? <br />
<br />
By all means Jane Fonda is...

[SuNmAN]

But I do agree with the part about Bush being decisive and Kerry not. The President of this nation definitely needs to be a straight forward and decisive man, and not wishy washy.

That alone puts President Bush voer Senator Kerry in my book, even though I personally don't think either should hold our nation's highest office.

Colin Powell should run.

[SuNmAN]

Originally posted by themom


Perhaps I am misunderstaning you here, but I have listened to Rush on and off for 10 years, and it's been been quite a long time since I have heard him say, if he ever did, that we need to FEAR THE LIBERALS. Mainly he says, "THE LIBERALS ARE ON THE RUN"


Thats besides the point. The fact is that these two people are HIGHLY conservative.

I personally prefer to stay moderate. I would not identify with democrat or republican. I'll be liberal on some issues, conservative on others.

[yellowwing]

hmmmmmm...wait I'm almost at a decision. I'll let you know soon one way or the other.

[Joseph P Carey]

Originally posted by SuNmAN
But I do agree with the part about Bush being decisive and Kerry not. The President of this nation definitely needs to be a straight forward and decisive man, and not wishy washy.

That alone puts President Bush voer Senator Kerry in my book, even though I personally don't think either should hold our nation's highest office.

Colin Powell should run.

I have no arguement with you about General Powell! He appears to be a good man!

[Joseph P Carey]

Let me see! Would going to Paris to meet with the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong delegations, while we were at war, and Americans were dying at the hands of the two entities be considered...

[ivalis]

i just am trying to figure out how Carter pardoned Kerry in 1968.

when something so bogus is posted it is hard to read the rest of the post with any credibility.

sounds like the kind of crap Rush spouts.

[Joseph P Carey]

Originally posted by ivalis
i just am trying to figure out how Carter pardoned Kerry in 1968.

when something so bogus is posted it is hard to read the rest of the post with any credibility.

sounds like the kind of crap Rush spouts.

Please tell me how Kerry got out of the service?

While you blind know-it-alls are at it tell me how come he was still in the service 6 years after his seperation date?

Isn't it a surprise that Kerry was finally released one year after President Carter allowed the scumbags back into the country, and while you are thinking about that, why not find the missing pages of his service record!

[SuNmAN]

Are you sure? Because I read somewhere in Time magazine that the Swift Boat incidents were largely fabricated and there was no evidence that tarnished Kerry's record of service. Also I read in...

[Joseph P Carey]

Originally posted by SuNmAN


Are you sure? Because I read somewhere in Time magazine that the Swift Boat incidents were largely fabricated and there was no evidence that tarnished Kerry's record of service. Also I read in Wikipedia that Kerry was awarded a silver star, a bronze star and 3 purple hearts...

I'm gonna have to do a little research before I make up my mind, bear with me

Believe me Kid, I lived the History; I saw him with the Mao sayings written all over him; I saw him make speeches promoting Communism over Capitalism; I heard him call the American Service man Murder and rapist; I saw him at The Madison (NJ) Campus at Farleigh Dickinson U, when he had a rally there (70 or 71). I saw the news reports of him shaking hands with the Viet Cong Representatives in Paris. Now, Do you want me to believe the Kerry Propaganda Machine, or do you want me to believe my 'lying eyes?'

The guy is a scumbag! Through and through, he is a SCUMBAG!

Did you also know that his VVAW (Vietnam Veterans against the war) shared office with the Communist Party in NYC during the Vietnam War? What a hero!

[ivalis]

i want to see Bush's service record. He's the one who lost his flight status.

[Joseph P Carey]

Picky, picky, picky! We all have lost something. But, he (The President) already had enough credits in his last year's flight time to be discharged with an honorable discharge. At least he did not...