Blog @ MoreWhat.com

Peaceful demonstration is fine. But then there were, as usual, those who ‘created disturbances’ or ‘confronted police’ or ‘vandalized property’. Stepping over the peaceful demonstration line is always the part where antiwar fanatics fail to accomplish anything. Once you step over the line of what is legal your credibility disappears and any sympathy or support you sought evaporates also.

And antiwar protesters almost never fail to miss the point. Slogans like ’support the troops, end the war’ should be rephrased to ’support the troops, win the war.’ And the vet who is quoted in the report presents a statement or at least part of a statement that suggests he did not read or does not understand the agreement he entered into with the military. It appears he completed a tour then was on leave and when ordered to return to duty, refused and was discharged. In years past the penalty for that may have been more severe than simply discharge. The obvious question beyond knowing what you’re signing up for is how can the military be effective if anyone serving can decide for themselves is they will obey orders. And if you choose to disobey orders you should be prepared to accept the consequences. What does Gilligan’s explained actions say to others who followed orders or made the ultimate sacrifice?

And to Mr Alvarado some clarification is required. Yes, there are people who oppose the war and those who support the troops and the mission. You, sir, oppose the war and people like myself support the troops and the mission. Again, some people in Minnesota are against the war and the Bush Administration but not all. You should be clear about that as well as the other statements you made.

You want to be heard, fine. But understand there is a risk/reward factor here. The reward is for a brief period you feel better for having done something you feel compelled to do. The risk is you defeat your own purpose of wanting to end the war by giving incentive to the enemy to continue which only opposes your intent. Winning the war will also end it without surrender or defeat. And if you claim you support the troops then for their sacrifice victory is the only satisfactory outcome to honor their service.

Any failures of the government to adequately attend to the needs of veterans is the only ocmplaint you cite that has merit. A travesty to those who served is to fail in providing the services they need as a result of that service. But there are better ways to solve that problem than protesting the war. Redirecting your energies to direct contact with those responsible for providing service to veterans will prove more successful than the longshot of public protest.

And of course there was protest about the environment, health care and Gitmo. Were you really protesting the war or simply broadcasting the far left agenda at the opposition party’s convention?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Thousands of Anti-War Protesters March to Site of Republican Convention
By Lisa Ferdinando
St. Paul
01 September 2008
Thousands of people rallied outside the Republican Party national convention on Monday, protesting the war in Iraq and the policies of the Bush administration. The march was mostly peaceful, but some small groups of protesters created disturbances and confronted police, and several people were arrested. VOA’s Lisa Ferdinando is in St. Paul, Minnesota.

A protester kicks a smoke bomb during a protest at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, 01 Sep 2008

Protesters marched from the capitol building in downtown St. Paul to the arena where the Republican Party national convention opened Monday in an abbreviated session.

Young and old, and parents with children participated in the march. They carried signs with slogans such as “Say No to War,” “U.S. Out of Iraq” and “Support the Troops, End the War.” Police in riot gear stood watch as demonstrators made their way through the streets.

They marched around the security perimeter surrounding the convention site. Some protesters vandalized property, and police dispersed them.

Among the marchers was 27-year-old military veteran James Gilligan with the group, Iraq Veterans Against the War. He called for changes in health care and the treatment of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“It’s a damn shame that a veteran can go ahead and serve for his country, go into battle, watch his brothers and sisters fall around him, come home, and, if he doesn’t want to go again, he’s kicked out of the military,” said James Gilligan.

Protesters arrested in a field behind the Minnesota Science Center, 1 Sep. 2008

The Iraq war has been a dominant issue in the presidential campaign. Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama has called for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Iraq, while Senator John McCain, who will be formally nominated at the convention as the Republican candidate, favors keeping American forces in Iraq as long as necessary to secure the country.

Lou Alvarado, a resident of St. Paul, took part in the march.

“I want the world to take notice that people are against the war,” said Lou Alvarado. “People here in Minnesota are against the war and against the Bush administration. We don’t go along just to go along and get along. I’m here to let my voice be known and let it be heard and put the message out.”

The protesters also demonstrated for stricter environmental policies and for better health care, and against the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

All you need to know about the RNC protesters By Michelle Malkin

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 at 2:02 am and is filed under Iraq, war, wordpress, Politics, campaign, election, GOP, liberal, Afghanistan, Opinion, Military. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.