Posted on 03/14/2004 9:12:25 PM PST by Libertina
America still says NO to Assner, Socialists and Communists! Ed Asner is coming to Seattle to tell us the "World still says no to war" and wave the white flag of surrender to terrorists...er...wave his white banner.
Here are some more of that end.... maybe we got lucky!
HairOTD, no problem. The name isn't English; it's actually a surname, in Scottish Gaelic. An unfortunate choice, I've learned over the years, because the anglophone eye (?) associates the wrong gender with it.
(And the orthography also trips up anglophones -- it's pronounced "Yah-lah," not "Ee-la." Someday I might petition the Admin Moderators for a name change.)
After a review with LibrOuMort of your pictures, I'm still impressed. You have some experience at photography, I think (as does GarandGirl)...
Not me, now... got a nice burn up there where I should've used such as hair cream. (Or worn a hat...)
It shows. Until I encountered FR, all my pictures were taken solely for my personal records, never for publication. You're good.
More than I anticipated. I'm quite red now...
and now that Not apathetic Anymore and you mentioned it, I see that I've got pretty red cheeks as well! Like apples :) (red delicious LOL)
But of course... *\;-)
Pro-troop, anti-war rallies draw hundredsCrowd shows support for soldiers from overpass of I-5
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SCOTT GUTIERREZ THE OLYMPIAN CAMP MURRAY -- It was hard to tell what was louder at Saturday's massive rally in support of the troops: the wind rippling hundreds of American flags or the cars honking as they passed underneath. One year after American forces began the war that would topple the regime of Saddam Hussein, hundreds of people came out to wave flags and show their resolve in standing behind their loved ones in uniform. Two dense lines of red, white and blue filled both sides of the overpass above Interstate 5. "This is the America I know," said John Kilwanis, 45, of Tacoma as he waved a flag at the traffic below and cheered. The rally was organized by Operation Support Our Troops, the grass-roots group that has staged numerous similar events since American tanks first rolled into the Iraqi deserts last March. It drew participation from a few state legislators, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi. Some, like Kilwanis, said they came because they wanted to counter the anti-war movement. Accomplishments made in Iraq are being overlooked by the news media, which have focused too heavily on bombings and the insurgency, they said. Others came because they had family members and friends in harm's way. "We're proud to be Americans, we're proud to support our country and, most of all, we're proud to support our troops," said Sheryl Sheaffer, a co-founder of Operation Support Our Troops, whose two sons, Scott and Adam, are both in the military. Monika Wilder, 57, of Olympia said she could still remember how soldiers such as her husband felt when they came home from Vietnam. She recalled seeing demonstrators outside the front gates at Fort Lewis as she headed there to wait for wounded troops being flown into Madigan Army Hospital. Her husband, Richard, had been wounded three times, she said. "I hope our troops are watching what we do, so it gives them more confidence -- the confidence we didn't have when my husband came back," she said. Theresa Mesiab, 24, of Tacoma said she came to show support for her fiance, Spc. Steven McCurdy, who deployed with the 81st Armored Brigade in February. They were engaged in December after a little more than a year together. "I was mad at the whole situation," she said. "But I support him, and I love him. I support all the troops." Nine-year-old Kymberly Green said she's looking forward to when her father, Army Sgt. James Green, comes home. "He's planning on taking the kids fishing," she said, while holding a "Support Our Troops" sign for traffic crossing the overpass to see. Her mother, Kathy, said Kymberly's father has been in the military for 20 years. "Mom's not doing so well," she said, explaining how her husband deployed in November. "I think they're doing the right thing, but I want them to hurry up so he can come home and retire." Scott Gutierrez can be reached at 360-754-5465 or sgutierr@olympia.gannett.com |
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Source: TheOlympian: Top Stories -The Olympian |
EIJIRO KAWADA; The News Tribune Hundreds of people gathered Saturday in Pierce County to perform what many described as their patriotic duty a year after the beginning of the Iraq war. For one camp, it meant standing on bridges over Interstate 5 near Fort Lewis and waving American flags in support of U.S. troops. For others, critical of America's involvement in the war, it meant sitting cross-legged on a concrete basketball court at a Tacoma park, listening to music and anti-war speeches, and marching to Union Station.
With their events scheduled at different times and miles away from each other, there was no conflict between the groups, both under police supervision. Each rally attracted about 400 people, according to organizers.
Operation Support Our Troops began the day early on the bridge at Interstate 5's Camp Murray exit.
The flags and supporters have become a familiar sight for people on I-5. Since January of last year, at least several people have stood on the overpass every weekend. On one weekend last fall, the rally mustered several thousand backers.
By 10 a.m. Saturday, demonstrators - some with pets and strollers in tow - lined up along the sidewalks on both sides of the bridge. They moved American flags through gusty winds and waved their hands above their heads, greeting people in cars underneath them.
Many drivers honked to show their support, while others opened windows and enthusiastically waved their arms back to the demonstrators.
The common theme on the overpass was, "Until the last one comes home."
"We are not going to allow what happened to Vietnam vets," said Sheryl Sheaffer of Sammamish, one of the organizers of the rally.
Her husband, Jim, came home from Vietnam and faced anti-war activists. A few decades later, he and Sheaffer have two sons, 19 and 21 years old, in the Army. One is in Afghanistan.
Demonstrators tied yellow ribbons to the handrails on the bridge and held as many hand-written signs as flags. One sign read: "They've Freed Iraq."
Aris Caron of Puyallup stood in front of a large quilt she made. It featured a map of the United States with "United We Stand" in the middle. Also on the quilt was a picture of her 26-year-old son, Josh, an Air Force crew chief for a C-130, which recently flew Marines to Haiti. Josh now is in Puerto Rico.
"This is our patriotic duty," Caron said of her quilt and demonstration. "We can do this."
Mark Jansen, a professor at Pacific Lutheran University, said patriotic duty to him means criticizing the government when it's not doing the right thing.
United for Peace of Pierce County and Jansen, the chairman of PLU's language and literature department, organized an anti-war rally at McKinley Park near the Tacoma Dome.
"This is a government that systematically deceives American people," Jansen said.
Organizers sold bumper stickers at the park. One read: "Military solutions are problems." A hand-held sign read: "Invasion Has Increased Terrorism."
Protesters at the park held far fewer American flags than demonstrators on the overpass. Instead, protesters flew a flag of the United Nations and flags with the peace symbol, which gained popularity during the Vietnam War era.
Corie Jones, a state employee from Olympia, saw demonstrators on the overpass on her way to McKinley Park.
"Not letting (soldiers) come home after a period of time, that's not supporting the troops," she said.
One side of her sign read, "Bush Lied. Soldiers Died." The other side read, "I support the troops."
After 1 1/2 hours of singing, speech-making and chanting, protesters marched down East McKinley Way by the Tacoma Dome and headed toward the federal courthouse building at Union Station.
Ramon Robalino, 4, took part in the rally, holding a sign that read "Another family for Peace" and featuring a large sunflower in the middle.
His father, Mauricio, said he wants his children to learn the value of peace. "I don't want my kids to grow up to represent this kind of evil," he said.
Eijiro Kawada: 253-597-8633 |
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