Posted on 10/30/2005 4:10:30 AM PST by Valin
Outside Walter Reed on Friday Nights, Two Camps Stand Their Ground
Every Friday night, Gael Murphy and Kristinn Taylor meet in Northwest Washington, separated by a bustling four-lane road -- and a whole lot more.
Since spring, the two have stood firmly on opposite sides of Georgia Avenue NW in front of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Murphy leading a coalition of war protesters, Taylor marshaling supporters of the Iraq war.
Both sides say they are there to support the troops. Beyond that, there's little common ground.
"They start yelling, 'Murderer!' 'Traitor!' They call me by name," said Murphy, a co-founder of the women's antiwar group Code Pink. "It's aimed at disrupting our vigil."
To Taylor, a spokesman for the local chapter of FreeRepublic.com, a politically conservative Web site, disruption is an honorable goal.
"It's galling for us to see them across the street," he said. "They've endorsed the terrorists."
The Friday night gatherings near the District's northern tip, about six miles north of the White House, have become one of the most visible reminders in Washington of a war that has claimed the lives of more than 2,000 U.S. troops. That they are being staged outside a military hospital that treats the war's wounded makes the standoffs all the more pointed -- and controversial.
The war supporters, many of them known as "Freepers" because of their devotion to FreeRepublic.com, insist it is unpatriotic and demoralizing to protest the war in clear view of wounded soldiers. They started congregating along Georgia Avenue on Fridays after learning that the protesters were out there delivering a "despicable" message.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Keep up the good work!
Ain't that the truth.
It's not the investigative piece on Code Pink and the "antiwar" left we've been waiting four years for The Post to write, but it is a decent report on the "Friday night fights" as he put it.
That's what I was thinking. He was definitely sympathetic to the Murphy side.
Thanks Kristinn and D.C. Chapter for your vigilence.
Thank you D.C. Chapter.
Could they quote Gail Murphy a little more??? This started off looking like a decent article but turns out to be more of a hit peice on FR the farther you read. Not surprised.
Gael Murphy WHINES.
It's truly insulting for the reporter to favor the anti's side without even going inside and asking the soldiers their opinion. You guys have gone to extreme sacrifice to be there every Fri. You deserve a real story. Media....Grrrrrrrrrr.
Yes, she does. ("Mom, he's making faces at me")
And tattles, too.
Actually, both sides and points of view are equally presented. There are nine references each to quotes by Freepers, their message and a supportive soldier and the same number for Code Pink.
In other words, the "fact-finding mission" was a pretext and a lie, intended to disguise their real mission which was to give aid and comfort to Saddam Hussein, which is typically what you would expect from leftists.
"We treat them with a contempt that they've earned," he said.
Great quote, Kristinn...
What a load!!!! This from the same idiots that want socialized medicine....UFB!!!!
"The administration sent these soldiers to war. Now that they're back and injured, they don't want to see them or hear about them,"
These men were not drafted, they volunteered, and once they are healed and able to do so, they will be back in Iraq, killing terrorist....As for as seeing and hearing about them, how many times has Pres. Bush toured Army hospitals and talked to the soldiers, praying with and to them, and how many times did the Klintoon do the same?
Question for the "Pinkos", "Where were you and your protests when the Klintoon sent troops to Somalia, Bosnia, and various other $hithole countries, with orders to not return fire if shot at????" I'll not hold my breath waiting for an answer....
5.56mm
A Google search turned up this article that says the Code Pinkos were guests of Saddam Hussein. This from someone whowent on the trip with Code Pink. I have no reason to doubt Gael paid her own travel expenses, but once she got there it's a good bet Saddam said, "You're money's no good here," as the excerpt below this one shows.
Stephens traveled with a delegation of women sponsored by Code Pink for Peace, an organization of women who have been holding a peace vigil outside the White House since Nov. 17. The delegation was composed of a dozen women, some of whom were members of Code Pink, and others, like Stephens, who went along for the experience. Her husband, George Sapio, accompanied the group as its photographer and a videographer joined them as well.
The group left from John F. Kennedy International Airport and traveled a total of 44 hours. After stopping in Amsterdam, the delegation flew to Amman, Jordan, and then traveled 15 hours in Chevy Suburbans to arrive in Baghdad. U.N. sanctions prohibit all air travel to Iraq.
Since they were guests of the Iraqi government, Stephens said, the members of the delegation were accompanied by government-assigned handlers throughout most of the trip.
As far as I know, this piece was not written by a Code Pinko, but the author was in Baghdad at the same time as the Pinkos.
A mixed bag of these arrived in Baghdad shortly before midnight on February 15, 2003, International Peace Day, as two double-decker busloads of western Human Shields arrived at the Andalus Apartments hotel where I was staying. These people were willing to use their bodies as shields, placing themselves in infrastructure buildings and hospitals as a human repellent to bombs. They also brought with them their own unique war. Many were contentious—bickering and openly fighting amongst themselves while taking in the free residency and meals supplied by the Saddam regime that welcomed their support.
FR gets article in Wash ComPost. Ping to patriots countering the Code Pinko traitors
The reporter could have followed Cindy into the John....
; )
I, for one, am honored to have Kristinn as my representative!
Good job, kristinn. Thanks for all you do.
I wonder if atleast one of those modern journalist ever itched to find out and write the real story?
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