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Protesters vent anger on war
Wircester Telegram and Gazette ^ | 3/20/06 | Hill

Posted on 03/20/2006 1:21:41 PM PST by pabianice

GARDNER, MA — Brian Hawkins kept coming up with new words to describe his feelings about the war in Iraq.

“Embarrassed that we torture people. Embarrassed that we detain people without due process,” said Mr. Hawkins, an information technology consultant who lives in Fitchburg.

Later, he added “ashamed” to the list.

The United States’ duty to democracy is to protect it here, he said.

“That’s how we spread freedom and democracy, by being a model country,” Mr. Hawkins said.

He was among a small group of people with a great deal to say about the war as they held a vigil yesterday at noon at Monument Park in Gardner.

Events were held across the country to mark the third anniversary of the start of the Iraq war.

Gray clouds smothered the sky and a bitter wind whipped at the signs held by the group in Gardner. Some participants left after a while, but others arrived to take their place. Occasionally, passing motorists honked and gave a thumbs-up, but not everybody was backing the group.

A girl in a car shouted out, “Yay for the troops!” And a man in a pickup truck shook his head as he drove by the vigil.

Karen Leger, a preschool teacher from Hubbardston, said she organized the vigil when she realized there were not any events marking the anniversary in the area.

“I have strong feelings about the war and this administration,” Ms. Leger said, citing “the lies, the death and destruction.”

Bella Kaldera, a Hubbardston resident who works in Gardner as a residential counselor for a group home, brought a U.S. flag, saying, “I object to the symbols of patriotism being co-opted by those who have no interest in the common good.”

Mrs. Kaldera said the war had nothing to do with the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“But the lies have just kept on coming,” she said. “And who’s profited? Halliburton.”

Mr. Hawkins’ wife, Leanne, held a “got democracy?” sign.

The war is unjust and the country was led into it under false pretenses about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, she said.

Mrs. Hawkins said this war is about the will of neo-conservatives and the Bush administration.

“They’re just really doing it to fuel the military-industrial complex,” she said.

Gary H. Sebastian, a high-school teacher from Fitchburg, said, “I’m basically opposed to this war because I think it’s pretty obvious that the Bush administration’s policies about oil have a lot more to do with this than freedom of the people of Iraq.”

Allan and Frances Armington of Fitchburg turned out, with Mrs. Armington bundled up in a muffler to fight the cold.

Mrs. Armington, a retired teacher who is a literacy volunteer, said it is ironic that the country is using up so many resources to protect its dependency on oil.

Instead, the government could be going to the root of the problem and using the money to fund alternative energy sources, she said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: antiamericancrowd; terrorsupporters; usualleftywhiners
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To: pabianice
“Embarrassed that we torture people. Embarrassed that we detain people without due process.."

Which people is he talking about? There is a difference between people and pond scum.

21 posted on 03/20/2006 1:32:52 PM PST by Screamname (Tagline)
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To: facedown
All seven of them.

and four of them were teachers.

22 posted on 03/20/2006 1:34:34 PM PST by Deadshot Drifter
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To: pabianice
"“That’s how we spread freedom and democracy, by being a model country,” Mr. Hawkins said."

This is what happens when you stay locked up in your room and sniff model glue for 8 hours a day....total loss of contact with reality
23 posted on 03/20/2006 1:35:17 PM PST by stm (You can fix a lot of thing s, but you can't fix stupid)
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To: pabianice
Brian Hawkins and his whore are putting the American flag to shame. Are they giving it away for free or are they selling it or just putting on a show for the rest of their pervert non humans.
24 posted on 03/20/2006 1:36:50 PM PST by YOUGOTIT
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To: pabianice

25 posted on 03/20/2006 1:37:41 PM PST by Tokra (I think I'll retire to Bedlam.)
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To: pabianice
One of the things I've found interesting is that despite Bush's poll numbers supposedly being way down and a majority of people opposed to the war, the MSM all weeping and wailing about it etc., the protests all seemed pretty small. In Massachusetts you'd think they could pull a huge crowd, but I guess not.
26 posted on 03/20/2006 1:38:03 PM PST by Heatseeker (Never underestimate the left's tendency to underestimate us.)
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To: pabianice

27 posted on 03/20/2006 1:40:59 PM PST by Screamname (Tagline)
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To: pabianice

"one nation under surveillance".With people like this it should be!!


28 posted on 03/20/2006 1:41:02 PM PST by INSENSITIVE GUY
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To: ChicagoConservative27

I know.

It gets old really fast, and I am glad to see that most Americans are for the surveillance of Al Qaeda.

May we never forget what happened on September 11, 2001, and may we do everything we can to prevent it from happening again.


29 posted on 03/20/2006 1:45:37 PM PST by Emmet Fitzhume ("Never do what your enemy expects you to do.")
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To: jjmcgo
Gee, somehow and for some reason the newspaper stories this morning didn't focus on the collapse of the anti-war movement as noted by the small, small gatherings, here and there, in a few places.

For sure - yesterday's paper was headlined on the "Global War Protest". This morning, ABC reported "smaller than expected crowds", but never alluded to how anemic they really were.

30 posted on 03/20/2006 1:47:55 PM PST by trebb ("I am the way... no one comes to the Father, but by me..." - Jesus in John 14:6 (RSV))
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To: scottdeus12

"Ah geez, not this s**t again......."

Shows just how really out of touch these peple are. Aged hippies with sad, empty lives.


31 posted on 03/20/2006 1:48:28 PM PST by L98Fiero (I'm worth a million in prizes.)
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To: pabianice

funny how these same people worried about privacy don't give a damn about giving up their private info to get socialized medicine or other gubmint goodies and student loans.
chuckleheads.
oh well,we're only one more candlelight vigil from achieveing world peace!


32 posted on 03/20/2006 1:48:45 PM PST by Rakkasan1 (Muslims pray to Allah, Allah prays to Chuck Norris.)
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To: MikeA

I was going to post to this thread...until I read your post. Honestly I can't add anything to it. Sums it up quite nicely.


33 posted on 03/20/2006 1:48:53 PM PST by steel_resolve (An intolerant culture will seek to impose it's will on the tolerant one.)
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To: pabianice

Lefty lurkers: there are easier ways to get laid. I mean, you don't have to risk chillblains . . .

Just go up to any (aromatic, angry) young lady and say, "Would you like to go home with me?"
And you can do that in your poly sci class, in the grocery store/health food store or at the `Hot Pockets'/head shop.
Series.


34 posted on 03/20/2006 1:50:51 PM PST by tumblindice (Uh, Bush. Bummer. Man that really suks. Is that shirt hemp? What's that . . . smell? Is that you?)
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To: jjmcgo

How can I express my response to the deep anger these TEACHERS have, except to wish some clinton appointed DA wouldn't accuse me of a hate crime for showing that their "deep anger" is nothing to MY boundless fury that I can't demonstrate a Red Brigade invention called "knee-capping"...


35 posted on 03/20/2006 1:51:07 PM PST by jonascord ("I'll say this for the long winded Jack-a-Napes. He does know the short way to start a war...")
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To: Tokra

You could redo her sign with "I give terrorists hope".


36 posted on 03/20/2006 1:51:25 PM PST by L98Fiero (I'm worth a million in prizes.)
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To: pabianice

Key words of an Commie SOB: Embarrased of the US, and Haliburton profits. Dumb bastards.


37 posted on 03/20/2006 1:56:53 PM PST by vpintheak (What's worse, and liberal, or a know it all posing as a Conservative?)
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To: pabianice

Fitchburg?

I thought that place was closed.


38 posted on 03/20/2006 1:59:34 PM PST by Beckwith (The liberal media has picked sides and they've sided with the Jihadists.)
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To: pabianice
Thanks for all the photos, these people do not realize they are giving the enemy, exactly what they want.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; -Isaiah 5:20
39 posted on 03/20/2006 2:14:29 PM PST by FreeRep
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To: kenth

>>
HALLIBUUUUUUUUURTONNNNNNN!!!!!!
<<

You folks do know that the largest single stockholder in Halliburton is the family of Ladybird Johnson, don't you? I mean, the MSM surely made that little factoid know, right?


40 posted on 03/20/2006 2:15:28 PM PST by noblejones (Ben Stein for President, 2008.)
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