Lurker Bill from Maryland is joined on the southeast corner by 3D-Joy.
Posted on 07/27/2006 6:53:33 PM PDT by Albion Wilde
WASHINGTON, DC 7/21/06-- This FReep at the gates of Walter Reed Army Medical Center started out calmly enough, very much like so many others since we, the DC Chapter of Free Republic, have have been coming there every Friday night since March, 2005 to counter anti-war agitators organized by Code Pink. Nothing seemed different except the wildly enthusiastic beeps of passing cars. In summertime's long daylight, with many car windows open, the enthusiasm of the drivers for our support-the-troops rally is much easier to express. Even two DC Metro police officers patrolling the area gave us the thumbs up as they drove up Georgia Avenue, and later, as they drove back down.
As a result of our keeping the pressure on, the Pinkos have bent over backwards to obscure their malevolence towards the Administration, the soldiers and the entire idea of defending this country, not just by having adopted hypocritical signs urging better care of the soldiers, but also by having now brought more American flags -- flags that are not desecrated like ones they have brought to Walter Reed in the past, or the one they recently protested with at the White House.
So, to help passing motorists tell them apart from us, the week before we started a helpful "Burma-Shave" campaign, and mounted it again this week:
Abruptly, one of the Pinkos decided that their feelings were hurt. Free speech is only for the hate-America crowd, not for those who honor the troops and support their mission! So one of the Pinkos performed a stupid human trick and started yanking the signs off the tops of the cars, tossing them over the fence onto Walter Reed's property. Kristinn wrote about it in an earlier thread.
We went up to the gates to see about retrieving our signs, but not so fast. It seems that the Pinkos' anger management issue had generated a call by the gate guards to the U.S. Department of the Army Police, two of whom strolled down to have a talk with the Pinkos:
A friend of the Pinkos arrived on the scene after the brouhaha. A DC lobbyist, he was also an acquaintance of Debbie Does DC. Returning to his car after bringing the Pinkos some sodas, he stopped to tell her that his friend in the Pink camp "felt really bad about it." I was standing with Debbie Does DC and remarked, "It looks like they got their feelings hurt." With a chuckle, she remarked how lucky it was that was all that got hurt.
...and the FReepers carried on as usual, waving to the troops that came and went, and waiting for the bus to return that brings troops and their families back from a night on the town. Pinkos do not wait for the bus, having been visibly disdained, back in the early days of their phony pro-troops vigil, by genuine troops on the bus. FReeper rlmorel hoisted the "THIS CORNER UNDER NEW NON-COMMIE MANAGEMENT" sign, but everything else settled back to normal. Carloads of people kept honking and high-signing us, including soldiers yelling out their car windows, "Thank you!" and "We love you!" to which we shouted back, "Thank YOU! We love YOU!"
An Army active-duty sergeant from California stood next to me for awhile as he waited for a taxi with another solider from Michigan and that soldier's father. The two looked so much alike I asked if they were brothers. "Yes, but from two different mothers," he said, meaning that his comrade-iin-arms was as close as a brother. Sergeant Bientema was from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and Spec. Litherland was from the 562 Engineers. Both had been recovering at Walter Reed. It took me a long while to notice that the sergeant had one prosthetic leg, since he was moving around so effortlessly.
"Thanks for being out here," said Sgt. Bientema. Regarding the anti-war protesters down the street, he continued, "They'll never get rid of us ground-pounders. You can't win a war without ground-pounders, whether for the fightin' or for the clean-up. Thank God for those that support us, and too bad for the ones that don't."
A young servicewoman who, with her mother and a group of other troops was also waiting for rides downtown, related that she is a medic and had been in Balad, Iraq, where there is a trauma hospital in the Iraqi combat zone. Battlefield injury patients are typically stabilized in the combat zone, then flown rapidly to longer-term care facilities such as Landstuhl, Germany or Walter Reed. This medic is now at Walter Reed for further training. "I like being here," she said, "because I get to see some of the patients I took care of in Balad. Now they are getting better."
FReepers present this week included Apple Blossom, Black Republican, bmwcyle, Cindy-True-Supporter, Debbie Does DC, Fraxinus, Gretchen15, Jack Deth, Jimmy Valentine's Brother, Just A Nobody, Kristinn, rlmorel, SenseiErn, tgslTakoma, 3D-Joy, Tom the Redhunter, [Mr & Mrs] Trooprally and myself. Lurkers included Bill from Maryland, Gavin, and his guest, Jeff.
Link to all the previous Walter Reed FReeps, courtesy of BufordP.
You both did a terrific job on the AAR and I can only echo the comments from rlmorel about the welcome extended by the DC chapter to all who demonstrate their love for our military by putting their shoes on the sidewalk and signs in their hands. (Dang, that sentence would earn some red pencil marks from my high school English teacher. . .)
The wounded inspire us; you FReepers inspire them.
No better combination!
Thank you.
The Bolton heartings?! Medea was removed from Congress the other day, and 4 Pinkos on a hunger strike were arrested. But I can't find much of anything on the net about any of these stories?
Disregard the hunger strike arrest. I just saw JANB thread on the sidebar. DUH!
Looking pretty intimidating there. Do you always stand so you are leading with your chin? Just asking.
Y'all were mentioned in the Washington Times "inside the beltway" column...
http://www.washtimes.com/national/inbeltway.htm
Inside the Beltway
By John McCaslin
July 31, 2006
Fasting eternal
The late terrorist mastermind Abu Musab Zarqawi is doing more than pushing up daisies. He's fasting, too.
Yes, that's Zarqawi -- or at least his ancestral tribal name -- along with his hometown of Zarqa, Jordan, listed on Code Pink's roll of protesters who are "fasting" in hopes that U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Iraq.
And how did the once-notorious terrorist's name wind up on the peace and social justice group's list, among celebrity fasters like the ice-cream-licking Cindy Sheehan?
It was submitted by a merry prankster from the D.C. chapter of FreeRepublic.com, we've learned, a conservative group that for more than a year has done battle with Code Pink every Friday night -- holding dueling demonstrations outside the gates of Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
"To get past the eagle-eyed moderators of the list, his tribal name was submitted: 'Ahmed Fazil Najal-Al-Khalili, Zarka, Jordan,'" the prankster tells Inside the Beltway. "Zarqawi got a head start, beginning his fast 28 days ahead of [Code Pink] -- on the day he died."
Code Pink began its fast on July 4. The campaign is scheduled to end on Sept. 21.
Thanks for the heads up to our Walter Reed readers! A DC Chapter FReeper already posted a thread about this this morning...
I always respect those who do much more dangerous work than I do. I am mostly a spray tech these days.
Of course, I was a noob down there, and I don't know bmwcyle well, but...that was more of an in your face posture, than leading with the chin!
OTOH...perhaps he was sending body language to the pinko just saying "Come on. Take a shot. You know you want to, but you're too gutless to do it"...:)
I think both are pretty good options on his part!
Yeah well, it ain't high school. Getting bent out of shape over $5 worth of poster board is stupid. Maybe its just me, but all those signs are good for is antagonization. They sure don't support the troops.
They expect us to dialogue with people who have killed innocent Americans, killed their own citizens including children, shot at outrpilots, etc., but call them hags and they go completely offline and freak out. Wimps.
In my opinion, they are entitled to have antagonistic signs. They are the ones standing out there for 67 Frinday nights in a row for four hours at a stretch in all kinds of weather, not you.
The civil discourse stopped the moment those people went out in front of Walter Reed with anti-war signs. I would be best if nobody had to be out there, and to let those soldiers heal in peace. But this is reality, where most tenets of conservatism live.
Everyone I met down there at Walter Reed was reality based, nothing fake about any of them. Do those signs antagonize the Code Pinkos? Absolutely. Those people need antagonizing. There is PLENTY of room for disagreement about the war, BUT DOING IT IN FRONT OF WALTER REED IS OUT OF BOUNDS IN MY OPINION.
And as for supporting the troops? It was my impression that the troops found those antagonistic signs VERY supportive. You should spend some time out there with them and find out for yourself.
I only went down there once, but I found it to be extremely rewarding. But how nice it was just to see for yourself the REAL reactions of the troops and Walter Reed staff, not to mention the people who drive by and show their support. I do highly recommend it. It is a very, very positive experience, and you see they are not out there to simply antagonize the Code Pinkos.
THAT happens to be icing on the cake. When I saw the "Enlist Here To Die For Halliburton" sign I understood it wasn't the physical signs or even what was written on them that drives those people to go out there in all weather.
What makes the DC Freepers so persistent is the hateful, ignorant, prissy, hypocritic philosophy of people who believe in free speech and other freedoms, but only as long as you agree with them.
In my opinion, they get what they deserve. I wouldn't stand out there with either group. I can't support Code Pink and I won't stand around like some kind of juvenile clown with signs designed to do nothing but provoke. Nice message you guys are sending there. The other signs that without a doubt support the troops are fine. Deliberately starting crap? C'mon? Whats gonna happen when someone takes a poke at a Freeper? EWWW! They started it! Then they squeal, hike up their skirts and go to the police. All the while talking about how they maintained the moral high ground?
The civil discourse stopped the moment those people went out in front of Walter Reed with anti-war signs. I would be best if nobody had to be out there, and to let those soldiers heal in peace. But this is reality, where most tenets of conservatism live.
Yeah, I agree. Letting the soldiers heal in peace is the key. Two opposing groups slinging crap at each other isn't.
Everyone I met down there at Walter Reed was reality based, nothing fake about any of them. Do those signs antagonize the Code Pinkos? Absolutely. Those people need antagonizing. There is PLENTY of room for disagreement about the war, BUT DOING IT IN FRONT OF WALTER REED IS OUT OF BOUNDS IN MY OPINION.
There is PLENTY of room for disagreement about the war, BUT DOING IT IN FRONT OF WALTER REED IS OUT OF BOUNDS IN MY OPINION.
Thank you!
And as for supporting the troops? It was my impression that the troops found those antagonistic signs VERY supportive. You should spend some time out there with them and find out for yourself.
I spend my time supporting troops through the USO. One in particular. Thanks for the invite though.
I guess we will just have to agree to disagree on this.
We agree on some important things. We don't agree on a few, and I respect your opinion even though I disagree.
Two opposing groups slinging crap at each other may not be the key, but it is a damn sight better than one group unopposed (Code Pink) slinging their message of hate at maimed and crippled soldiers who deserve a hell of a lot better than that.
If a group of people take the time, effort and will to force those people off of the front gate of the hospital through legal means, they have my respect, especially if the hate is redirected towards a group like the DC Freepers and away from the soldiers.
Things are going to get more difficult in this country, not easier. We have harder times ahead in the War on Terror, much harder times. If people want to sit on their asses, watch television news or gripe on Internet forums, that is their perogative. Events will catch up to them in their living rooms or computer rooms.
There will come a time when people have to choose a side, the later that time comes, the more difficult the battles ahead are going to be. I once read somewhere that the rule of thirds applies to strife, politics and war. Evidence of it dates back to the US Revolution.
There is going to be one third of the people in this country who feel strongly enough to stand up and decisively defend their belief in the country, the liberties, blessings and way of life it offers us as defined in the idea of the Founding Fathers.
There will be another third of the country that will take an antagonistic point of view, opting to be be something else, "World Citizens" in the mold of the UN and their followers. Appeasers and so on.
And then there will be a third that will sit on their asses in front of their computers and televisions. They will gripe and complain. But they are just going to go along to get along. They will be the dead weight that just takes what they get. And gripe and complain all the while.
They say it was true in the American War of Independence. I think it is true in the war on terror. I think one third are the DC Freepers. I think another third are Code Pinkos.
Which third do you belong to?
And just for the record...I don't know you, but I do not get the feeling you are in the Code Pink Third. We agree on more than we disagree on, I will wager.
#44 what a wonderful post. I can't go from Texas but I am working on sending a friend who lives in the DC area.
She is horrified about what Code Pink is doing and desperate to show her kids that some people love their Country. She needs to know some conservatives, so look for "the Bat Lady's friend" to be coming soon.
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