Hundreds Protest in Borough [West Chester, PA]

WEST CHESTER -- Several hundred protesters gathered in front of the the Chester County Courthouse on Saturday to show their support for or against the war in Iraq.

For the past five years, Karen Porter, director of the Chester County Peace Movement, has led protests against the war in Iraq. Those protesters have stood at the corners of High and Market streets in the borough without much opposition.

But seven weeks ago that changed when Rich Davis, who spent 20 years in the Navy and lives in West Chester, showed up, protesting Porter’s views of the war and how they protest. “(The protesters) are here every weekend. ... They are not the face of West Chester ... they are not the face of me,” Davis said last week.

Although he wasn’t able to attend Saturday’s protest, he said, “It’s grown and I’m thrilled. ... My presence intimidates them because I don’t think like them.”

Pro-war protesters gathered in front of the Old Glory statue while the majority of the anti-war protesters gathered across the street in front of the First National Bank’s Swope Building. A few, holding signs, stood mixed in with those supporting the war.

Protesters held signs urging motorists to honk their horns for peace, and others held signs supporting the war in Iraq.

As motorists stopped at the traffic light, some honked or shouted, “No war for oil!” while others took the opposite position, shouting that we need to be victorious in Iraq and to not be soft on Iran.

Cars passed, honking their horns, showing support for the anti-war protesters, or drivers and passengers yelled obscenities at both groups. Others stretched up and down High Street.

When support from passing motorists died down, shouting from both groups could be heard up and down the streets. “You people are traitors. ... You people are hypocrites,” shouted Philadelphia-resident Roale. Roale declined to give his last name.

Raole said his daughter is a commissioned officer in the Navy. “Any place that these people (anti-war protesters) are putting my kid at risk, I will be there to oppose them,” he said. “They are not a peace group. They are putting us all at risk.”

That sentiment, and the idea that those opposing the war are supporting terrorism, is the message that Raole and those surrounding him share.

“We give soldiers a voice by standing up for them,” said Chris Hill, national director of operations for the Gathering of Eagles, a nonprofit organization that supports American troops.

As tempers flared and protesters from both sides antagonized each other, an anti-war protester approached Hill and a vocal altercation followed. Other protestors stepped in before it escalated.

“He (the man walked away before he could be identified) came over here and challenged me to a fist fight,” Hill said. “I didn’t go over there. We didn’t come here looking for a fight.”

When told of the incident, Davis said, “I don’t condone the pushing, it’s not what I’m about. ... I want to solve problems.”

According to Porter, those that come out in opposition to the Chester County Peace Movement each Saturday, “their sole intent is to discourage these vigils.” As people supporting the Chester County Peace Movement were disseminating, Porter added, “They could do it any other time of the week. ... They’re not pro-military or pro-war, the point from day one has been to intimidate us.”

In an earlier conversation, Porter acknowledged that allowing both sides to air their views is necessary, but she said people who support Davis “wouldn’t be here if our message wasn’t getting across.”

She also said that they are good people who “want to support what they believe.”

This week’s crowd was larger than those in past weeks and that got the attention of some that had never attended -- for or against the war.

“I was driving by and thought I’d stop, just to see what’s going on,” said retired West Chester Police Officer Bill Chesko.

Although Chesko supports the war in Iraq he said he doesn’t “side with the biker gang (those on motorcylces who are part of the Gathering of Eagles).” He added, “Quite honestly, I can’t tell what this does after a while. ... You are not going to change anybody’s mind by yelling.”

To contact staff writer Justin McAneny, send an e-mail to justinm@dailylocal.com.

http://tinyurl.com/2fwvj6

single mom and practicing attorney, Karen Porter

National health care is ultimate solution (Karen Porter in 3/4/07 Inquirer)
Progressive Network of Southeast PA

http://tinyurl.com/29zgk8

******

Karen Porter:

I have gone to great lengths to issue “Ground Rules,” to tell people not to respond, to tell people to “stifle it.” This makes me feel like a parent admonishing a child, and it is totally unfair for you to place me in that position - so please… just… DON’T.

“I sent out an e-mail about a week ago that focused on shunning the counter-protestors, an idea one of you had so brilliantly and rightly proposed - I think it’s time to get serious about that. Unless it’s necessary for safety purposes, this is my last e-mail to anyone about them. For me, they don’t exist any more, and I’ll tell you why. One of you expressed it very well to me this morning after looking at one of their many bizarre, hate-filled websites/blogs

Karen Porter, a lawyer from West Goshen Township who heads the Chester County Peace Movement.

******

Porter called us, “thug,” “grey-bearded men in their leather jackets and metal studs, with their phallic motorcycles with hideous roaring engines,” (there were three motorcycles present, and they were parked), “sad and pitiful men,” “death-cheering women, “hardened and wrinkled faces showing hatred that mothers and daughters just shouldn’t show,” “harbingers of the very worst mankind has to offer.” Ms. Porter even resorted to that old liberal standby; comparing us to the “KKK,” we who dare to stand there holding American flags. How horrible, holding American flags!

http://tinyurl.com/yqmted

Porter and her minions were livid that we “Outsiders” had come to her beloved corner of West Chester to upset her myopic world view. She made that point several times, that we (just a few of us, in fact) are not residents of West Chester. What Ms. Porter does not seem to “get” is that she and her group are not out there protesting the “War in West Chester.” Nor are they calling for the impeachment of the Mayor of West Chester. They are protesting the United States, and calling for the impeachment of the President of the United States. Last time I checked I was a citizen of the United States, the same United States that I honorably served for ten years, and if Ms. Porter is insulted by “Outsiders” then she should confine her protests to local issues.

Weekly vigil, no start and end date - every Saturday at Chester County, PA Courthouse, High & Market Sts., West Chester, PA. E-mail: Karen Porter, ccpeacemovement@aol.com

******

Karen Porter
lives in West Chester
I was a little white girl in first grade
in West Virginia when Brown v. Board
was decided, 12 days before my sev-
enth birthday. I never knew the segre-
gated schools my mother mentioned.
I never gave it a second thought that
everyone didn’t have the same rights.

******

Karen Porter, an activist frequently quoted in local news accounts), are Fascists.

http://tinyurl.com/2cfxhr

Karen Porter, L’74, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, founded the Chester County Peace Movement in opposition to the war in Iraq.

her “day job” is in insurance-law education, and that she is the single mother of a teenage son.

Karen Porter
porterk@cpcuiia.org

The counter protests started last month, and Porter said they have been anything but pleasant.

“Many of us, including me, have never in our lives personally been harassed, cursed at and called names, so it has taken some getting used to,” Porter said.

Porter also doesn’t see her group going away anytime soon. She said she would like to have more educational programs and continue the weekly vigils.

“We are there (at the courthouse) for good, until there is no need for us to be there,” Porter said.

******

“I have taken many, many courses over the years- in colleges, graduate and professional schools, and continuing education programs- but The Grantsmanship Center’s training was the best week I ever spent in a classroom.”
Karen Porter, Associate Director
Insurance Institute of America
Malvern, PA

Funny thing is, she SOUNDS like a parent admonishing a child...particularly like a parent who doesn't have a good answer when a child asks, "But why?"

I have to admit that I am one of the people who has gotten her upset, as I have asked very polite questions of her minions and had them struggling to find rational answers. When she came over and whispered (presumably, "don't respond") to her underling, it put her in a bad situation, as it was obvious that my questions--left unresponded to--were getting through to third parties walking by.

That's their weakness...rational thought. The rely on irrational emotionalism for success, and they can't afford getting into a rational dialogue. This is another reason why they try to provoke violence and get our side to stoop to their level.

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