Posted on 08/24/2002 6:25:54 PM PDT by DrewsDad
The false peaceniks descended on Crawford Texas to protest President Bush's warnings to Saddam and Iraq. There were roughly 150 protesters gathered in the parking lot of the Crawford Community Center(football stadium) when we showed up. We arrived a bit late thanks to taking the scenic route through Waco and were directed by law enforcement officers arround a series of roadblocks. After indicating that we were peaceful protestors instead of "hecklers", we were directed to a parking area.
We decided to scout out the area first and promptly found the Iraqi sympathizers. Someone in the group noticed a lone woman carrying an America Flag on the other side of a tree line behind some barricades. We approached this brave soul and found Txrangerette holding down the place set aside for the "hecklers".(Apparently, she didn't know the peaceful protestor password)
While we were debating rather or not to drive around to the "heckler" area, Blastus returned to the car, grabbed his sign and started toward the protestor crowd. I think Gracey was being interviewed by the Waco Tribune and others started heading back to their cars to join Txrangerette. Since I rode with Blastus who wasn't moving his car, I grabbed my sign and wandered back to the protestors. Needless to say, a few of them noticed our signs and started swarming around us asking questions. We informed them that we were peaceful protestors exercising our first amendment rights and enganged them in further conversation. For the most part they were courteous but extrememly mislead.
After a bit of discussion, we noticed that the rest of our FRiends had gathered on the other side of the fence in the "heckler zone". On the way back to the car, we saw that Gracey was defying the zoning restrictions a bit and had come a bit closer to the fence. We drove back out to the roadblock and around through a camping area and joined the others in the "heckler zone".
We scouted the area a little bit and were about to join the others behind the barricades when a local Sheriff car pulls up and threatens to "haul us in" if we don't stay in the right area. So we made it to the right place where PetroniDE and Jobshopper were making their presence known. PetroniDE had brought his megaphone and since we were confined to the "heckler zone", we decided to start heckling. Waco-k and her husband joined us and we had a great time in the "heckler zone".
Here is a picture of all our signs and another one of my New Democratic Party Planks sign.
After numerous shouts of "You're helping out the oil companies by driving your cars", "Where's your electric cars", and other chants, we took a group photo and headed back to town.
By that time TheSarce had arrived and we joined her in the coffee shop. President Bush(ok, just a cardboard cutout) was there and joined in the fun.
Overall, a good time was had by all(or at least me) and we gave numerous interviews and let the peaceniks know they won't go unchallenged.
Note to all Freepers..... Check out the photo "All"
This photo depicts what others see. There are some signs with big bold letters. These signs convey a message. There are other, smaller signs with small, unbold letters. These signs can't be read. They convey no message.
The purpose of this critical note is..... BE BIG and BE BOLd with your signs.
Wish I could have been with you.
There is a picture of a woman I believe is TxRangerette, and a man who (based on the name) I assume is PetroniDE carrying American flags. Another larger picture shows the opposition with a young man wearing a nose ring prominently in the forefront.
The article is rather lengthy and I'll try to hit some of the high points for you:
Police estimate about 300 people attended, and there were no arrests or major incidents.
The protesters said the event "was a chance to raise perspective on U.S. policy in the Middle East that rarely makes it into mainstream media coverage". A protestor named Robert Jensen, identifed as a UT journalism professor said the war on terrorism is "being used as a pretext to project U.S. power into the Middle East and parts of Asia that are oil-rich regions."
A couple from Dallas say "Bush is alienating all of our allies. He's just a bully."
Now for the good part!
"A handful of counterprotesters (that's all of you!) gathered.....in Tonkawa Falls park....As speakers were bashing Bush.....the counter-protesters, who identified their group as FREE REPUBLIC used a megaphone to yell taunts across police tape and barbed wire.
"A woman from Abilene, who asked not to be named (TxRangerette is this you????) recited the lyrics to Lee Greenwood's 'Proud to be an American' several times through a bull born. Houston resident (I'm redacting the name -- believe it is PetroniDE) said he came to Crawford to show his support for the president and the country in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
"We heard they were going to have an anti-war protest, which is just a code word for anti-Bush and anti-America, he said. Don't these people realize we are still hurting from Sept. 11? A lot of people have apparently forgotten what happened that day and before on the (USS) Cole and when our embassies were bombed. This has been going on a long time, and we don't need to send any message that makes it appear our resolve is wavering."
The article goes on the discuss caravans of bikes, cars and buses who attempted to travel to the president's ranch and were turned away at several roadblocks. Then the protestors presented McLennan County Sheriff Larry Lynch with a petition denouncing a possible war with Iraq. Hadi Jawad, one of the event's organizers said he considered the event a success. "We mobilized people from all over the state to participate......we really made some connections, and I think the beginning of a strong network to oppose a war in which the U.S. would stand alone."
If any of you are interested in obtaining the full text of the article, the reporter/writer's email address and phone number are listed with the article. FReepmail me and I will pass it on to you. Apologies for any typos and incorrect quotation marks. Please ping anybody I missed as I lifted names off this thread with no clue how many others might have attended.
Yup, the battle has just begun. The hippies and marxists are reuniting. They're not going to get away with it this time.
Now that pi$$es me off. Don't they know how many trucks have to haul that water to its destination? And Austin water is great. Let them come up to Midland, where our water is pumped in rusty pipes from 200 miles away, and then they can drink bottled.
Don't these people realize we are still hurting from Sept. 11? A lot of people have apparently forgotten what happened that day and before on the (USS) Cole and when our embassies were bombed. This has been going on a long time, and we don't need to send any message that makes it appear our resolve is wavering."
I did say that. I also mentioned PanAm-103 and the Achille Lauro; for once, the reporters got my statement at least close.
PetroniDE....great turn out bet you are STILL on cloud nine. ALL HAT Chapter members are jealous! Great work TEXAS!!!
When I feel like I have something that will really help I write a nice respectibile letter to him and put the facts in it. I beleive he really cares what MO is.
In any case I am not going to let any of them stop me from voting. Have a good one and thanks for the info.
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