BREMERTON — Many in a small crowd that gathered at a waterfront park in this Navy town yesterday wore red, white and blue and carried signs proclaiming "United We Stand" and "Peace Through Strength." They assembled to show their support for President Bush, for the troops and, if necessary, for military action against Iraq.
While those at the rally stopped short of saying they wanted war, they made it clear that if diplomatic efforts fail to gain concessions from Saddam Hussein, they will readily support any action Bush proposes.
"Saddam Hussein is a street thug and there's no question where he intends to go," said Shirley Brown, chairwoman of the Kitsap County Republican Party.
The rally, which drew about 50 people — many of them veterans or local Republican political campaign workers — was sponsored by several Kitsap County veterans groups.
It was scheduled in part to counter the many anti-war rallies that have been staged locally and nationally as tension between the United States and Iraq escalates.
Republican congressional candidate Joe Marine, who is running against Democratic incumbent Jay Inslee, was the featured speaker.
"There are many people in this country who support what the President is doing and we just wanted to let people see that," said one participant.
Joan Gorner, a former history teacher from Poulsbo, said she was there because her knowledge of the past made it impossible for her to take freedom for granted.
"When you study history you know how valuable it is," she said. "And I'm not going to be part of the generation that loses it — not if I can help it."
"There are many people in this country who support what the president is doing, and we just wanted to let people see that," said another participant.
Sisters Kimberly and Rebecca Craswell, 17 and 15, said they spent part of their week passing out fliers for a rally at Olympic College in Bremerton, where they are students.
They said many of their fellow students are against war.
"I don't think they really understand that this is how to give peace a chance," said Kimberly Craswell, the granddaughter of conservative Christian Ellen Craswell, who ran against Gary Locke for governor in 1996.
"We think that President Bush has been very wise in his leadership of this country, and we support him."
Link to articleHERE.
CHEERS & BEERS for the Bremerton FReeper Folks (that is if you like beer)
Lets keep the FReep for the TROOPS and President BUSH ROLLING & SPREADING
This is really worth reading and passing on. You won't read this in our papers. ( There is something wrong in our news media?)
Subject: Very Unusual British Commentary
SHAME ON YOU AMERICAN-HATING LIBERALS Tony Parsons (From the Mirror.co.uk)
One year ago, the world witnessed a unique kind of broadcasting - the mass murder of thousands, live on television.
As a lesson in the pitiless cruelty of the human race, September 11 was up there with Pol Pot's mountain of skulls in Cambodia, or the skeletal bodies stacked like garbage in the Nazi concentration camps. An unspeakable act so cruel, so calculated and so utterly merciless that surely the world could agree on one thing - nobody deserves this fate. Surely there could be consensus: the victims were truly innocent, the perpetrators truly evil.
But to the world's eternal shame, 9/11 is increasingly seen as America's comeuppance.
Incredibly, anti-Americanism has increased over the last year. There has always been a simmering resentment to the USA in this country - too loud, too rich, too full of themselves and so much happier than Europeans - but it has become an epidemic.
And it seems incredible to me. More than that, it turns my stomach. America is this country's greatest friend and our staunchest ally. We are bonded to the US by culture, language and blood.
A little over half a century ago, around half a million Americans died for our freedoms, as well as their own. Have we forgotten so soon? And exactly a year ago, thousands of ordinary men, women and children - not just Americans, but from dozens of countries - were butchered by a small group of religious fanatics. Are we so quick to betray them?
What touched the heart about those who died in the twin towers and on the planes was that we recognized them. Young fathers and mothers, somebody's son and somebody's daughter, husbands and wives. And children. Some unborn.
And these people brought it on themselves? And their nation is to blame for their meticulously planned slaughter?
These days you don't have to be some dust-encrusted nut job in Kabul or Karachi or Finsbury Park to see America as the Great Satan. The anti-American alliance is made up of self-loathing liberals who blame the Americans for every ill in the Third World, and conservatives suffering from power-envy, bitter that the world's only superpower can do what it likes without having to ask permission.
The truth is that America has behaved with enormous restraint since September 11.
Remember, remember.
Remember the gut-wrenching tapes of weeping men phoning their wives to say, "I love you," before they were burned alive. Remember those people leaping to their deaths from the top of burning skyscrapers. Remember the hundreds of firemen buried alive. Remember the smiling face of that beautiful little girl who was on one of the planes with her mum.
Remember, remember - and realize that America has never retaliated for 9/11 in anything like the way it could have. So a few al-Qaeda tourists got locked without a trial in Camp X-ray? Pass the Kleenex.
So some Afghan wedding receptions were shot up after they merrily fired their semi-automatics in a sky full of American planes? A shame, but maybe next time they should stick to confetti.
AMERICA could have turned a large chunk of the world into a parking lot. That it didn't is a sign of strength.
American voices are already being raised against attacking Iraq - that's what a democracy is for. How many in the Islamic world will have a minute's silence for the slaughtered innocents of 9/11?
How many Islamic leaders will have the guts to say that the mass murder of 9/11 was an abomination? When the news of 9/11 broke on the West Bank, those freedom-loving Palestinians were dancing in the street. America watched all of that - and didn't push the button. We should thank the stars that America is the most powerful nation in the world. I still find it incredible that 9/11 did not provoke all-out war. Not a "war on terrorism". A real war.
The fundamentalist dudes are talking about "opening the gates of hell", if America attacks Iraq. Well, America could have opened the gates of hell like you wouldn't believe.
The US is the most militarily powerful nation that ever strode the face of the earth.
The campaign in Afghanistan may have been less than perfect and the planned war on Iraq may be misconceived. But don't blame America for not bringing peace and light to these wretched countries. How many democracies are there in the Middle East, or in the Muslim world? You can count them on the fingers of one hand - assuming you haven't had any chopped off for minor shoplifting.
I love America, yet America is hated. I guess that makes me Bush's poodle. But I would rather be a dog in New York City than a Prince in Riyadh. Above all, America is hated because it is what every country wants to be - rich, free, strong, open, optimistic.
Not ground down by the past, or religion, or some caste system. America is the best friend this country ever had and we should start remembering that.
Or do you really think the USA is the root of all evil? Tell it to the loved ones of the men and women who leaped to their death from the burning towers.
Tell it to the nursing mothers whose husbands died on one of the hijacked planes, or were ripped apart in a collapsing skyscraper.
And tell it to the hundreds of young widows whose husbands worked for the New York Fire Department. To our shame, George Bush gets a worse press than Saddam Hussein.
Once we were told that Saddam gassed the Kurds, tortured his own people and set up rape-camps in Kuwait. Now we are told he likes Quality Street. Save me the orange centre, oh mighty one!
Remember, remember, September 11. One of the greatest atrocities in human history was committed against America.
No, do more than remember. NEVER FORGET
Great report! How wonderful that so many great Americans stood for their country!
Way to go Washington Freepers!
Eva, as one who attends the rally in Fresno on Friday nights, I can tell you we don't have that many out with us! You guys did good!
Post #26 was also for you. Thank you and all Bremerton Patriots.
We're trying! There's a lot of truly dedicated conservatives fighting hard for our beliefs. Look at this site, (www.kapo.org),it's a group of the same individuals who attended the rally. We are experiencing rural cleansing, even though we are a bedroom community for Seattle. Thanks for your support!!!
That was great. Thank You!!!
Very cool.
What a great site!
Addictive.
Thanks.
Phenominal find. Thanks for posting it. The real tragedy of this story is that it hits the attitude of our liberals right on the head. It makes it easier to "keep on keepin' on" with our part of the Infinate FReep.. God bless America.