Posted on 02/20/2003 10:08:47 PM PST by NorthDakotaRepublican
Waving flags, unwavering support
Elizabeth Regstad, a grandmother from Velva, thought for a moment Wednesday after being asked if she had complete faith in President Bush.
"Basically, yes," she said.
When Rep. Kim Koppelman, R-West Fargo, was asked if he was sure Bush is on the correct course, he said he didn't know if "we ever know for sure if armed conflict is the right thing."
But both of them -- and others in the crowd of about 350 to 400 people at a Wednesday rally to show support for Bush and the troops -- indicated that the absolute need to show support surpassed any thoughts of hesitation.
"Not knowing what the situation is, complete knowledge, we have to support him because he has to make those decisions," Regstad said.
Former Gov. Ed Schafer told the crowd of several reasons why Bush should be trusted. Schafer, a speaker at the "Prairie for the President" rally sponsored by the North Dakota Federation of College Republicans, told the crowd that he was a friend of Bush's and that Bush was a man of honor and integrity who cares deeply about this country and is a prayerful man seeking superior guidance.
"He will not stand by and watch our country become vulnerable," Schafer said.
Schafer told the crowd that the millions of people who last week protested a potential war did it for political reasons. He said that when "their president," President Clinton, lobbed missiles into Iraq without United Nations approval, there was no protest then.
"We have to make sure that a minority of loud voices do not drown out the message we send today," he said.
Rally organizer Joe Miller, 20, a political science major at University of North Dakota and currently a legislative page in Bismarck, said a majority of the state's Republican legislators attended.
There also was a Democrat, Rep. Eliot Glassheim, D-Grand Forks. He was the only one in the rally crowd indicating opposition. He held a sign: "Invading Iraq weakens America."
There were tears in Glassheim's eyes when Miller sang "God Bless the USA."
"I love that song," Glassheim said.
But he said if the United States ends up killing 10,000 Iraqi women and children "I won't be able to sing that song again ... maybe in private."
"President Bush has made a terrible mistake."
Glassheim said he thinks Bush's actions will destroy NATO, destabilize the region, cause rioting in the streets of Cairo and other urban centers there and unleash more terrorism in the U.S.
"Saddam (Hussein) and Osama (bin Laden) never cared for each other, hated each other," Glassheim said. Now, they've been brought together in a common cause, he said.
He said that when China and Russia had "extremely nasty people, and nuclear weapons, the U.S. didn't resolve the problem this way.
Glassheim said that if the U.S. has proof that Saddam has weapons, the U.S. should tell weapons inspectors where they are so the inspectors can destroy them.
"Where are they? ... It's a fabricated threat," he said.
Anton Guerrero, 19, of Harvey High School, was at the Capitol for a field trip, but ended up having the opportunity to join a rally that supported his views.
"It's about time. Saddam's been stalling for too long," he said. "If we don't do pre-emptive strikes, they'll hit us before we hit them." He said that the events of Sept. 11, 2001, alone were justification for military action.
"Nobody wants war," Gov. John Hoeven said at the rally.
But he said that the men and women of the armed forces "need to know that whatever happens, we are with them and we support them," he told the crowd.
Gabe Rauschenburger, of the college Republicans group, told the crowd that the troops are risking possible injury or death.
"We are all truly indebted to them," he said.
The Rev. Ruger Winchester, a former B-52 wing commander and now a Baptist minister from New Salem, asked God to help the troops achieve victory.
"Give them everything they need to win the battle," he said.
And he implored God to help U.S. soldiers hear these words: "Fear not, for I am with you."
(Reach reporter Virginia Grantier at 250-8254 or at vgrantier@ndonline.com)
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