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To: forest
Since this is my very first post I am not certain if this is going to everyone or just one person or what happens, ok here goes, at least it will be a learning experience and I hope I spell everything right. Anyway my comments on this communist funding the demonstrations is as follows.
I think that it is truly a sad comment on our society that it could cost $200,000 for the People, any people, to get together in public and voice their opinions and feelings no mattter what the issue is about.

So if you haven't got an extra couple hundred thousand laying around and you aren't on the ball weeks in advance to apply for permits and pay the fees and order the toilets and all the rest you just get to stay home and think to yourself?
I can just imagine what the founding rebels would have thought about that. Ok; so a guy makes say 50 thou a year, he has to pay four years wages, well lots more than that considering he won't have nearly that much after paying the taxes he is burdened with, some effective rate of what is it today 72%? [I heard that amount on Cspan last night]. So the question is how many years must this one man labor just to invite his fellow citizens out in public to voice their personal opinions along with his own, without the risk of going to jail for failing to pay in advance?
I know we are a capitalistic country but hey enough is enough, isn't it? When did we get to the point that only the extremely wealthy, or some well funded organization whoever they may be, can afford to demonstrate in public?
Another thing that is bothering me, sure protesting this war is perhaps unpopular with certain people, maybe even a super majority but don't we still think in this country that all people have the unalienable right to the freedom of speech? I can remember when it was Ok and even popular to go about saying, "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." I can't remember the last time that I heard any one utter that phrase. Is that because it is perhaps a politically incorrect statement these days perhaps because it mentions violence and therefore violates the zero tolerance rule? What does that say about us as a society? Have we really sunk that far. As I look around today I am reminded more and more of the book Catch 22, the part where everyone was signing loyalty papers before they could do anything, until that day when the new guy [I think he was a young lieutenant] showed up and refused to sign anything that was as ridiculous as a loyalty oath to get lunch. We are now at about that point in our lives these days.
I do hope all of you understand where I am trying to go with this.
Thanks for your time.
12 posted on 03/22/2003 1:23:57 PM PST by Tjfree
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To: Tjfree
Then why were we able to organize a pro-Bush demonstration on the fly, during the election, in Daley Plaza? Do you have any idea how strong a Democratic stronghold Chicago is, and yet no one got arrested. To my knowledge, at least on the first day, there was no permit. I even asked one of the many plainclothed officers, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, if it was ok for us to protest on such short notice or were we in violation of something, if so we would disperse, he said "it was our right, just don`t block or interfere with anything, and we better keep it peaceful", I told him for the most part, we conservatives respect and obey the law. They left us alone to PEACEFULLY engage in our Constitutionally protected right of expression.
18 posted on 03/22/2003 4:09:03 PM PST by nomad
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