Peace Protestors don't quite get it in New York

National Review Online ^ | 3-28-03 | Sarah Maserati

[DED]

Die-In Dies Out An antiwar-protest movement falls flat on opening day. Hoping to replicate the huge traffic jams, closed bridges, and 1,350 arrests San Francisco saw last Saturday, antiwar groups organized a "mass 'die-in'" at New York's Rockefeller Center yesterday. The ongoing effort — dubbed "No Business As Usual!" — targets major media outlets, defense contractors, automobile-manufacturing companies, and other large corporations. The organizers claim they will continue the die-ins and other forms of civil disobedience every day until the war is over.

But as protest movements go, this opening-day effort fell flat.

A few supporters of the war, many on their way to work, tried to argue with the anti-warriors. Some staged spontaneous counter-protests. One man held a makeshift sign that read "Saddam Sez: Thanks, Suckers!" He yelled at the protesters, "You are aiding and abetting Saddam Hussein!" Visibly upset, one dred-locked girl said, "That's too provocative." Asked if the protesters themselves were being provocative, she said, "He has a right, but we're the majority, and the majority here is provoking a different vibration than that man is."

As time went on, lawyers and construction workers in the vicinity began heckling the protesters. A corporate lawyer, in response to a sign reading, "No Money for War! Money for Education!" responded with "No money for education! Money for overtime New York City cops!" Others used less irony: "Get a f****** job!" One counter-protester's sign read: "To All the Anti-War Hypocrites: Why Not Protest French Occupation of West Africa?"

So why did this protest fall flat? New York is a liberal city, and therefore more likely than most to be antiwar. But after September 2001, New Yorkers just have less patience for such things. As one onlooker put it, "My cousin was a firefighter and died at the World Trade Center. We don't need these people wasting the time of the people who protect us."

[DED]

New Yorkers are an exception to the truism "Liberals never learn". Whether they agree with the war or not, they recognize that wasting the time of the police and firefighters is not the way to protest the war or anything else. People in protest zones should start carrying MACE and use it the first time some Peace Pansy tries to waste their time by blocking the road!

[mountaineer]

The NYC "die in" and related protests drew a remarkably tiny number of supporters, considering the size of the metropolitan area!

[error99]

"..the majority here is provoking a different vibration..."
- -
Luke, I feel a deep disturbance in the force...

[thoughtomator]

Nah man, most New Yorkers spit at these turds. They gotta ship in sheltered teenagers who have been mass brainwashed in public schools in isolated suburban communities in order to get a decent rally going. The handful of others are career agitators desperately trying to breathe new life into their dead profession.

[cavtrooper21]

Maybe we jumped to conclusions about the NY'krs.
There is hope for America yet!!

[Ajnin]

Any protestor blocking my way to work will regret it. And it will only take one for the rest to get my message.

[EternalVigilance]

This is just as good as the story yesterday about the little old lady, who, after a protestor laid her hand on her shoulder, said something like, "My husband landed at Normandy and fought for freedom, and if you touch me again, I'm going to stick this umbrella up your *ss and open it!"

[Brett66]

Others used less irony: "Get a f****** job!"

Thank you, whoever this was. Sums up my feelings.

[DoughtyOne]

There is only one requirement to be a peace protester.
courtesy www.zombies.inc

[oyez]

I think its stupid to protest the war around people that were a witness to 9/11.

[JacquesDaschle]

Hmmm..."die-ins" staged by people laying themselves down in NYC streets....having ridden in a NYC taxicab, it's a good bet some of them might be "accommodated" !

[rickmichaels]

...antiwar groups organized a "mass die-in" at New York's Rockefeller Center...

On September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda organized a real "mass die-in" several blocks south of the Rockefeller Center.

[AUsome Joy]

I agree. Almost everyone around here (I'm in NJ) either knew someone in the towers or knew someone who lost someone in the towers. The people here still feel a deep grief. We will never forget and can't understand how so many seem to have forgotten. My daughter was in the towers, and we have a good friend whose son was almost killed at the Pentagon.

I can really understand Giraldo's motive for wanting to get close to the action. He lost friends and so did Keith Olderman who is coming back to MSNBC. He said he had 5 friends in the towers and was deeply changed by it.

[harrowup]

This is just as good as the story yesterday about the little old lady, who, after a protestor laid her hand on her shoulder, said something like, "My husband landed at Normandy and fought for freedom, and if you touch me again, I'm going to stick this umbrella up your *ss and open it!"

Priceless commentary; you don't happen to have a link? Thanks.

[EternalVigilance]

Here you go:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/877493/posts

[EternalVigilance]

My quote wasn't perfect, but it was close...

[ErnBatavia]

New Yorkers are an exception to the truism "Liberals never learn".

Unfortunately not.

As another Freeper said last night, Hillary "Rodman" could shoot a New York voter's dogs, sell the kids into white slavery, then spit in their face.....and they'd still vote for her.

[meyer]

As another Freeper said last night, Hillary "Rodman" could shoot a New York voter's dogs, sell the kids into white slavery, then spit in their face.....and they'd still vote for her.

That's the beauty of voter fraud - you don't need a true majority.

[harrowup]

An elderly woman was behind me getting off the escalator and a young (20ish) female protestor offered her a pamphlet, which she politely declined. The young protestor put her hand on the old woman's shoulder as a gesture of friendship and in a very soft voice said, "Ma'am, don't you care about the children of Iraq?"

The old woman looked up at her and said, "Honey, my first husband died in France during World War II so you could have the right to stand here and bad mouth your country. And if you touch me again, I'll stick this umbrella up your ass and open it."

I'm glad to report that loud applause broke out among the onlookers and the young protestor was at a total loss for words.

Close enough and thanks...I truly hope it happened and it will encourage others to treat all the protestors with all the respect we hold for cockroaches and self-centered brats who are still going through their terrible twos.

[DED]

My heart goes out to you and your family. The closest we've been to the Towers on 9-11 is a friend whose twin brother was in one of the surrounding buildings and got out before it was destroyed. It hadn't occured to me that in your area, everyone at least knew of someone inside.
Under those circumstances, it must really hurt to listen to the peace-niks.
I believe they don't actually bear ill will or disrespect to those in the Towers, they're just completely naive and ignorant.
I just don't know how so many people in this country get that way.
If our son had been 18 on 9-11-01, he'd probably be in Iraq right now. When he turned 18, Afghanistan was behind us, and he went on to college.
A Jesuit priest and a group of students were protesting at the student union, and he told us he picked up their little informational paper and proceeded to shred every point on it - and he said they were completely unable to defend their own points, that they just sat there with their mouths open.
Our son-in-law, who got out of the air force just before most of the guys at his base were deployed to Kuwait, tells similar stories.
I've discovered the same - they don't even really understand why they're protesting, except that
1. War is BAD.
2. If the alternative is worse, refer to rule #1.
Maybe eventually, they'll understand life isn't that simple, and that a time comes when a stand has to be taken. And that fewer wars happen when the bad guys know you're prepared to fight one, and if THEY FORCE YOU TO DO SO, you will use such overwhelming force, they will wish to heaven they'd left you alone.
I HATE war, but I think this is the best way to avoid them.
God bless you and may the Lord keep your daughter until you can see her again.