Posted on 02/16/2003 2:21:11 AM PST by ResistorSister
[ResisterSister added bold highlights]
CANTON -- Nearly 200 area people stood in front of the McKinley Center for a peace rally that evolved into more of an anti-Republican campaign.
The war protest in the 800 block of Market Avenue N allowed area residents to join millions of other people around the globe protesting the U.S. war with Iraq.
Jeff Seemann of the Canton Anti-War Association, which sponsored the event, announced: “There’s a million people in Rome right now.”
Cheers rose from a sea of signs sporting slogans: Who would Jesus bomb; No blood for oil; Love, not war; Obey the Constitution, or else; Remember Vietnam; War is terrorism too.
“I think Bush has been intent on war without any consideration of the inspections. And while Saddam is an evil man who should be stopped, this isn’t the way to do it,” said Jane Spear of Canton, a protester.
HITLER REMINDER. Former military servicemen Shawn
Tranter of Mechanicstown, who said he served with the U.S.
Army’s 1st Cavalry in Vietnam, and Matt Pickens of
Carrollton, who said he served with the U.S. Air Force’s 48th
Fighter Squadron from 1993-99, heckle war protesters
from across Market Avenue N.
A few carried American flags. One protester carried a large flag of the earth. One man was dressed in clothing decorated with anti-war slogans he apparently wrote. Even his face was painted with protest slogans.
“The snow held off, and the people came out, and it looks like God wanted us to march today,” Seemann said, noting that the National Weather Service’s earlier forecasts called for up to 6 inches of snow. The skies were overcast and the temperature was 20 degrees with a wind chill of 6 degrees, the weather service Web site said.
The weather didn’t scare away hecklers, either.
“Liberal pinkos!” Shawn Tranter of Mechanicstown shouted from across Market Avenue N. “Go home, beatniks.”
Repository / Bob Rossiter PROTESTING. Jeff
Seemann, organizer of a peace rally protesting a
U.S. war with Iraq, leads nearly 200 people chanting
anti-war slogans on Central Plaza downtown Canton
on Saturday. Their protest march started in the
800 block of Market Avenue N.
Tranter, who said he served with the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry during the Vietnam War, told media, “I hope they impose the draft on all those liberals standing outside the McKinley Center (across the street).”
He shouted at a man carrying a sign “Green Party for Peace.” The man stood beside another man with a misspelled sign about Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
“Hey ‘Green Party for Peace,’ tell the guy in the Carhartts beside you to learn how to spell,” Tranter shouted.
Matt Pickens of Carrollton and Jovan Parks of Massillon stood across the street with Tranter. Pickens said he served in the U.S. Air Force’s 48th Fighter Squadron from 1993-99, and Parks is a master sergeant in the Civil Air Patrol in Massillon.
“It’s free speech, and that’s great,” Pickens said. “But this war needs to happen.”
Parks agreed.
“Everything’s hard over here in our country since 9/11, and everything’s been hard because of this right here,” he said.
A city police cruiser there for security concerns sat in the library parking lot behind him. But Tranter said he and the others weren’t there to cause trouble — just to heckle.
“We are patriotic Americans because we believe peace is patriotic,” Eric Resnick told the crowd to cheers and applause.
He spoke about the United Nations, the weapons inspections and the inspectors, reminding the crowd, “Hans Blix told America yesterday that there is no evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.”
A man in the crowd shouted in response, “Where’s the beef?”
More applause followed.
Passing motorists honked their car horns and waved.
Speeches were conducted by Resnick, Seemann and Marc Ryser, who said he served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam in 1969.
Ryser talked about Vietnam, and said that when he returned stateside, he resolved that, “the only way for me to redeem my life is to go to work for peace.”
He called President Bush a “toxic, nauseating weed in our garden ... who belongs in the compost pile of history.”
Seemann told the crowd, “Bush knows Saddam has weapons of mass destruction. Of course, man. He sold them to him.”
The crowd applauded again.
One woman yelled, “Impeach Bush.”
As the speeches continued, the focus seemed to be less about the government’s perceived proclivity toward war and more about the government.
As the crowd marched toward downtown chanting, Tom Ascani of Canton stood quietly facing them with his sign, which said “Hitler killed 30 million before we stopped him.”
“The U.S. has a responsibility to the world,” he said, adding, “The French suck, and they don’t read their history.”
Downtown, another man watched them walk by, stop in the center of Central Plaza and then march back to the Stark County Library.
“To be honest, peace is a beautiful dream, and I wish it was true,” said William Timpe of Canton. “I’m for peace, but there’s none to be had when these people train their children and themselves to hate Americans. Killing us, for them, is their passport to heaven.”
Here in the U.S., he said, “There are too many bleeding hearts and not enough rational minds.”
You can reach Repository writer Lori Monsewicz at (330) 580-8309 or e-mail:
“Bush knows Saddam has weapons of mass destruction. Of course, man. He sold them to him.”
So, Bush Jr. sold Saddam WMD's, the ones that he doesn't really have...
So they scheme and plan disingenuous protest to hide behind.
I am glad that my local newspaper actually reported about the "anti-republican rally"...not many papers actually report the words that are said at the protests...they just report about the numbers.
This should be the quote of the day.
Here's the last two paragraphs of the Boston Herald's front page story of the New York march:
But New Yorker Jim Dray, a 24-year-old engineer, was disgusted by the rally.
``It's unfortunate to see we're not rallying behind our president,'' Dray said, standing on a street corner away from the rally. ``This is more of an anti-Bush rally than an antiwar rally.''
MY COMMENT: Democrats have moderately impersonated Republicans because the Dems understand that the core values of their Liberal/Socialist precepts are not embraced by the majority of, Americans.
The writer should not despair, the national Democrats will be speaking to their Leftist base real soon - as they exploit and send them into the streets to display scenes of anarchy.
With the help of the Media, the Democrats will use street theatrics to try to convince voters that the Bush administration/Republicans are wrong.
The "anti-war" demonstrations are actually demonstrations against President Bush and the Republicans - thankfully, newspapers are starting to say it. Keep encouraging them to say it!
anniegetyourgun - You're right. If we had a democrat president...Susan Sarandon would be sleeping in the Lincoln bedroom when the first bomb was dropped.
Whenever you want people to think you're cause is legitimate...you have to invoke the Constitution.
Just like the organizer invoked God...by saying that God wanted the anti-war rally to happen.
I am going to make a comment for tomorrow's paper that says..."Yes, God wanted the rally to happen so citizens could realize that you are not anti-war, as much as you are just anti-President Bush and anti-Republican. Thank-you, Jesus!"
Funny, how they can rationalize just about anything....
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