OPERATION INFINITE FREEP, COLORADO STYLE 05/03/03

Colorado Chapter of FreeRepublic.com ^ | 05/01/03 | Tom Buchanan

[fivetoes]

OPERATION INFINITE FREEP, COLORADO STYLE

Attention! Greeley and Loveland Freeps have changed!

WHO: All Freepers, the VFW, any other interested parties
WHAT: Support Our Troops Rally (Operation Infinite Freep)
WHY: To show our troops that we are behind them and to counter the anti war protesters across the street.
How You Can Help:Show up and bring a sign that indicates Support for our Troops. If you don't have a sign, we have plenty to go around. Bring an American flag to wave proudly.

These Freeps take place Every Saturday. Try to make at least one of them!

Ft. Collins
WHERE: North East corner of Mulberry and College WHEN:Noon to 1:00 p.m.

Loveland
WHERE: US-34 and 287 WHEN:1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Longmont
WHERE: South East corner of 6th and Main WHEN:2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Greeley
WHERE:35th Ave. and 16th St. (next to the Weld County Veterans Memorial)
WHEN:11:00 a.m. to Noon

Let's be nice and not get into any trouble. Protesting Guidelines

Please post your after FReep Reports here!

Reports of Freeps since June, 2002 have been cataloged for your reference. Past Reports

[fivetoes]

Support Our Troops Rally in Greeley and Loveland
May 3, 2003

Greeley

It was beautiful day, even in downtown Greeley the wind gave us a break. It started out as docile kind of a FReep. I expected hundreds of leftists gathered in the park, but my best guess is that maybe 50 showed up.

It was kind of quiet until in the middle of their small pack of communist, I say that with perfect clarity, there appeared a 4 foot sign with nothing more than a red hammer and sickle on it. The park has excellent acoustics. There is nothing quite like yelling out Commies Go Home and other derogatory anti communist remarks and having it echo back through the park. They were filming the event for their propaganda and I truly hope they got some background noise on their film.

AbsolutePower getting ready for FReep Phun in Greeley

For all of the hype and publicity they spread, their turnout had to be a disapointment, especially when the media was paying more attention to us.

No hype, No publicity, just a band of patriotic Americans ready to face off, anywhere, anytime.

Loveland

The North side of the street, looking West.

Looking East.

And on the SE corner, in their usual spot, sporting the red, white and blue were weldgophardline and his wife Debbie.

And on the SE corner, sporting the red, white and blue were weldgophardline and his wife Deb.

This is a Mother and daughter team. They have a daughter/sister in Iraq womaning a Patriot battery.

Fivetoes, rallying the the traffic to honk away and show that Loveland, Colorado supports their sons and daughters.

Since we moved to the new location a month ago, we have been watched over by Twinkie the Kid.

I have heard that the FReeper turnout in Longmont was dismal, but we were represented by one FReeper against a few dozen leftists. In my book that is even odds.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Thank You Patriots!

[Jim Robinson]

Great job! Shout them Commies down!

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the reports weldgophardline

[fivetoes]

Greeley Tribune article on the event.
Notes: It is nice to see that we agree on the crowd size.
No mention of the communist support. I guess a free press depends on Free Republic. We seem to notice the obvious.
Larry Brung?

Should have read 'a small powerful handful of people held signs'

---

Convicted nuns speak at dissent rally in park

Story by Nate A. Miller

Getting convicted of interfering with national defense taught Ardeth Platte a lesson about hypocrisy, the Catholic nun said Saturday.

“I’ve learned the United States of America is not ready to accept their own lawlessness,” she said.

On Oct. 6 , Platte, 66, and two other nuns, Jackie Hudson, 68, and Carol Gilbert, 55, broke into a Minute Man III missile silo off Colo. 14 about 10 miles west of New Raymer to symbolically disarm the United States.

Platte, who said the United States violates several treaties by continuing to keep and produce nuclear weapons, does not think the three did anything wrong.

“We really feel we should have been acquitted,” she said.

The nuns spoke to about 50 people who attended a dissent rally Saturday in Greeley’s Lincoln Park, 10th Avenue and 9th Street. The nuns thanked the crowd for supporting the cause.

“What I find so exciting about coming and speaking like this is seeing the age level,” Hudson said. “That’s where the hope of the nation is.”

The group — made up of people largely in their teens and early 20s — protested a mixed bag of issues loosely connected by opposition to the war in Iraq.

“I think President Bush and the administration is doing — I guess you would say — a good job of attacking many fronts,” said Corey Sampson, a member of the Greeley Anti-war Coalition and event organizer. “The more you can collectively express your grievances, the more strength comes from that, which is why this was called a dissent rally.”

Also in the park, a small handful of people held signs supporting the troops and the Bush administration. Larry Brung, who came to Greeley from Fort Collins to support the troops, said the dissent protesters have ulterior motives.

“For eight years with Clinton they did nothing,” he said. “Republican bombs are always evil, Democratic bombs are always just.”

Another member of Greeley Anti-war Coalition, Jason Rosenholtz-Witt, said he liked hearing the nuns speak.

“It’s really inspiring to hear the nuns’ story,” he said. “It makes me want to do more myself.”

The campaign to get rid of nuclear weapons is not new to Platte. She worked in Michigan from 1983-1995, where she lived at the time, to rid that state of the weapons. The campaign succeeded.

“We want every nuclear weapon removed from the soil of every country,” she said.

The nuns were convicted last month of one count of willful injury, interference or obstruction of national defense and one count of causing more than $1,000 in damage to property. They face eight-year prison terms.

“For some of us, who are older, it’s a life sentence,” Platte said.

[fivetoes]

Getting convicted of interfering with national defense taught Ardeth Platte a lesson about hypocrisy, the Catholic nun said Saturday.

“We really feel we should have been acquitted,” she said.

Now there's some hypocrisy for you. Let's see you break into a Minute Man III missile silo knowing full well that there will be high price to pay and then you expect to be acquitted.

[fivetoes]

The nuns were convicted last month of one count of willful injury, interference or obstruction of national defense and one count of causing more than $1,000 in damage to property. They face eight-year prison terms.

“For some of us, who are older, it’s a life sentence,” Platte said.

Perhaps the good sister should have thought about the consequences before taking action. She probably thought they were going to get a free pass because they were nuns.

Words have Meaning, Actions have Consequences

Kinda of reminds me of the thought process of a human sheild. "Like man I didn't know you could really get killed if you stood in the way of a 2,000 pound bomb. I just wanted to show some symbolism."

[beaversmom]

“What I find so exciting about coming and speaking like this is seeing the age level,” Hudson said. “That’s where the hope of the nation is.”

When a 20 year old thinks like a 20 year old that's to be expected. It's not exciting or encouraging when "godly" women well past their prime show the mental maturity of a 20 year old.

[BlueOneGolf]

Great job once again Colorado FReepers! Great report from the Commie rally in the Greeley Park. Man you guys STILL have your hands full of these knuckleheads. Our gang of Lefty Losers conducted their LAST "Progressive Peace March" in Louisville yesterday. Since it was Kentucky Derby day, the end of their march consisted of a "hobby horse race" (WHAT??? LOL!) I was determined not to let them ruin my day so I didn't FReep 'em. Besides I have a feeling they'll be back out again soon. The governor's race in KY is heating up with the primaries on May 20th. U.S. Rep. Ernie Fletcher (R-KY 4th District) has a big lead for the GOP nomination. I assure you President Bush will be campaigning for him sometime this summer and we're planning to FReep the Lefties as they protest outside the venue.

[Trteamer]

Let's suppose that I, Trteamer, got a job as a reporter for the Greeley Tribune. Here is how I would have written up the story:

Hammer and Sickle rises again at Greeley protest, residents shocked.by Trteamer.

Three convicted Nuns were given honors by the Communist Party Saturday in the downtown park in Greeley, Colorado. "We are here to honor these three comrads for their bravery in attacking a United States Minute Man III missle silo", one of the speakers announced. Local residents were treated to a large banner of the communist hammer and sickle held over the crowd of 50 middle aged college professors and supporters.

Local patriots were gathered also in the park to express their disgust of the communist display. Larry Brung, (ROFLMAO!!!) had this to say,"Stalin murdered how many, 50 million?, and these people have the gall to come out and display the hammer and sickle with pride, how sad".

Various comments were shouted back and forth between the communists and Greeley residents. One college aged communist supporter had this to say "We need a revolution in this country!" When asked if he meant an armed revolution?, he had no answer. "Did you get that Marine Corp tatoo in prison?" the communist asked a combat Marine who just arrived back from Pakistan. Another girl holding the United Nations flag was visibly upset by seeing a group of residents holding Old Glory and saying the Pledge of Allegiance. "You don't even know what a Communist is!" she shouted at the group of patriots.

One Marine circled the park in a pickup truck, he yelled on a bullhorn "Down with Communism!!" over and over. "We knew these people were going to have an anti-Bush rally, but we never expected them to start holding up the Hammer and Sickle" one Marine expressed, "Now their true colors are being displayed!".

"This is the last of our scheduled gatherings of comrads this school year", "See all you comrads next fall," one college professor proclaimed.

"Any time they show their commie faces around here, we will be there to protest them", was the message from the group of Greeley patriots.

[Trteamer]

I like my version better. I guess I could never get a job with a leftie newspaper, oh well.

[Trteamer]

Communists raise their ugly head in Colorado, Freepers take them to task, PING.

[MoJo2001]

Wonderful job, Colorado Freepers! BTTT! Thanks for the ping!

[Soaring Feather]

bump to the top!

[Victoria Delsoul]

Bump!

[AbsolutePower]

Hey all,,

Sorry I diden't get to make it to the Loveland Ralley.. After Greeley and Fort Collins and a Beer at the VFW I think I got a little under the sun. I'll make them next weekend.

Semper Fi

AbsolutePower

[fivetoes]

So, how was the Ft. Collins rally? Inquiring minds want to know.

[AbsolutePower]

Fivetoes,

It went well, good old Duncan made is appearance dreesed in what it looked like a person that was in the movie StarWars. There was great support out there and a lot of honks for the troops. The leftest group was out in left field and group hugs coulden't get them the support that the were looking for. Duncan was just wondering around the crowd like a lost puppy.

[CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC]

PATHETIC! Absolutely pathetic!! The Leftists call that a major rally?? I've seen more people in a phone booth, for pity's sake.

They lied to us! They led us all to believe this was a huge gathering of leftists. They had collected all these co-sponsors - not just locally, but from Boulder and Denver and wherever else. They even called in the Greens for help. And though it wasn't announced in the paper, they must have invited the remaining dregs of the Communist Party in Colorado - as evidenced by that hammer and sickle poster close to the stage. They must have left no slimy stone unturned in Colorado in their desperate search for like-minded fodder to swell their ranks. But look at all the turnout they got out of it! The Greeley Trib said there were fifty of them, but I think that's being generous.

This "rally" was hardly worth Freeping! I mean hey, folks. We are highly trained, leading-edge, top-quality professionals, with advanced degrees in Freepology from an accredited institution, with collectively many years of experience under our belts. We worked long and hard to get this far, and it's demeaning to waste our talents on such a sorry excuse for a Leftist rally as that one was. They lied to us, folks! They promised us a big rally to be counter-Freeped and they failed to deliver. Heck, they didn't even plan it so that there was a single through-street close to them, meaning that nobody in Greeley was aware of their presence (or ours). They could at least have done something like start a rumor that Hillary would be there signing free copies of her new book, or something else that would increase the Leftist turnout to respectable numbers! I think we have grounds for a lawsuit against them, don't we? For False Advertising? Or maybe Breach of Promise? They should at least be made to pay for our time and gas mileage. We should contact our FR Chapter lawyer. (We do have a lawyer, don't we?)

You know, it's just starting to dawn on me ..... I wonder if maybe this was a setup? Have we been HAD? Was this just a decoy rally to draw us away, while the REAL rally was held somewhere else? Yes, I know we heard the shrill rantings of local loonies like Norberto and the evil bald-headed one over the PA system, but those could have been taped in advance, you know. From that distance away, could we really be 100% sure that those weren't the back sides of MANNEQUINS we were looking at? Let's all think back and try to remember - did any of us actually see anybody MOVE? Think hard now - did any of those "people" we saw from behind appear to you like they were leaning quite steeply towards the downwind side? If so, that would definitely be evidence supporting the mannequin theory!

Of course, we did have that one Leftist come back to "dialogue" with us, but how do we know she wasn't just a caretaker they sent to keep the mannequins propped up - to adjust their guy wires and such? Or maybe her job was to distract us? Maybe while she was arguing with us and we were giving her our attention, a co-conspirator of hers was scurrying around back there picking up all the downed mannequins? The possibilities are endless........

Doug and Dale - since you live closest to Greeley, maybe you can start going to City Council meetings and urge them to develop a better Leftist organization in the area, to come up with something that is far more Freepworthy than is there now. (Or maybe that's the job of the Chamber of Commerce? I dunno). I'll work on the same for Fort Fungus.

OK, enough complaining. Here are a couple of photos ...

The good guys! Yay! Note there were 7 or 8 total of us ---

Communists? Or mannequins? You be the judge. (A remote infrared heat sensor would of course be useless here, given the particular class of invertebrates they belong to).

One thing I got a kick out of ..... there was no car traffic to speak of back in that area, but I heard honking from a lone car that happened to be leaving the parking lot, and later realized that at the time, it was passing by a "Honk For Our Troops" sign that I had temporarily placed near my car and forgotten! So here was my sign sitting out there with no people anywhere near it, and someone was giving out troops a honk, anyway! Yeah!

[CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC]

..... Larry Brung, who came to Greeley from Fort Collins to support the troops,.......

Now that's the first time I've seen that spelling. Usually they misspell it as Brunz or Burns or Bruno. And he asked me to spell it out for him too. Oh well. At least they quoted me fairly accurately.