Free Republic

This summer marks the 40th anniversary of the so-called Summer of Love, that mythical three months in 1967 in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood when visions of peace, love and harmony -- aided by bountiful quantities of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll -- reigned supreme. The Summer of Love has since become legend-- an expression of countercultural revolution, particularly in the minds of those recollecting the glory days of their youth. However inaccurately, this three-month period encompassing a tiny fraction of the population and an eight-block stretch has become a symbol for the entire decade. Among '60s disciples, it's an...

San Francisco has long been known as a bastion of anti-war sentiment. And as the oft-repeated mantra goes, local peace activists support the troops, just not the mission. But in recent years, the rhetoric has been ratcheted up to the point where the U.S. military itself, and by extension, the preservation of American security, has come under attack. Without the U.S. military and its citizen soldiers, American security would indeed be a thing of the past. Yet this hasn't stopped San Francisco's left-leaning leadership from trying to effect that very outcome. The latest such attempt comes in the form of...

A friend forwarded me University of Texas Journalism Professor Robert Jensen's ode to pathetic wimpiness (which is posted at SFGate.com, for whom I also write), "Men being men is a bad deal, Guys should evolve beyond masculinity." Guys should evolve beyond masculinity? Let's hope not. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm one of those ladies who actually appreciates the manly virtues, not to mention the incredible damage it does to a society to try and suppress them.

Readers perusing the Los Angeles Times, Variety or the Hollywood Reporter earlier this month would have stumbled upon a curious sight: a full-page advertisement signed by 84 actors, producers, directors, writers and other Hollywood types condemning terrorism. Originated by actress Nicole Kidman, the signatories included William Hurt, Danny DeVito, Michael Mann, Bernie Mac, Sam Raimi, Michael Douglas, Vivica Fox, Sylvester Stallone and Ridley Scott. The advertisement focused on the recent conflict in the Middle East and deplored civilian casualties in both "Israel and Lebanon." But it laid the blame squarely on Hamas and Hezbollah for initiating the violence, as well...

In my column on the foiled UK terror plot, I ended by asking whether political correctness is really worth dying for? Indeed, the entire discussion of profiling Muslim airline passengers in an age of Islamic terrorism rests on this question. And if the reaction of mostly British passengers aboard a recent flight from Malaga, Spain to Manchester, England is any indication, the answer would be “no.” In what’s been dubbed a case of “mutiny” by the British media, fearful passengers demanded that two young Muslim men they felt were acting suspiciously be taken off the flight.

International ANSWER held a rally in San Franciso today to "protest" the existence of Israel. There was a lively counter-protest across the street, organized by SF Voice for Israel (SFV4I), Stand With Us, Protest Warrior and others. The two sides were separated by barricades and tons of police officers--looked like the entire SFPD. We got there late in the day and made up the smaller afternoon contigent (maybe 30 people), but at its height, I was told there were around 400 people, which is huge for SF! Reportedly, there was a few thousand on the other side at its height....

You have to go to the link to check out the photos: http://www.zombietime.com/israeli_consulate_protest_july_13_2006/ I was there. Huge pro-Israel counter-protest. And anyone walking by would know immediately who the enemy is. Let's put it this way, there were only American flags on one side (can you guess which one?). And the pro-Palis chanting slogans in favor of Hamas and Hezbollah didn't help. Not to mention the keffiyeh-clad terrorist wannabees and the headscarf brigage. The crusty old lefties chanted dutifully along and the "Jewish Voice for Peace" morons did their suicidal best to cheer for their own demise. The usual suspects... Too...

Melanie Morgan (KSFO) has organized a rally outside of Lowell High School in San Francisco for tomorrow (4/7) at 9:45am. It's to protest Cindy Sheehan's appearance and school officials' refusal to provide an alternate point of view. A Gold Star father will be there and patriotic locals are needed to come show their support! Stay tuned to KSFO's morning show tomorrow for more details. A friend's directions: Lowell High School is at 1101 Eucalyptus in the Sunset District. It is very close to Stonestown and is located between 19th Ave and Lake Merced on Eucalyptus. If you drive, I suggest...

BAY AREA SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS--FROM HER WEBSITE: Sunday, April 24 From 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm sharp: San Francisco Gray Panther brunch/meeting with Lynne special guest. Unitarian Universalist Church at Franklin and Geary, SF; Call Barbara: 415-668-9572. At 2:00 pm: Lynne will be the featured speaker at a 2-5 pm, Mission High School mass rally (18th and Dolores, San Francisco) for Mumia Abu-Jamal - celebrating Mumia's birthday. The rally includes a concert by Michael Franti. Pam Africa will also speak as well as Mumia's lead counsel, Robert R. Bryan and Bay Area National Lawyers Guild Executive Director,...

Just wondering if anyone can help me figure out who came up with the phrase "9/12 Republicans"? I thought it was Bill Kristol at the Weekly Standard, but I want to be certain. And I've Googled it to death and still can't find it! So I thought I'd consult the experts...

<p>Fox News Network has become a favorite target of leftists these days, who, in all their impotent rage, like to ascribe various sinister motives to what they see as a staunchly conservative news channel. An entire documentary, Outfoxed, has been devoted to the idea that Fox News is part of a right-wing cabal to control the country. The left is particularly fond of mocking Fox’s claim to be "fair and balanced." Of course, when you’re dealing with a crowd that considers the New York Times to be conservative, your frame of reference is going to be just a tad bit skewed. But for those who once had hopes that Fox News would actually fulfill such paranoid fantasies, the channel has been a major disappointment. Fox is certainly a cut above the competition, but as far as providing a real alternative to the liberal agenda of the mainstream media (MSM), many viewers are still waiting.</p>

San Francisco State University has been in the spotlight lately, and the picture that has emerged is not a flattering one. Following last month's nationwide elections, members of the SFSU chapter of the College Republicans were confronted by an angry mob simply for setting up a table and handing out political literature. Members of the International Socialist Organization, the General Union of Palestinian Students and others surrounded the Republican students, shouting at them to "get out" of SFSU. Although the exact details are still being disputed by the various parties, police reports and eyewitness accounts appear to back up the...

For over a year now, an ongoing battle between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups has taken place in the streets of San Francisco. Long used to running the show, the anti-Israel crowd is now routinely counter-protested by groups like San Francisco Voice for Israel and Protest Warrior. And judging by the behavior at last weekend’s counter-protest, they’re not too happy about it. The following after-report from San Francisco Voice for Israel provides the details. They say that when a caged rat is cornered, it lashes out. A perfect example of this was the Justice In Palestine rally on Saturday, November 13,...

Upcoming Event: SF VOICE FOR ISRAEL TO COUNTER: 'STOP THE WALL' RALLY Date & Time: Saturday - October 30, 2004 10:00AM Location: Washington Square Park, SF (at the corner of Stockton and Union Streets, bounded by Columbus Avenue, in North Beach) Description: The "Stop the Wall" campaign (www.stopthewall.us) will be coming to San Francisco on October 30 at Washington Square Park in San Francisco, from 10 AM to 5 PM. San Francisco Voice for Israel will be there to counter the lies that this group is spreading about Israel's security fence, which they persist in calling the " Apartheid Wall",...

* Thugs storm campaign headquarters, intimidating staffers and refusing to leave. * Campaign signs are vandalized, stolen, and set on fire in front of peoples' homes. * The word "Nazi" is spray painted on the sidewalk in front of a home, along with swastikas. * Shots are fired through the window of campaign headquarters. * An 8-foot swastika is burned into a home’s front lawn. If these incidents sound reminiscent of Nazi Germany or the Klu Klux Klan's early rampages, then you're in for a surprise, because they all took place in modern day America, during the run-up to the...

After making a splash in the pro-Palestinian stronghold of Berkeley the weekend before, members of San Francisco Voice for Israel (SFV4I) and ProtestWarrior.com returned to their usual San Francisco stomping grounds for the latest round of pro-Israel activism. On Saturday, October 2, around 40 of them gathered across the street from the Horace Mann Middle School in the Mission District to protest a conference being held on the premises. Hosted by the Justice in Palestine Coalition, the conference was titled, "The Struggle for Palestine: 4th Anniversary of the Intifada." Sponsors included International A.N.S.W.E.R., the ADC (American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee), the ISM...

For the past year or so, members of San Francisco Voice for Israel (SFV4I) and the local chapter of ProtestWarrior.com have been counter-protesting the so-called pro-Palestinian crowd regularly in San Francisco. And last weekend, they took the fight to Berkeley--to great success. The following after-report was written by Dan Kliman, a member of the SFV4I organizing committee:On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in South Berkeley, the anti-Israel faithful gathered to hear two of their favorite anti-Israel propagandists. San Francisco Voice for Israel was right there to counter them. In an event sponsored by Jews for a Free Palestine and the Middle...

I was extremely lucky to be part of history earlier this month, when America’s first conservative film festival took place in Dallas, Texas. The American Renaissance Film Festival was scheduled for the third anniversary weekend of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and it was a fitting tribute. I was there to accompany my mother, Mara Wallis, whose documentary, Entertaining Vietnam, screened at the festival. Vietnam loomed large at the festival, thanks in great part to John Kerry who foolishly built his whole presidential campaign on a house of cards. In a weird way, we can thank Kerry for finally allowing Vietnam...

If local political activism could be explained in Olympic terms, then the latest round of the "Middle East Match" played out it in San Francisco on Sunday, August 29. About 25 or so members of International A.N.S.W.E.R. and a group calling itself Bay Area Palestine gathered at the busy intersection of Powell and Market Streets for their latest protest of all things Israel. And in what has become a regular occurrence, around 30 members of San Francisco Voice for Israel and Protest Warrior were on hand to counter-protest. Indeed, their tireless efforts on behalf of Israel have become so reliable...

On Saturday, July 24, San Francisco’s Mission District was the site of a curious spectacle. Members of the Free Palestine Alliance (all 30 of them) had gathered at the busy corner of 24th and Mission to protest what they call the ''Israeli Apartheid Wall'' (otherwise known as a security fence) by holding a ''Solidarity Fast for Justice and Peace.'' And conversely, members of Protest Warrior and San Francisco Voice for Israel (SFV4I) were there to counter-protest the protesters. The event was ripe with political theater. The protesters had erected a large wall-like structure in reference to Israel’s security barrier, while...