fistful goes to a peace rally

[Perd Hapley]

This a few years old now, but I thought you all might be interested in some first-hand reporting from an anti-war event that I attended.  I had a history prof who required "Community Participation," so I went to a protest at an abortion clinic and reported on that.  Then I went to a rally against the Iraq war and reported on that.  I think some of my commentary is a bit hokey, but I was young and foolish then.  

On February fifteenth, 2003, as part of a series of worldwide demonstrations, a crowd estimated at more than 2,200 gathered at the Pilgrim Congregational Church in St. Louis, Missouri to protest the pending military action against the Iraqi regime.  Signs and banners inside and outside the church building read, Instead of War, Invest in People, and Stop the War, Swell the Ranks.  The crowd was diverse, but was predominantly white, and encompassed all age groups. 

The first speaker that day was a United Methodist minister.  Speaking against the proposed military action in almost religious terms, he said of his audience, we are the converted; we have the consciousness&  He spoke of the world as a global village, and called for global disarmament of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.  While these messages were clear, some listeners may have been confused by his declaration that military power must be used non-violently.  The Reverend also proclaimed that War is against the teachings of all major religions.  This certainly indicates that he has read neither the Bible, nor the Koran.  Also, many Hindus would disagree with him, as well as the ancient Samurai, many of whom were devout Zen Buddhists.  Before the next speaker, a recording of the song, From a Distance was heard, with the words on an overhead projector. 

That next speaker was a union leader, who praised his audience for being people who love peace more than life itself.  In a philippic against the current chief executive, he quoted that portion of the Declaration of Independence which states: &whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of those Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government&  Considering the historical context and intent of the Declaration, at least two audience members felt that this was best interpreted as an incitement to violent revolution!  He also quoted the historic words of Neville Chamberlain: Peace in our time. 

The next speaker was a Quaker, who urged her listeners to talk to neighbors and coworkers about the cause, and to send hygiene kits to Iraqis.  She led the assembled multitude in a prolonged moment of silence to feel the energy in the room, and of fellow protesters around the world. 

After about two hours, the protesters filed outside, where many participated in a march.  Protests around the world that day were estimated to include about six million people.  As of today, the United States and the forty countries in its coalition are still poised to launch a military attack.      

[AJ Dual]

Come on, I understand what you had to do for school,  but why aren't you telling us what we'd really like to know?

Any chicks? How were they?

Well.. I guess I should say, were any hawt enough to overlook the hairy armpits? 

[wingnutx]

I like counter-protesting. Nothing like basking in the warm glow of hippy-hatred.

[Ned Hamford]

I like counter-protesting. Nothing like basking in the warm glow of hippy-hatred.

A number of years back I was a counter-protestor.  My sign said 'End The War' on one side and on the other 'With Victory'.  A surprising number of people stopped and chatted with me.  With the one exception of a protestor who came and told me to go away as I was producing 'mixed messages' (I was on the other side of the street with 2 friends to their double dozen), everyone seemed to prefer the side of the street that was willing to engage in reasonably informed discourse over the slogan shouting side.

[Perd Hapley]

Any chicks? How were they?

It being three-and-half years ago, now, the only chicks I recall are the ones I went with.  One was a committed anti-war liberal, but nice to talk to.  The other was a native of Grenada, and hadn't made up her mind yet.  She hoped an invasion of Iraq would be like Reagan's incursion into Grenada, for which she was undyingly grateful.