I watched some of the Pro Bush rally on C-Span, and I was moved by the stories of bravery and sacrifice of the sons and husbands and brothers that were chronicled by their family members.
As to the other rally, I was struck by the diversity of groups that attended, and who I believe were not there to support Ms Sheehan, but to bring attention to their own agendas.
There were Communist groups, Socialist groups, anarchist groups, Marxists, grandmother groups, environmental groups, vegan groups, even a Portugese against Bush group. No kidding. Portugese! No wonder that rally had so many participants. It would seem that every group that has any kind of anti-Bush or even anti-government agenda was well represented.
In contrast, the only groups present at the other rally were the ones that were there to support Bush, and the Gold Star Families. No other fringe groups.
I wonder how much the presence of some of those extreme groups at Cindy's rally really helped her cause? She, and many other anti war protestors claim that they are patriotic and believe in the principles upon which America was founded. But anarchists don't believe in those things. Communists and Marxists don't support a democratic form of government. I think, although I may be mistaken, that even Liberals think some of the groups attending that rally are nuts.So what I'm wondering is this:
Do the organizers of that rally believe that the presence of these lunatic fringe groups really help their cause? Or do they just accept them because it makes their group look bigger?
Or is Cindy Sheehan a member of the Marxists and Communists and Socialists and Anarchists?
I think if I were running some kind of rally, I would discourage any groups that would tend to undermine my cause.
As it stands now, however questionably noble her cause may have been, it has lost whatever credibility it ever had, if any.
15 comments:
Great thoughts Mark. Sheehan's credibility is shot and her anti-war/America agenda and those who have used her for their agenda is continualy proving to be way out of the main stream! Ever notice that whenever an "anti-war" rally takes place these same fringe groups are present? Most are 60's throw backs and their off spring! Thanks for a great post!
Ken Taylor
They do want those groups present, not just because they make the group look bigger, but because they are all in alignment when it comes to Communist ideals. They may not call themselves communists, for PR reasons, but their agenda is the same, and they know it is. The reason why these people are so angry is because the Democrats won't stand up and say, "We're Communists, Ok. We believe in Karl Marx, and the Communist Manifesto." That's what they want. Communism. It's the reason they look to Vietnam all the time. Vietnam was wrong because we were fighting Communism, and we are Capitalist. Therefore, We were evil opressors, and the Viet Cong were the democratic revolutionaries. They continue to see the world in these terms. They do hate America, to the very core of it's founding ideals. That's why they try so hard to destroy each and every single founding principle.
No It doesn't, Mark.
Look at the election results over the last few cycles.
Republicans gain, while Democrats lose.
You and I are the majority, and we are gaining ground while the left gets more and more wild and incoherent.
Your post is exactly right. Cindy Sheehan has become a joke, and her credibility diminishes every time she opens her mouth.
Liberals would like you to believe that everyone in America opposes the war, and sympathizes with Mother Sheehan, but I understand why we are there, and I believe in the cause, and I can state my point without getting hateful, or Anti-American.
I wonder how many deaths in New Orleans those "much better News Outlets" reported?
I guess they learned to count in the Government run School System...
Do you dispute the 500 figure for the pro-war rally?
Bruiser. I just visited the GOP website. I can't find anything on Cindy Sheehan there, so how is Mark parroting GOP talking points?
No, Jay, I am not.
Republicans mostly work for a living, and have trouble taking several days off to go and protest every little cause that comes along.
While the Anti-American War Protestors were gathering on the National Mall, the other side was going about the business of making a living, engaging in economic activity, creating wealth for themselves and others, and making America work.
I would not have wasted my time going to Washington to participate in that Circus...
I don't dispute or agree with any numbers of either group. Estimates appear to vary according to which group is doing the estimating.
That wasn't the point of my post. Numbers mean very little. If the majority of people believe the sky is green and grass is blue, does that mean they are right? If they believe night is light and day is dark? If they believe white is black and black is white?
The point is this: Does the presence of extremist groups hurt Cindy Sheehans cause or help it?
My opinion is that it those groups create the impression that she is as whacko as they are.
I don't think she's whacko, just very wrong.
For what it's worth, I'll weigh in with my opinion on Cindy Sheehan. I agree with you that she has not been very selective about the company she keeps, and that a lot of the demonstration on Saturday had to do with issues other than the war. You and I disagree on whether she is right about her opposition to the war, but I have no argument with you regarding the fact that a lot of the groups she has associated with have undermined the seriousness of her message. I'd rather have Russ Feingold representing my views than Cindy Sheehan or George Galloway. On the other hand, I admire her for the fact that she's still doing this in the face of all the blistering attacks against her. Upsetting the apple cart isn't for the weak at heart. Even if you disagree with her, you can't deny that she has some guts.
As for the good Capn, I guess the money for being in the pro-war rally wasn't as good as it was for the recount disruption.
Maybe not, but the recount thing was important, Jay.
By the way, Jay, Who exactly IS paying those protesters?
Mark: Those same commy/Marxist Socialist revolting types are rent a mobs that can be counted on to show up for just about any protest in DC or elsewhere.
I used to ride my bike down the mall when one of those protests was going on and just watch in amazement at the collection of freaks and fools that would assemble.
Oh, and here's a link to another set of the usual suspects:
http://www.zombietime.com/breasts_not_bombs/
WARNING... Indecent content...
I'm loving all of this. The Democrats' "tolerance" for all sorts of wacky behavior has led to their party being hijacked by space aliens, and they will never get it back. Their Big Tent has become a circus tent, with every freak having his own little sideshow. Meanwhile, the Republican Big Tent is, like always, a gospel tent, with people from all walks of life being led by a single vision. The Democratic Party, the party of slavery, the party of segregation, the party of abortion, is spinning into irrelevance. The only option left for moderate Democrats (assuming there are any) is to dump their baggage and start from scratch -- start a new party. Get rid of not only the Cindy Sheehans, but the Ted Kennedys, the Howard Deans and the Nancy Pelosis. This time do it right and build your party on a foundation of common sense. Adopt an iron-clad sense of right and wrong. It isn't brain surgery. Slavery is wrong, racism is wrong, killing unborn children is wrong, etc. etc. etc. If you can't grasp the difference between right and wrong, just ask any four-year-old child (there are still a few you haven't aborted). They tend not to over-think things.
Wow, this post looks like it was written by Ann Coulter. I'm getting better at this.
Yeah, Mike, I've seen those pics. That "woman" with the beard really creeps me out!
Ok Mark. Finally read the post, and no you aren't chopped liver. So I'll link this!
I guess you and Hitchens are on the same wavelength, huh?
I think the presence of fringe groups crashing the party and lending their kind of support is similar to the political activists who took over Greenpeace. The same kind of radicalization and hijacking, I think, has happened to the ACLU, the NAACP, many labor unions, and it's what seems to be happening to the Democratic Party which saw fit to allow Michael Moore a guest of honor seating next to former President Jimmy Carter in the presidential box at the DNC, along with a standing ovation. The Democratic Party is no longer the party of Roosevelt and Kennedy, and is the reason why the Zell Miller Democrats are finding themselves abandoned by their own Party. They didn't leave it, it left them.
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