My blog post apparently drew some notice and I left out some things, and I am prompted to write after seeing what other participants are saying, so I will say more here before I write something up for Alliance!.
"Warning: Troop Hating, Anti-Patriot, Commie Traitors" (if that means I am against the current use of the US military, against wrapping imperialism and fascism in American patriotism, and a true communist, than thanks a lot; I'm certainly not a liberal, and STN is certainly not red)
Unfortunately I remember more about the counter-protesters than our speakers. I'll say more about the speakers in an article. The counter-protesters, apparently mostly with the Gathering of Eagles, posted an account at
www.gatheringofeaglesnc.org/smithfield_102707a.html. Their perception that the protesters were afraid and impossible to reason with doesn't match reality. I am not afraid to say I did not relish walking up to this verbally abusive and possibly violent group at the end, but I did anyway, as did everyone else, from kids to silver haired people. They did have some children with them and were a relatively old group themselves. Two bitterly opposed groups confronting each other, with lots of police wagons around, is not a situation for complacency.
They took the prayer, etc. before the event for mustering of courage, but I'm sure they know about praying before important events and setting the tone before doing anything symbolic. According to the site, they think they "stalled" us there, but I believe it was planned to start that way. The writer calls this "the battle of October 27, 2007" on a day "the Home Insurgency planned attacks in multiple cities." To compare this explicitly non-violent action to the (I would say justified) armed resistance to US occupation overseas is to invite violence against Stop Torture Now. If one thinks STN is the same as the Iraqi Resistance, that means one would think of responding in the same way, and maybe someone would. Otherwise it is lying rhetoric, which I hope it is. They also think they "severely opposed" we "Moonbats." As I said, I expected worse. They calling hanging signs and trying to lower the flag at Aero at other demonstrations "vandalism." They seem to have missed that there was a US flag on a pole to the stage's right at the rally, if I am not mistaken, and I and possible others did have US flags (I had them as pins). If it will make them happy, STN might want to consider bringing more flags in the future. On the other side, Gathering of Eagles was trying to wrap itself in the flag, as if it belongs only to them. The right should consider what will happen if the flag ever does belong solely to them - then fascism and revolution won't be far behind.
Some other insults at the demonstration - apparently they tried to take the picture from the speaker I mentioned in my prior post and insulted the guy before he got it back, I think with the help of a deputy. They said we would run if a plane brought back terrorists to run free (the old RPG through the kitchen window scenario. Besides the small size of such group, I can tell you that communists, at least, should and would fight a real foreign invasion, and communists of various kinds have been fighting violent fundamentalists for more than a century. Most liberals would fight. Besides, why bring in Islamists when we have the violent wing of the Christian Right and paramilitary groups here already? If I am willing to oppose the might of the US, why should I fear foreign nationalists and criminal terrorists? Note my defense of the right to bear arms in a previous post. Not using violence is best, and I hope the Gathering of Eagles is serious about not using violence, despite their rhetoric. Before that, someone had a taunt like 'I'll let you put panties on my head, if I can saw your head off,' etc., to say that the US doesn't torture. Try saying that when you are a prisoner who is being mistreated and doesn't know if he will be killed, or rendered to a third country to be tortured severely or killed. Then you might be worried despite the realtively low level of torture the US uses. I imagine that goes through the mind of many US detainees.
Despite all of this, I am not very worried about what the Gathering of Eagles thinks about the 27th. Maybe I missed worse abuse at the march. At least they don't glorify Bush a lot and some of them seem reasonable. At least there was not violence. The patches on the jackets of the motorcycle group looked good, but maybe I shouldn't praise those after hearing that one had something like a "Moonbat Hunting Patrol" patch. It is good that the opposition veterans were willing to serve their country, but I am not going to praise the purpose of their service, such as serving imperialism in Vietnam. I don't think they had as much community support as they think, at least not explicitly so that I could hear or see it, and I expect the police are glad we are all out of there. The Gathering of Eagles group for the most part missed out on a chance to have real dialogue with the other side. On the other hand, the few discussions I heard afterward didn't seem as heated as some of the STN people seem to think, but I was only a bystander. I said hello to some people who might have been counterprotesters as I was going to the rally. For the most part we are all working people, and should not fight amongst ourselves.
I like the exuberance of some of the CodePink ladies and I like political pins and expression.
Apparently I greatly overestimated the size of the rally, and maybe the size of the counterprotest at the gates of Aero too. It was more equal than at Fayetteville, but the protest as always outnumbered the counterprotest. Most of us were locals, some or many from Johnston County. One counter said yankees go home. I didn't meet anyone but Southerners there.
Finally, compare what happened at the rally to the national Gathering of Eagles mission statement. Looks a little like hypocrisy after what I heard.
1. Gathering of Eagles is non-partisan. While each member has his or her own political beliefs, our common love and respect for America and her heroes is what brings us together.
2. We are a non-violent, non-confrontational group. We look to defend, not attack. Our focus is guarding our memorials and their grounds.
3. We believe that the war memorials are sacred ground; as such, we will not allow them to be desecrated, used as props for political statements, or treated with anything less than the solemn and heartfelt respect they–and the heroes they honor–deserve.
4. We are wholly and forever committed to our brothers and sisters in uniform. As veterans, we understand their incredible and noble sacrifices, made of their own accord for a nation they love more than life itself. As family members, we stand by them, and as Americans, we thank God for them.
5. We believe in and would give our lives for the precious freedoms found in our Constitution. We believe that our freedom of speech is one of the greatest things our country espouses, and we absolutely hold that any American citizen has the right to express his or her approval or disapproval with any policy, law, or action of our nation and her government in a peaceful manner as afforded by the laws of our land.
6. However, we are adamantly opposed to the use of violence, vandalism, physical or verbal assaults on our veterans, and the destruction or desecration of our memorials. By defending and honoring these sacred places, we defend and honor those whose blood gave all of us the right to speak as freely as our minds think.
7. We vehemently oppose the notion that it is possible to "support the troops but not the war." We are opposed to those groups who would claim support for the troops yet engage in behavior that is demeaning and abusive to the men and women who wear our nation's uniform.
8. We believe in freedom at all costs, including our own lives. We served to protect the freedoms Americans enjoy, and we agree with Thomas Jefferson's assertion that "From time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
9. We will accept nothing less than total, unqualified victory in the current conflict. Surrender is not an option, nor is defeat.
10. We stand to challenge any group that seeks the destruction of our nation, its founding precepts of liberty and freedom, or those who have given of themselves to secure those things for another generation. We will be silent no more.
Kit Lange @ February 15, 2007
I have new things to post soon, on the next Triangle Socialist Forum, Dennis Kucinich, and upcoming SDS events at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Signed by your local, proud "commie traitor" --
Posts
8 comments:
Hi,
I'm Katy with Katy's Conservative Corner and I'm the right-winger you describe.
I actually want to give you major kudos for your blog. You really stand out there and say what you think and you don't hide anything. You say you are a Socialist and a Communist and you are completely okay with it.
Many of my friends on the far left like to hide behind labels like liberal or progressive, but you don't and you are proud of it. God bless you (if you believe in him) and go get 'em. I admire you for standing up for what you believe in and am so glad that we can say what we feel in this nation of ours.
Sure, we disagree on most things, and I'm sure the flames will start coming my way, but I truly respect you for being who you are and not hiding behind labels.
Take care!
I'll take that as a compliment, so thanks. I think communists and liberals can both be progressive, and I am liberal on many issues, but I don't think the usual libreral platforms are enough for the problems Americans and especially workers face. Most of the participants and organizers of STN's events are liberals only. Freedom of spreech is a valuable right that we have, though overshadowed by the power of money. I haven't extensively read your blog, but it is good to have more documentation of the events in Smithfield, and political engagement is preferrable to apathy, even though we disagree.
On the flags-
STN only had 2 flags -one was the world flag and one upside down-
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc261/GOE-NC-01/Theironlyflag.jpg
Way to show the pride in being in the best country in the World-
You state:
"communists of various kinds have been fighting violent fundamentalists for more than a century"
Would you care to educate me on where and when this was happening?
DanNY
New York State Coordinator
Gathering of Eagles
Some examples of groups calling themselves communist (I say this because I'm not sure that all of them acted in a revolutionary way) that fought fundamentalists: the USSR fought a pan-Islamist movement in the 20's, that was probably fundamentalist, Afghan and later Soviet forces fought fundamentalists (part of the future Taliban and al Qaida), backed by the US, its allies, and possibly China, from the late 70's to the early 90's, Marxists and Islamists fought for control in Iran, I think China is fighting al Qaida linked Uighur groups, the Worker-Communist Party of Iraq is against Islamists and the occupation, Pakistani groups are fighting an ideological battle with Islamists, groups in India are fighting with Hindu fundamentalists, and groups in the US are fighting with Christian fundamentalist ideas. In most cases clerics and fundamentalists have opposed communist governments, often through terrorism.
It is also obvious that communists and Islamists can find temporary common ground. The difference is that some Islamist groups, such as Hizbollah and Hamas, act as nationalists, as opposed to al Qaida's focus on imposing fundamentalist policies and doing things that set back the cause of liberating the areas they occupy. 9/11 didn't help the people of Afghanistan or Iraq, and terrorism by "al Qaida in Iraq" against the Iraqi people fomented sectarian and ethnic civil war, In the Muslim world, saying something is Islamic is like saying freedom, democracy, or Christian in the US, so Islamic does not equal Islamist, and not all Islamists have the same tactics and goals. It is the same principle as when Stalin said that the Emir of Afghanistan was more progressive than the British Labour Party. Communists had more in common with the Labour Party than the Afghan monarchy, but the British were trying to control Afghanistan, while the Emir wanted to maintain independence.
If I had a say in foreign policy, I would not be so supportive of governments like those of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, who appear to support terrorists who have attacked Americans and oppress their people, and I would be more critical of Israel, so the Islamists could not blame us for Zionism's crimes. This might not solve the problem of terrorism, but I think it would make a difference, and it hasn't been tried. The people of these countries need to fight fundamentalism for themselves, with our moral and material support, but not US soldiers.
On the flags, there were very few at the STN event and the GOE was conspicuously wrapped in flags. I think there was a big flag on a pole to the stage's right at STN's rally and speaking for myself, I had US flag pins, alone and to express solidarity with various countries. I didn't see any NC flags, so was no one proud of being a citizen of one of the original 13 states?
Facts about the protesters flags.
The flag on the pole was owned and placed at the rally by the town of Smithfield. One flag brought by the protesters was flown upside down which is disrespectful to our country and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that person could fly the flag in a disrespectful manner. Another flag represented a new world order which is not in the best interest of our great nation. There was a Iraqi flag flown by the protesters. The only American flag that the protesters displayed properly was given to them by the GOE. I know that to be fact because I was there when the protester was given that flag.
Thats a total of 5 flags of wich only one was displayed properly by the protesters. And the was supplied to them by the GOE.
Who would you rather surrender to moonbat. US Troops are Iraqies.
But now the Iraqi Islamic Party has announced the death-knell of al Qaida. Michael Yon reports:
“Al Qaeda in Iraq is defeated,” according to Sheik Omar Jabouri, spokesman for the Iraqi Islamic Party and a member of the widespread and influential Jabouri Tribe. Speaking through an interpreter at a 31 October meeting at the Iraqi Islamic Party headquarters in downtown Baghdad, Sheik Omar said that al Qaeda had been “defeated mentally, and therefore is defeated physically,” referring to how clear it has become that the terrorist group’s tactics have backfired. Operatives who could once disappear back into the crowd after committing an increasingly atrocious attack no longer find safe haven among the Iraqis who live in the southern part of Baghdad. They are being hunted down and killed. Or, if they are lucky, captured by Americans.
Good for the "Iraqies," but I wouldn't be so sure they won't go back to fighting Americans once al Qaida is defeated.
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