my thoughts on the protests
I had the displeasure of having to see these fools firsthand as my barbershop is quite close to the United Nations building. I caught a cab to bring me up there and the cabbie was a Cuban American. I can't describe how angry and hurt he was. We spoke a little about his experience in Cuba before moving to the US and about how his daughter is a cop here in the city. One of his daughter's best friends, a man this cabbie thought of as a son, was one of the firefighters killed on 9/11. He was in absolute shock that these kids and aging hippies could turn out in such large numbers to protest in favor of a man like Saddam. (and yes, most of the signs I saw were more sympathetic to Saddam than Bush.)
He said, "These people don't know what they're protesting against. They don't know what it's like to live under that kind of regime. No one here tells you that you have to live in New York of you don't like the cold or that you have to drive a cab if you don't like it. They just don't understand. None of them would be allowed to do these things in Cuba or in Iraq."
This is a man who knows oppression. He understands what it is like to live under a "socialist utopia" regime. These people made him sick to his stomach, although when I asked he said he did support the protesters right to free speech. As I was getting out of the cab, he told me "God bless America". I have never felt more pride in my country or felt as sure about what we are doing to promote freedom in Iraq.
So there I am, half a block from my barbershop, and there is a police barricade blocking off the street I need to go down. I walked up to the cops there and told them where I was going, that I wasn't part of the protest. They said I still had to go around. I had to walk three locks down Lex Ave to 42nd St, one block east to 3rd ave, back up three blocks and then made it to the place. Thank you protestors!!!
The entire walk was very slow, the sidewalks jammed with the enlightened masses. Occasionally the mass of people would have to stop as one group or another stopped to make a speech about how evil Bush is.
Thankfully, I wasn't the only non protester caught in this mess, and I heard several "F*cking Communists!" as we tried to get around. To those of you who think this is a mainstream movement, think again. This group, these people, are very fringe. They smelled. Literally. They were those kids in college who stood around handing out copies of the Daily Worker or whatever that Socialist rag is called. They were the hippies who swear off of showering for whatever reason they do. They are America's small, pathetic fringe comprised mostly of White college aged students, Black "nationalists", 50 something flower children and the occasional European. A large portion of the signs I saw were ANSWER signs. ANSWER is an anti-American, communist organization.
I did think it funny to see various socialist papers handed out by people wearing North Face jackets. I would bet that at least a couple of the No Blood for Oil group drove into the city in their SUVs as well. Ahh useful idiots for Saddam.
Napoleon brings up a good point. Not all of the protesters are weirdos, but most of those with signs and a huge portion of the rank and file are. It's a pity that those mainstream protesters cannot bring themselves to disassociate from the fringe who organize these events. Stormbind, listen to Richard III. This isn't close to Vietnam level protests, at least not here in NY. Curt, I hope you are just joking.
Everyone must be given a choice about their and their country's future.
I just wish it would keep all of the others like you at home. I know there are some good people among the mix. They just need to look at the people they ally themselves with and ask if they really want to do that. I wouldn't attend an anti affirmative action rally (if there were such a thing) if there were a bunch of KKK members and Neo Nazis setting the agenda and or tone of the rally.
