The arguments however, across the board, are all based on generic war views of the past. "These Colors Don't Run", "Freedom Isn't Free" or "They Fight for your Freedom". You can't really argue with those statements. Yes, we shouldn't run from what we believe in. Yes, you have to fight when your freedom is at stake. You stand up for what you believe in. Unfortunately sometimes that involves war. As a citizen you hope your elected officials realize what it means to send troops to war and weigh the consequences before taking action. When all else fails (see "Thirteen Days" about the Cuban Missile Crisis), you hope the government has the military intelligence to set the appropriate goals and objectives and defend our freedoms. I believe most Americans on either side would agree with those statements.

So to truly support this war you believe that our freedoms were in danger, there was absolutely no other course of action and you have faith that our mission is defined enough to stay the course. Although I disagree, and feel only the most closed-minded of people living in this country could possibly believe that's true...I have no beef with these people. Honestly. I simply don't believe they're paying attention to the overwhelming facts that show quite clearly: Iraq was absolutely no danger to us, not affiliated with 9/11, the choice to go to war was in NO WAY a last resort and staying to "finish the mission" implies we actually have some sort of mission that involves an exit-strategy. Whew. I put Marty in this category. It's your upbringing, it's what you've always heard and there's very persuasive arguments on your side that you can use for every opposing view. Anyway, I feel pretty loving towards these people.

And I really don't get the hatred towards her man. This was one of the nicer Sheehan signs. It goes along with what I said about the mother on their side who lost a kid. You can't say shit there. Cindy decided to protest. She most definitely has the right. I will agree that she has gone in a radical direction to the left and been EMBRACED by that radical side, but really - so fucking what? Her son DIED. Don't people get that? He got killed. She believes that there was absolutely no noble 'cause for his death and she's making sure we all know that. You hear the right-wing talk about her on TV and they treat her like she's lying somehow. When did protesting become un-American? Any idea how dangerous that is to even think?

This is where you start to bleed into the scary side of their movement. Granted, anti-war has the scary side too. However it's non-violent. Someone who considers me a terrorist is a problem. When the people with all the guns, start to make the connection that if you're against the war you're pro-terrorist...you can see where the blood starts to boil. This is the youth, this is the ignorant - straight up, this is the same type of parallells that allow skinheads to so easily get swept up in the ignorance of racism. Just enough truth, just enough teenage angst, just enough patriotism. That one sign is an example of the tiniest of twists. If you make that leap...the rest isn't far behind. If we're pro-terrorist, and this is a war against terror...why wouldn't you kick my ass? It would be patriotic! You'd cheer if we were arrested!

And the laughing cop didn't help much either. The idiots behind him were doing the equivalent of "nanny-nanny boo-boo" and he actually sat and laughed with them as we walked by. I mean, you can assume the police officer has pretty conservative views, but you never want to see the people protecting you taking ANY side.

Man, so many people still hanging onto the 9-11 angle. Am I missing something? Was I just being too suspicious when I heard the "Axis of Evil" speech. Did everyone just accept that as fact? See, I saw it as a thinly veiled attempt to lay the groundwork to attach 9/11 to absolutely ANYONE Bush wanted. Terrorists attacked us, so if your country has any of those...well we now have the right to blow you up because you ipso-facto attacked us. Super loop hole of the century. Isn't that great how that works? And somehow half of America bought that. The rest of the world, the UN, they all said - "You're fuckin' crazy. You can't go to war because of that". And what does Bush say to counteract that? "We can't allow the UN to keep us from defending our freedom!!! ONWARD!!!" ?!?!!? It's lunacy. It's absolute lunacy. It was lunacy in 2002 and 2003 before we went in - it's lunacy now.