To those that didn't go, but want to critique the DC march

[screembloodymurder]

You want focus, you want a dress code? Is this what you had in mind?

[Democat]

1. Did you fight in the Iraq war? Did you criticize it?

:)

[vi5]

2. Zing!

Ouch!

[diamond14]

4. I paid for it with my taxes...which gives me the right to dissent....

Dissent it the highest form of Patriotism....(Thomas Jefferson)

[Lars39]

3. So anyone that didn't go, yet has a comment should just shut up?

:silly:

[screembloodymurder]

5. No I'm just asking how you would control

a diverse group of citizens brought together in a fight against fascism.

[Lars39]

6. Sorry. Didn't get that question from the photo and caption.

[diamond14]

7. 'constructive criticism' is OK, but the nasty remarks about the

Americans who STOOD UP for OUR troops, who came from 160 American cities, who worked for peaceful change...so many remarks here are simply nasty and foul...when one comes back from a March and catches all the foul crap posted here on DU...it smells so bad...

nasty...a BRAVE young AMERICAN Filipino women STANDS UP on the National Mall to speak about bush* giving weapons to a country that needs food...and here at DU....claims that she offends them, that her 'red' headband is too much for DUers....shame that an Egyptian American who worked his whole life on international humanitarian projects was too much for DUers is shameful disgusting....the smell of some posters has been overwhelming...

it would be great if a few DUers welcomed the Marchers back to their hometowns and asked if they learned anything or met anybody at the March....shame on lots of people here at DU....some spoke of having an AMERICAN March, because they saw a Filipino on stage, some spoke (without knowing that Jewish people helped with this March and posted Hebrew banners) about the hate against Jews....painting OUR soldiers and their families as radical leftists and fringe groups is truly disgusting...and all that crap from those of you too lazy to get up off the couch and work for a better America...just complaining, whining...it saddens me to read how low some DUers are willing to attack war protesting Patriots here...

[Lars39]

10. I'd like to go on record that I never said anything nasty about anyone.

And you need to remember that not everyone lives in DC, has the recources or the health to get themselves there.

[diamond14]

15. but every single person here DOES have the resources to

THANK the Patriots who made the journey...and asked civilized questions about their trip and their observations and their opinions...and make certain that those who attack with nasty vicious threads are confronted...and exposed for their racism and bigotry.....every single DUer has that resource, if they want to use it...

I walked for a while with an 84 year old, WWII POW in failing health, moving slowly and using a walker....he was from 'middle America', a small town in Ohio...and wouldn't it be nice for that BRAVE soldier to be respected for his efforts???? how about a little 'good job' for those who DID ride buses for many many long crapped up journeys to OUR Nation's Capital? whether you agree or disagree with BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!!!...you could admire the amazing discipline, motivation and focus that these American Patriots showed in just getting here... I was truly honored to meet so many good people, community people, caring people....that March inspired me...

[jonnyblitz]

12. good post AMEN. those naysayers have my utmost contempt.

and they try to fast talk and say WE are the narrowed minded ones. We aren't the ones calling people freaks and wanting the topics that are all interrelated to be narrowed or stifled. It makes you wonder whose side they are on.

[G_j]

13. yes, and I have to admit

being in my 50s & having long legs does not make a long cramped bus ride
a light hearted fun affair. Neither is trying to sleep on a hardwood chruch floor. It's only natural to get a bit grumpy with armchair critics. In case people forget we do these things 'for the people'.

[nostamj]

9. of course not

just accept that those who did not experience only the c-span feed just may have a different 'take' on what happened in the larger sense.

i don't see much argument regarding the presence of 'fringe' and off-topic speakers.

i do see argreement on the OVERALL tone and message and the crowd's response to that message...

[Malva Zebrina]

14. Yup

just shut up and look ashamed. If you did not participate bodily, you are not as pure and as wonderful and as concerned as those who were there in person. You are not a real and sincere Democrat, but some sort of a right leaning, conservative person deserving of suspicion!!! You have no right to your opinon about the march in DC, even though you watched the entire thing on TV and could hardly understand anything that was said half the time, due to the screeching and screaming over the mike by all those whose peripheral agendas gave them the attention and the time for their screaming and screeching over the mike to "free Mumia"--some of them screamed in languages not understood by many of us--It does not count that you took the time, actually looked forward to it and watched it for a couple of hours---in order to be a "true" and a real Democrat, according to some very judgemental persons, you had to be there bodily applauding the free Mumia initiative, the poor people who are repressed in Columbia initiative, the Palestine, anti-Israel initiative,the Cuba initiative, the Phillipines initiative, the Korean initiative, and finally the anti-occupation of Iraq initiative in order to be a legitimate Democrat concerned about the occupation of Iraq and the invasion of Iraq under the lies of Bush, And you had to understand another language to boot in order to be a legitimate , concerned, against Bush, fully fledged Democrat. And you had to not criticize the rap group performance that you could not understand a word of what they were saying for at least 20 minutes!!! that means you are racist if you criticize that, so for gawds sake, praise that and enable a piss poor presentation so that you will not be accused of racism and praise the poor performance!!! Yup, it was great---I could not understand a word of what they were saying but it was great! That is hardly a compliment. Anything less than that, is really a terrible place to be for a Democrat and now you need to work overtime in order to redeem yourself for not participating as a lemming or a sheep in all of those projects. You are not a real Democrat unless you buy the whole package. Wow--

[screembloodymurder]

16. Sorry you didn't like the show

next time we'll have subtitles. Just who would you exclude when you plan your rally.

[Malva Zebrina]

20. no one

but if you would like to exclude me from being a Democrat and voting as a Democrat, keep it up and you will lose a few Democrats in the process I would think, although in the next election there will hardly be a choice. The Democratic population does not consist solely of those who are ready to jump on every initiative they are forced to comply with when they attend a rally sponsored by ANSWER and lend themselves to when they attend a protest that is supposed to be about protesting the war and occupation of Iraq. If you are comfortable with eliminating those who are not particularly enamored of the other agendas on the ANSWER menu, then you are, I would say, destroying your own party. ANSWER as far as I know, has not identified itself as a sponsor of the Democratic party. Is that right? You are pleased to have someone provide the opportunity to protest, but on the other hand, by doing so, you are tacitly giving your approval to the other agendas on the menu and you know not if they are of the Democratic party or not. That is, imo, using you. It is too bad that no others have successfully organized so that protesting in such large numbers is possible--so in effect you have little choice but to go along with the entire menu--some do not want to do that. Those are the independant thinking Dmeocrats.

[screembloodymurder]

23. Well maybe our party

should organize the next protest. I'll be there, but until then I'll protest this illegal administration wherever and whenever I can.

[diamond14]

18. another nasty vicious sarcastic put-down of the protestors...

from a DUer who actually wrote that "could not understand a word of what they were saying for at least 20 minutes!!!" and "could hardly understand anything that was said half the time" and "some of them screamed in languages not understood by many of us"


so, this DUer is a good example...

[Malva Zebrina]

22. and you are a good example of eliminating those who are not

as inclined as you are to follow the yellow brick sheeple road. You are not a saint because you willingly gave your permission for the ANSWER to speak for you on all agendas. Neither are you more a Democrat. I, and several of my neighbors who are Democrats, and who watched the TV broadcast, did not understand a word of what that rap group was saying--period. That does not make me, nor them, Republicans!! or enemies! The rap group was unintelligible! so I should not say that? What? I should say they were great? Puleeze--that would certainly make me look like an idiot--they were not great--they were unintelligible--if they cannot reach the listeners, they are ineffective.

[screembloodymurder]

25. No one is calling you the enemy

and ANSWER doesn't speak for me. I participated because I oppose this administration.

[diamond14]

26. the rap group were volunteers, the stage set-up and sound

equipment was donated and put up by volunteers who came over to the Mall in the dark on Friday morning to begin the set-up at 4 AM...it was guarded all night Friday night by volunteer security guards who usually guard the nightclubs here...

and from where I was located...the rap group sounded REAL GOOD, you could look at the crowd on TV and see the dancing to the music...these volunteers are not a major sound/stage production company, nor a major TV cable broadcaster that you are paying to watch...there was nothing but human sweat that made this happen...

I'm actually amazed that you could see, or hear anything because it was totally on a shoe-string...the only reason for the FREE C-Span broadcast was the very hard work of volunteer media consultants, and the only reason that bush* allowed it to be set up on the Mall was the volunteer effort of a large group of attorneys....

sorry it didn't meet your standards for volunteer Patriots...maybe you can do better and I certainly encourage YOU to do it...you might learn something about volunteering in any community event...

IMO, there is nothing futher that needs to be added to your own words...

"Puleeze--that would certainly make me look like an idiot..."

[Tinoire]

27. Look- organize your own genteel sewing circle march

and invite some fine upstanding moderates to deliver some well-articulated speeches about how Bush is the only problem and that all of those other causes are fringe issues we don't need to worry about or address. After that, all those properly clad people, to include the Republicans you maintain aren't the enemy, can wring their hands about how great America is and they can go bury their heads back in the sand while all the fringe issues keep festering. Myabe you can even get the Back-street Boys to sing some schmalzy song about a young soldier so far away from his beloved country. None of the Republicans would be offended by a song like that.

Weren't you also the one defending Barbara Bush about vicious Leftist attacks recently? It's all making sense now.

[screembloodymurder]

8. Revolution

does not follow a dress code!

[imax2268]

11. Freepers are bashing it...

Freepers Bash protesters

I hope I don't get in trouble for posting this...

I wanted to see what they were saying...

I just wish that I was able to go...sounds like it was a good time...!

[gristy]

17. I have no problem with anybody posting their opinion about

the rally whether they were there or not. In fact, the impressions of the folks who weren't there are very important, since that is the status of ALL those Americans whom we were trying to reach with the rally.

edit: spelling

[diamond14]

19. some are not reachable...and don't need to be reached either...

some just waste so much effort on the part of the volunteers...and some of that here on DU, IMO is deliberate....

all it takes is 1 % to make significant changes in the situation...bush* knows that and has shown everyone that it can be done with his 1%....and bush* is afraid of that special 1 % who will take back America...

the DU BIG TIME whiners and complainers are a drain....and some don't know any better, some do it on purpose....

------------------------------------------

-snip- from an pre-war interview with Ramsey Clark, about the 1 %


Clark: I think the solution relies on the power of the idea, and the power of the word, and on a belief that, in the end, the ultimate power resides in the people.

In discussing the effects of U.S. foreign policy, we've been talking about only one part of the story. Another part is resistance - the power of the people. We saw that in the Philippines, when Marcos was deposed in a nonviolent revolution, and we saw that in Iran, when the Shah's staggering power was overcome, as well, by a nonviolent revolution.

Of course, just getting rid of Marcos or the Shah is not the end of the story. People sometimes think that, after the glorious revolution, everybody is going to live happily ever after. But it doesn't work that way. What they've gone through in the struggle has divided them, confused them, driven them to extremes of desperation.

I think what all of this means is that we each have to do our own part, and become responsible, civic-minded citizens: we have to realize that we won't be happy unless we try to do our part. And if a small portion of us simply do our part, that will be enough. If even 1 percent of the people of this country could break out of the invisible chains, they could bring down this military-industrial complex - this tyranny of corporations, this plutocracy - overnight. That's all it would take: 1 percent of the people.

http://www.thesunmagazine.org/bully.html

[screembloodymurder]

21. I don't have a problem with opinions either,

but a rally should be inclusive. If you want to limit it to those that agree with your personal pet peeve and dress according to a code, you won't have much of a turnout. This administration offends in so many ways. I think we can afford a big tent.

[MrPrax]

24. Yeah I thought the Thread Last Night...

was imappropriate and senseless.

A detailed critique by someone who wasn't there...with cute putdowns.

What was the motive for someone putting down the demonstrators and the speechmakers?
Obvioulsy written by someone who doesn't like or even go to demos?

Good on your comment...
yeah and what exactly was this 'lack' emphasis on focus of one particular imperialism as opposed to another?

[diamond14]

28. another great picture...from Bartcop.com.....

yes, the whole reich is coming together nicely now...

[AnnabelLee]

29. Locking

2. The subject line of a discussion thread and the entire text of the message which starts the thread may not include profanity, excessive capitalization, or excessive punctuation. Inflammatory rhetoric should also be avoided.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=463744

Thank you
AnnabelLee
DU Moderator