My Crawford report. Some disappointment and an experience.

[johncoby2]

First let me say that I have no idea why I went to Crawford. I mean what was going to be accomplished anyway? And from what I gathered, I was not disappointed because nothing was accomplished. Sort of. Bear with me.

A Picture
One of the many experiences I had at Crawford was actually at home 3 days later. I wanted to take a picture of one of the flags with a soldiers name on it and wanted to make sure I could see the name. Well, I dont know who's picture I took till I got home. And when I looked at it, well, see for yourself.



Ginger Williams
There was a lady sitting on the side of the road holding a sign. I had to go see what it said. "Why is my son in Iraq?". We (Joanne, Tom, and I) sat and talked with her for a long long time. Her son was sent in June of 2005. She came in from Chicago. She was later harrassed by a group of compassionate conservative Christians. Imagine that.

As others came to see her, I asked them where they were from, and what is the next step? What the hell do we do to stop this damn war? And I didn't get any answers. It was frustrating.

Kumbiya (sp?)
I noticed there were quite a few lefties out there. I have historically been uncomfortable with the far lefties, but this time, I really enjoyed being one of them. Although I still will not sing kumbiya.

What do we do next?
OK folks, so we and 12 miilion others around the world protested before the war. We've protested after the war. We have lit candles, gone to vigils, ya-ya-da and now we are singing Kumbiya in the middle of *&^%ing nowhere and yet the war rages on. What the hell do we need to do? Tip over cars? Light them on fire? Bring out the tear gas? Rubber bullets?

I don't know about you guys, but I have had it with all this peaceful crap. We are getting kids killed because we are not doing what is necessary to stop this damn war.

And i am frustrated.

John

[melissinha]

1. the thing is that

Peaceful demonstration is the only way to promote peace. If you do otherwise, you open yourself up to being labeled as hypocritical. I know its frustrating, but we have to keep nailing the message?

WHY WHY WHY?!?!?!?

We are entitled to the explanation.... PERIOD. our steadfastness will then translate into some support from Republican Congressmen such as Jim Leach, Walter Jones and Chuck Hagel. We have to keep applying the pressure baby...

[longship]

2. Anger is good.

Please try to channel the resulting energy. I know it's difficult because I'm angry as Hell, too.

I write letters to my Congress Critters, letters to the editor, and anybody else who I can get in touch with. I know that it doesn't stave off the anger very much when the madness continues day by day. But at least I'm using that anger to help something.

I want millions in the street, clogging traffic, messing with the system. I want not a day to pass without people yelling "Bring the troops home" on the front page of the newspaper. I want Chimpster to be frog-marched out of the White House along with every single one of his co-conspirators. I want Chimpster and *all* his minions to be held accountable for the torture of innocent people at Gitmo and Abu Graib. Death is too good for them. Let them all rot in jail, slowing fading into obscurity, just like Rudolph Hess did (until he was the only prisoner in an entire prison complex).

I'm with you. I'm angry. I want an accounting for these criminals.

[Canuckistanian]

3. Don't be disheartened

Do you think this is all for nothing? Cindy has made this issue front and center, and managed to hold it there for almost 3 weeks. That's more than all the pink-tutu Democrats have managed in almost 3 years.

Awesome photo, by the way....

Don't worry that enough has been done. Just look at the plummeting polls on Shrub, especially on the war issue.

More scandals are coming up and these immoral bastards will get theirs. If not now, then soon.

[OKDem08]

4. Peaceful protests are the only way

Advocating otherwise will only serve to dishonor our efforts.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. Ghandi

[johncoby2]

5. Good quote

Thanks!

[Canuckistanian]

8. And they have been.

Use your own opponent's force against them.

It worked in India and Selma, Alabama.

[katinmn]

6. What to do next:

Cindy is standing up to the president.

The least we can do is stand up to our neghbors, our co-workers, our family members and the media and keep telling them the war is WRONG.

Over and over. One thing I have learned from Cindy is to maintain resolve and never ever waver. Believe that we can stop them, and we will.

Things are heating up all over the country. It was my thought in going to Crawford that we would oppose him there so we don't have to fight "them" in the streets. If Bushitler and his minions continue to defy the will of the people, those most frustrated will break ranks and start fighting back in less peaceful ways. I believe the right wingers know this and that's why they are going beserk with their wild and hateful statements. They don't want to lose power.

Those who despise the Bullshitter's policies are growing more unified and the sleepers are waking up. I just hope they join the demonstrations and start acting on their values before violence erupts. People can only take frustration for so long.

Great picture and great post. Thanks.

[cosmik debris]

7. I am impressed with your point of view.

I am one of those far lefties that you would probably feel uncomfortable around. I had a similar but opposite experience. I felt quite uncomfortable around so many military veterans and military family members. My basic distaste for the military in all its incarnations tends to drive me away from the Camp Casey. To me, this is Cindy's protest and it is not my place to say all the things I feel about militarism. So how can I protest without speaking my mind? I want to scream "Our people are dying in vain!" But how can I say that to Cindy? I wouldn't dare. That is George Bush's job.

My visit to the Peace House was my first participation in a peace movement since May 4, 1970 when I was involved in a demonstration on the Baylor campus. After our demonstration broke up we learned about the day's events at Kent State University. Since then I have tempered my political activism to the mainstream campaign activities.

But like you, I have reached that extraordinary level of frustration that prompts me to more and more serious responses to the Wrong path our nation has taken. We are not going to solve this over night, it may take years. But we have to be peaceful, persistent, and patient.

As we said in the sixties, Keep the faith!

[Why Syzygy]

9. Some tell me I'm a far leftie

What do I know. I just feel the way I do.

Not into Kumbayai either. My Lord.

I think we need strikes. Gas strikes. Work strikes. Stop the gears. We are NOT gonna play this game any more. How does that happen? I do not know. But count me in.

[WolverineDG]

10. the hardest thing about being a pacifist

is not giving in to your feelings & becoming violent. that's been the hardest part for me, especially when people come up to me at home & try to start an argument w/me. i'm a lawyer so my instincts are to argue back. ;) that's happened twice since i've been back & was on tv to talk about crawford. both times, i ended it by saying "you have your opinion, i have mine. we're not going to change each other's minds on this" & then walked away leaving the pro war person sputtering & looking like an idiot because i wouldn't fight him. only one person really wanted to have a conversation about it & discuss it civilly.

the thing is if we become violent, then that's all the media is going to show: lookit all the violent "peace" protestors! lookit how scary they are!! of course the media isn't going to show the assholes who flipped me off or said "fuck you bitch" or yelled "war! yay! war!!! kill some more!! woo hoo!!" but that is where the ugliness is coming from & eventually, it will catch up to them.

don't take on their ugliness, john. we need you with us to keep writing, keep protesting, keep hounding tom delay & shrubbie with your brand of humor & insight!! :hug:
dg

[sonias]

11. John, thanks for your honesty

That's the difference on our side. We all have different levels of how we feel, yet we can all agree on at one thing - that this war is wrong. We were lied to in order to get us into the war, and innocents on both sides are dying, and it has got to stop.

I agree with so many of the posters on this thread, that this is the tipping point basically. Right now Crawford is getting the media attention and people are finally asking questions. bu$h' 5 week vacation is being contrasted with the 60 deaths of US soldiers in Iraq. The media would never cover any of this if the public didn't finally want it.

You don't have to sing Kumbaya or wear tie-dye or even love all of the lefties. You just have to do your part to keep up the pressure. Continue writing your letters to the editor and hounding your dog of a congressman. Speak up with your co-workers and even strangers to share your knowledge. You are much more informed than most of them. You can speak with truth on your side.

Also take courage that things are changing John. Representative Jim Leach (R-Iowa) just became the first republican to sign on to the Resolution for Inquiry into the Downing Street memo. Chuck Hagel (repuke) is saying the Iraq war looks more like Vietnam and that it could be worse than Vietnam. And he's saying this to veterans groups and he's saying this on TV shows and CNN covered it.

And a lot of this has happened in the last two weeks. John it took a decade from the first protests in Vietnam to end the war. We are a lot further along now.

When I looked at your picture it gave me chills. I think you got your sign John. Maybe you don't believe in signs but I believe that something made you take that exact picture for a reason.

Keep up the peace, and keep your faith.

Sonia

[Why Syzygy]

12. Thanks

That is a beautiful post. You are so right. Time is warping and this has GOT to END. No more death and destruction. Not in my world, baby.

The Tipping Point is Here.

[elehhhhna]

13. Physical violence is NOT the way.

Read a little gandhi. You'll see.