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9/13/08
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20 comments
Hundreds take part in Bangor peace rally
BANGOR, Maine — With a presidential election less than two months away, it’s more important than ever to hold candidates accountable for involving the nation in a war that a growing number of Americans oppose, protesters declared Saturday. As many of those taking part in a peace rally at Bass Park saw it, the five-year war in Iraq not only isn’t necessary; it is wasting taxpayer dollars that would be better spent on such things as housing, food, fuel, health care and education. Members of the Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine said taxpayers in Maine will pay $364.5 million for President Bush’s request for additional Iraq war spending over the coming two fiscal years. They said the same amount of money could have been used to provide: - Nearly 112,000 people with health care for one year. - Almost 560,000 homes with renewable electricity for a year. - Almost 10,000 public safety officers for one year. - Or more than 6,800 elementary school teachers for one year. “We affirm that those who perpetuate war and injustice are not acting in our name, and we affirm that this is really what democracy looks like,” Doug Allen, a member of the Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine and a professor at the University of Maine, said at the start of the rally. “In our pain, we begin to join hands, join hands to end the war and build the peace and rebuild the economy,” he said, eliciting cheers from an audience of up to 300 people from throughout Greater Bangor and from as far away as Presque Isle, Bar Harbor and Machias. “As this is a political season, we want to say to those politicians, ‘If you want our support and more than just a vote on November 4, if you want our energy, you are going to have to address these issues,’” Allen added. The rally, which featured several anti-war speakers as well as folk music, was followed by a peace walk and an address at Hammond Street Congregational Church by nationally known journalist Amy Goodman of the radio and TV talk show “Democracy Now!” During her speech on the importance of a free press, she described her recent arrest while covering the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. Goodman was not alone. She said that more than 40 members of the media were arrested that week, including two of Goodman’s “Democracy Now!” colleagues. “What is really the victim here is democracy, because if you arrest journalists, if you beat journalists, if you ban journalists, you close the eyes and ears of democracy,” she said. “There is a reason why our profession … is the only one explicitly protected by the U.S. Constitution,” she said. “It’s because we’re supposed to be the check and the balance on power.” Despite the turnout at Saturday’s anti-war events, not all Mainers believe now is the time to bring the troops home. Lou Pollock of York is a retired U.S. Navy captain who is a veteran of the first Gulf War. A longtime independent voter, he also is co-chairman of the Veterans for McCain Coalition in Maine. “No one wants peace more than us who have served in, or are serving in, the military, and certainly John McCain understands that better than most,” Pollock said Saturday in a telephone interview. “I believe that it is strategically important for the U.S. to make sure that there’s a stable democracy operating in that region” before troops are withdrawn, he said. Unconditional withdrawal of troops “would have just encouraged the terrorists to continue increasing training in Iraq and Iran,” he said. Before troops are brought home, Middle Eastern hot spots “need to have capable security forces in place,” he said, adding that the “surge now under way is making a difference.”
Comments
Did anyone tell the organizers of this peacenik rally in Bangor on the 13th of September, that the "war" in Iraq was already almost over with - in two more years at least - and currently the overlap is being relocated to Afghanistan? We, as Americans, are in total, 100% agreement that President Bush has gone way over the top with this 5-year war. This war in Iraq is longer than WW II, and it could project itself into another 5 years, if we do not completely more our troops out of Afghanistan, too! We have lost a lot of internal headway that the US already made gains in, such as healthcare, support for alternate energy, school funding and more issues on the table. Maybe the reason for this Amy Goodman's arrest is because she, and this "Democracy Now" coalition is on the long list of America's most dangerous pro-communist critic organizations and her methodology irritates Uncle Sam, even though she "preaches" democracy. There was some apparent reason for her arrest, and the arrest of other reporters does not make Goodman's arrest any easier. The network reporters were not arrested. Why? Was Goodman's reporters and herself actually "beaten" as she reported...or was she resisting arrest. As an Independent, myself, I side with Captain (Ret. US Navy) Lou Pollock of York, Maine...and I'am leaning towards McCain, even though I desperately wanted Obama to knock Clinton compeltely out of the ring for the Democratic candidacy for President. That was done. Finally, even though the "surge" was accomplished, "reinforcements" is a better word, because the troops in Iraq could not do the job in the numbers they had in Iraq, we better get going and real fast-like to move out of Iraq...honorable or not...just get back home. We left Vietnam without "honor"...and the country is just as Red Communist as blood. American blood! Nothing will change...it never does, especially fighting in the mideast where wars and holy wars were going on for centuries before America was ever thought of. You cannot change the mideast culture, tribal unrests and hate for each other, as I mentioned in the last sentence...they have been acting this way against themselves for centuries! We are just adding nitro to an already-exploding bomb. If you want to give your money to big oil and the Iraq war then vote for McCain and Palin, if you want your money to go to the working class then vote for Obama and Biden. The Iraq war has NEVER been about the terrorists, it's about oil. Why does the government try to jam down our throats that 9/11 had anything to do with Iraq. Yep, if I'm a politician, I'm going to really worry about those 300 votes. Amy Goodman should remember that she and her fellow demonstrators are free to speak because we live in a democracy. I do not recall hearing about any beatings of journalists at the RNC but would have immensely enjoyed a public spanking for Goodman. Mmmmm, I wonder how many FBI, DEA and INS agents were at these ceremonies, undercover...I hope so! Why is it these people always look like and act like wash-ups from the hippie generation? Perhaps----just perhaps----- the war is about oil as some suggest. Perhaps 9/11 was just the catalyst. But have have to wonder and ask: how would a President Edwards or a President Kerry have responed to 9/11? The war protestors are people who have never stepped foot in Iraq and have no educated facts on what is going on over there. Thanks to my husband and many other military members, those protestors have the freedom to express their opinions openly. We are winning the war. What our military members are doing is for a good reason. So many innocent people were mistreated and tortured by their "government" and we Americans are making a better life for them. I have lived on military bases for years and we have had a number of arrests made on individuals who were what we are fighting to protect our country from, (foreign men with maps of the bases, details and bomb making materials). Not only are we protecting our country by fighting overseas, but we are also fighting to protect our own homelands from terrorists. You never hear about that on the news though. How about we just send these anti-war protestors over to Iraq to see what really goes on. The news and media never show the truth about the war. They only focus on the negatives and never on all the good we are doing. People who base their opinions on just what they read or watch on tv are making an uneducated opinion. This war has been long and also very costly. However, we are fighting with expensive equipment (cost) and a much more deadly opponent that in the past wars (time). War is never without cost of money and lives. However, it is necessary to fight wars to keep the country as safe as possible. You cannot reason with people who are willing to strap bombs on themselves and their children and blow themselves up to kill others. Walk up to these people with your peace signs and hippie songs and see what happens. The reason for your comment, "Lobstarok", is simple...some things never change, and it seems that somehow, Maine always has this minority group, "hippie-type", mad professor appearance, bearded, long hair, round wire-glasses, Miss Frizzle-type hair, and their clothes look just like they were bought at "Early Morgan Memorial" in Boston. I don't know the answer to the question, except the answer can seem to me that these groupies are plain exhibitionists with simply no real cause to uphold or have complete knowledge about...they just hold these "peace rallies" to get a coalition of their own kind together, with some theme in mind, to exchange ideas and cell phone numbers, and have a grand old time singing traditional folk songs and the mountain ballads of our land. Whether or not (mostly not) they know what their talking about is insignificant...who is listening, anyway. I just want to correct a serious point of misinformation in the post by kristie1: "The war protestors are people who have never stepped foot in Iraq and have no educated facts on what is going on over there."
This is a total falsehood. Unfortunately the article does not describe the composition and experience of the peace movement. We most certainly DO have many members who HAVE spent long periods of time in Iraq and know many people there. Our members include Veterans for Peace and Military Families Speak Out, including Vietnam vets and some Iraq vets. At our rally there was nothing but respect for those who have presented their own bodies and lives for service in the military. A major thing we're concerned about is how our government has failed in many respects to give our veterans proper care.
I'm sorry to say, kristie, that I am having difficulty following what you mean in your descriptions of the Iraqi people. At one point, they're "innocent", elsewhere they are bomb strappers with whom we "cannot reason." You are very confused.
You could have benefited from coming Saturday because you would have heard from a woman who spent several years in Iraq working for an NGO in support of the Iraqi people. It turns out that Iraqis are just PEOPLE. Like you and me. Bush's war has brought them utter chaos & destruction, most certainly not a better life.
I will agree with you, however, that the "news and media never show the truth about the war." If they did, the images of horror would have caused it to end long ago. kristi1 makes a good point. Being peacefull, holding hands and singing kumbya is gresat if there is no one who will beat you with a stick or strap on a bomb and blow up while you do it. These people only get their news from left wing media. You cant just listen to one side or the other exclusively. They both lie like cheap rugs and put their own slant on things. No one is "fair and balanced" as far as I can see. Amy Goodman is so far left that Ted Kennedy and Hilary would tell her to lighten up. And if it is only about oil then why are profit margins so low. Dont talk to me about profits. What did it cost to sell the product. And what is the price per barrell that OPEC is charging. maineowl your right kristie1 should have said ""Gererally Speaking" The war protestors are people who have never stepped foot in Iraq and have no CLUE on what is going on over there EXCEPT FOR WHAT THEY SEE ON CNN". That would be much closer to the truth! OPEC are not setting the price of oil so high, "MrNixxon"...the problem is somewhere along the line after the US purchases it and it leaves the OPEC conglomeration of countries; even before the oil products get on the ships. I hold high-profit stocks in the Mideast, and I have inside information on what is happening, but I'am not going to explain it, as long as the US government and the oil corporations are not going public with the answers. And, "maineowl" , guess what...if these former military personnel want to protest and degrade their term in the service of the US, who were in Iraq and feel they know so much about everything, we can always rescind their DD214's and list them as subversive protestors. That should take care of their future independence, huh? The "Military Families Speak Out" group seem to me as though they are just a bunch of crybabies. When daddy leaves for a few months to Iraq, all these people can do is blame the government for sending them there, and not understanding "daddy" actually joined the military and took an oath to uphold the US Consitiution. Now they don't like what is happening, but it was "daddy's" choice. In WW II, once the soldier left, he was back 4 years later. Count your blessings, peaceniks, and shut your stupid mouths' up! I dont like protesters, they are useless people. Can you dig that!!!!!!!!!!!! Yaaaaa! "SteveyDee"....WE FINALLY AGREE ON SOMETHING, BABY! WOW!!!!!! Finally the truth!!! yes,
"that the "war" in Iraq was already almost over with - in two more years at least - and currently the overlap is being relocated to Afghanistan?" the war in Iraq is nealry over. George Bush said so in May 2003 with the end of major combat operations! He's the President, he can't be wrong.
We won you fools!!! Why are you protesting a war we won 5 years ago?
Move on, there's nothing to see there.
That's an odd remark Chemaine. If we won it five years ago, why do we still have soldiers dying over there? Hold on, that's bizarre, this article is from September 13th! There's something wrong with the links on the headlines page. Some of these are undoubtedly liberal arts professors who used education deferment to avoid military service during the Vietnam war. Ah - the good old days! Hello, people, this story is from September 13th. The website is screwed up. |
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