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AmericanProtest.net > Attack of the Moonbats |
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Attack of the MoonbatsPart IIby Wayne Boettcher Scattered clouds mercifully blocked the afternoon sun as I edged through the snarled city streets of Tucson, Arizona toward the Downtown area on October 5, 2006. Earlier my "Say No To Communism" sign and handouts of the column "The killing machine that is Marxism" by Professor R.J. Rummel caused an uproar at the noontime University of Arizona "World Can't Wait" (WCW) rally. Perhaps this was due to the fact that WCW was admittedly initiated by members of the "Revolutionary Communist Party" (RCP) and considered by many to be a "front group" of that organization although their website says they include Greens, Christians, Republicans, anarchists, Muslims, Jews, feminists, Democrats, pacifists, and people who claim no affiliation. The second WCW rally for October 5th was scheduled for 4:30 pm in front of the downtown Federal Building. It was no coincidence. A few "anti-war" activists had been appearing at this time and place every week for years. When I emailed some friends about the WCW protest, none were available for the U of A time slot. However, a number of patriotic Pro-Americans agreed to meet at the Federal Building at 3:00 pm with signs and flags supporting the troops, America and the war on terror. They told more friends. After stopping to replenish copies of "The killing machine that is Marxism" I arrived about 3:20 pm to see a group of patriotic people receiving many honks and waves of support from passing traffic. About 25-30 Pro-Americans covered the plaza in front of the Federal Building, which was on the main street (Congress) out of town to the I-10 highway. The streets were jammed with slow moving traffic. Used to seeing grim "anti-war" people on Thursday, the motorists seemed glad for the happy change to smiling America supporters. Several police officers were stationed in front of the building and before the day was out, a few more would arrive. I unlimbered the "UN floor mat" along with three signs and began passing out articles to people traveling the sidewalk. "Dude, I'm a Communist!" sneered one youngster, refusing an article. An older man cursed President Bush and myself to receive a return argument from Protest Warrior leader Dennis. Others gladly accepted information or were at least willing to read it. Although a few WCW people began to gather about the plaza, the main force began to arrive shortly before 4:00 pm. Parking in the "government plates only" area, several workers unloaded a number of huge banners and signs to prepare for the main force, while glaring at us. Since we "occupied" the main plaza, they were relegated to the sidewalk further down. In Tucson, there are no permits required or reservations of public spaces for protests. It's all on a first come, first serve, basis. Sometimes opposing sides mingle together. As the WCW began to hang banners on the Federal fence, I asked a police officer if it was ok if we could also hang some on the property. The answer was no and he directed the moonbats to remove theirs. When the main WCW forces began to show up, they soon began loud arguments and aggressive actions. The 17-year-old rally speaker, whom I found out later was there with her whole family, approached me and demanded to know what I thought happened recently in Lebanon. "Hezbollah fired a bunch of rockets at civilians and Israel responded with restraint," I replied. The family was yelling at so many people I don't know if she actually heard me reply, however. With so many WCW people howling and Pro-Americans hotly returning the debate, the intrepid Tucson bicycle police inserted themselves as a human shield between the two groups, establishing a cut off point for each side. Then "General" Pat, a Pro-American who organizes many troop support events, handed me a megaphone. I always like to sing the theme songs of the military services when standing around false accusers of our Armed Forces. I feel like I'm sending a message that US troops are too busy defending our nation to deliver. Certainly mainstream US news services, once openly patriotic in wartime, are reluctant to convey it. Loud and proud I sang with veterans and Pro-Americans joining in on the songs they knew, then we all sang God Bless America, The Star Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful. WCW had a megaphone but were reading from a script, which caused Dennis to loudly make fun of their Soviet style propaganda techniques. I decided to stick to some simple facts and began relating that Marxism killed over 100 million people in the 20th Century while all the wars together during that time period killed less than 35 million. Then I explained that WCW was initiated by members of RCP, which they admit on their website. "Communism will only steer you wrong!" I boomed out. "Say no to Communism," "Communism kills," "Communist anti-war propaganda is hypocritical when they killed more than war," and "Don't believe left-wing propaganda" were some statements I repeated. I also led many cheers for America and the troops. There were quite a few debates going on, and one Professor (I didn't get his name) was able to at least discuss things calmly. As is often the case, he started out questioning the idea that WCW had Communist roots. When I showed him last year's WCW staff photo of young people with Communist T-shirts raising fists by a red flag he said he "didn't know" a yellow circle with a red star encompassing a fist clenched rifle was a Communist symbol! He also had no idea that the Iraq Ba'ath party was a Communist or socialist party. He tried to claim socialism was not like Communism but had no answer as to why Iraq's socialist Ba'ath Party was allied with the Soviet Union and got most of their tanks and military equipment from them. He had no idea that any Marxist countries ever supported or committed terrorism! It seemed to me his debate method was to pretend he didn't know things. I was disappointed that the old chant "Drive out the Bush regime, the world can't wait" was not used since I liked to join in and substitute the word "Saddam" for "world." So I had to do the whole chant myself on the megaphone, ending with a statement that Saddam Hussein could only be saved by driving out the Bush "regime." Later, emulating Communist type "worker" marches, about 30 protesters trooped around the downtown area with calling out slogans, returning to pass behind us chanting "Fascists go home!" However, I megaphoned "Communists" over the word "Fascists." What fascist events or acts occur in America, anyway? When asked, one WCW youngster explained how the corporately owned video store he worked at refused to allow him to put up a poster for the WCW rally. He considered this fascism. "What if you owned the video store and an employee wanted to display a 'Vote for Bush' flyer? Would you deny it?" I asked. He seemed too fascinated by the concept of him owning the store to answer. And it was getting late. A WCW leader gathered the remaining 20 or so moonbats together to go to a studio and be interviewed for public TV. The Pro-Americans, having successfully denied the Federal Building plaza to WCW, cheerfully departed to meet for some snacks and more camaraderie. I was glad to pass out many articles and slipstreams (a slip of paper with links to articles) that day. Some time later, World Can't Wait reported on their website that 700 people marched from the University Main Mall to Downtown, although the Arizona Daily Wildcat estimated 100 were at the U of A and I saw about 80 protesters at the Federal Building. Perhaps 600 people joined them after the noon rally just for the march, and then 620 quit the march shortly before they got to the Federal Building. Quite a scenario there. North Vietnam General Vo Nguyen Giap said in his memoirs that in the late 1960's Communists were about to accept defeat after their failed Tet Offensive when they saw US news media reporting it as a success. False accusations by American "anti-war" groups also encouraged North Vietnam to continue their fight until the US left the area. Then, breaking their promise not to invade South Vietnam, the Vietnam Communists established a horrific regime that still kills dissenters today with deadly determination. Will America make the same mistake in this war? Only if we allow left-wing propaganda and mainstream news media to repeat history. Instead of that, let's stand up for the troops, and America! Wayne Boettcher is the head of AmericanProtest.net Related Links: |
