War Protesters

I can't wait till Michael and Gary get here. We are going to have a great fight this morning. I have mixed emotions about the protesters. Mill Valley seems to be a hotbed of activity. I lived in Mill Valley for twenty years but recently moved into San Francisco. I never really bonded with MV. It's a great little town of 13,000 people and going down to the town square, it reminds one of a little Swiss village. To say that it is yuppieville is an understatement but also, quite politically way to the left of Micahel Moore. I hate labels but sometimes don't know what else to use. Mill Valley ain't conservative, you can know that for sure. And, liberal causes are a way of life.

They even have an old folks home that has a bunch of senior protesters. Yesterday, this new group was out in the rain. I was going to take picures but by the time I got my camera, they were gone. I will have to say that they had some pretty unique signs--several like peace symbols and then some banners. Most of the folks riding by were sympathetic, blowing their horns. Not me but I didn't give them the finger either.

I have mixed emotions. My feelings all along have been that we had to get Saddam sooner or later. He was a madman, killing his own people, the worst sort of despot. It was going to happen. I would have preferred later. For one thing, we were still fighting in Alfganistan, please! I totally supported our efforts in Alfganistan and taking out the Taliban and getting Osama. Iraq pretty much was contained and so let's wait it out. But, it looked like "W" was bound and determined to go to war with him as the larger idea of fighting terrorism. I was skeptical. My philosophical belief was that after 9-11, our lives changed forever and everybody in America's lives had changed, never to return. Terrorism had been a part of the world community for a long time and now it had come to us. So, we have to realize, accept it and prepare as best we can and not worry about it. We are who we are and to change that, for better or for worst, is to give the victory to the terrorists. George W. didn't see it my way, obviously.

And, I thought that we ought to get more of our traditonal allies on board. I voted for Bush the first time but couldn't stomach the mismanagement of the war. Then we had the invasion and it went smoothly and the infamous Bush pronouncing a victory. There were some symbolic gestures, i. e., pulling down the statue of Saddam and almost as quickly, there was sudden chaos and things began to fall apart. And, it became obvious to those of us who had some experience with the military that nothing had been done to secure the peace.

Obviously, it was a belief by Rumsfelt and others that somehow, the presense of the U. S. in the Mideast would give us a foothold and support the Iraelis; I mean, if you listened to the "talking heads", somehow it all seemed plausible. The problem was that it did not work. Looting was widespread, there was no security and worse of all, we could not secure the safetyof the people. It was a disaster in the making that continues. Suddenly, W's view of victory went to hell in a handbasket and so now we are heading toward the inglorious mark of 2000 dead Americans and maybe as many as 100,000 Iraqis, and we have the Mill Valley protest.

Damn, I just don't know how I feel. Somehow, I don't think I can go along with the protesting. I remember Vietnam and the protesters. I was younger then but it felt like betrayal. Here we were in Nam, fighting for our country. Fighting in the sense that the country had sent us to Vietnam, we didn't just show up on our own. We felt the protesting was very personal toward us. I never doubted the sincerely of those protesting, I don't think but it just didn't feel right.

OK, here' s Michael. He looks like warmed over death.

"What in the hell is going on with you, you look like s...."

"I know, I know, too much dancing over the weekend." Michael is a bigtime sausa dancer and much in demand. It is a form of exercise to him but also I think he's looking at women. He says no but give me a break!

"What you been up too?"

"Oh, just making it over the weekend."

What about yourself.

Well, I am working on my house a little, still leaking.

Did you see the protesters.

He curses. Michael is a hardcore patriot to the max. Served in the Navy and had orders to go to Navy Seal School but at the last moment got detailed into Navy intell. "Ass holes, you got to be kidding me. I felt like stopping and kicking their ass."

Gary comes in. "Well, about time you got here."

"Yeah, I had to get a cup of coffee. the coffee here sucks but I'm not telling them like Michael told Santi." (Santi was the owner of another place we use to hang out and still go to on occasion).
"What you guys up too?

Well, we are tralking about the protesters.

What protesters?

You didn't see them.

No, where where there?

Well, they were at Tam junction. In the rain no less.

I tell you what gets me about them. Not any of them have been in the military, they don't know shit about what is going on.

You can't say that. At least they are out there doign something. I don't think the war is so damn hot myself.

What in the hell do you know.

Well, I know what I read and our ass is in a qaugmire and your man, Bush won't admit it. All of you who voted for him are now going to have to live with him.

Give me a break.