Protesting Bush in Idaho

The black helicopters are still swooping around Boise's skies. I live only a few miles from the airport, and I just wish they'd get outta here and take He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named the heck with them. In between their subjective gushing over what a great speech Bush gave, the sorry-ass local TV stations are saying Bush is late because he's spending extra time with family members of fallen soldiers. Maybe so, except I know of at least one Idaho relative not invited due to her vocal opposition to the war.

As late as last night, I wasn't sure I'd show up to protest Bush's appearance at the Idaho Center today. What was the point, I wondered? His staff makes sure he almost never sees protesters. I was also up late last night staffing the Democratic booth at the Ada County Fair, and I just wasn't sure I wanted to make the effort.

But I got up at 6 a.m. after a poor night's sleep and drove to the car-pool lot midway between Boise and Nampa. Once on the scene about 7:15, I joined a group of folks lining up along Can-Ada Road by the Idaho Center. I hadn't brought a sign. Someone gave me a big one that read "Support the Troops. Bring Them Home." (More on this tomorrow ...)

By the time people started arriving for the speech, we had some 150 protesters lining the entrance route. We saw plenty of extended middle fingers and thumbs down, but we also heard honks of appreciation, peace signs, and thumbs-up gestures. A few of the latter came from troops bused in from Mountain Home Air Force Base and from individuals in fatigues arriving in private vehicles. As the traffic backed up, passengers had time to read all our signs and see our faces, and for us to see theirs. And that's when it hit me: I was there to bear witness. For nearly three hours, my presence there - and that of the other protesters - was a prayer for those entering to consider the idea that despite his rhetoric, Bush might not have the troops' best interests at heart. I have no doubt our presence unnerved some of those arriving, and I have no doubt that is a good and necessary thing.

I left the area as Bush's helicopters arrived, and I listened to his speech on the radio as I drove home (and on TV once I arrived). It was the usual litany of Bush's pretzel logic and sour attempts at humor, such as reminding this heavily National Guard-oriented audience that he, too, served in the Guard. (Meanwhile, the joke going around outside was this one: "What's the difference between Vietnam and Iraq? Bush found a way out of Vietnam.")

To paraphrase some more of W's applause lines and offer my responses, if you harbor terrorists, you are as guilty as the terrorists. (OK, so why didn't we attack Saudi Arabia, home to most of the 9-11 hijackers?) We won't let terrorists establish bases in failed states. (Yet that's exactly what they're doing in Iraq, as Bush admitted in his speech. Other than Saddam, whom we could've removed via surgical special ops, Iraq was hardly a hive of terror before the U.S. occupation provoked such activity.) Interestingly, he had the temerity to mention Osama bin Laden, in a remark about going after the terrorists where they live so we don't have to confront them stateside. But of course, Osama is still on the loose.

Air Force One has just taken off. It's a breezy 76 here in Boise, but it's 97 in Texas, where we're sure they'll keep the heat on.

Comments

[Shane]

I was outside of the Idaho Center for hours with anti-bush demonstrators. I don't think people flipping off the protesters was great taste but the thumbs down gets their message across just fun. Having a conservative sign I got many looks of confusion and happiness from soldiers and family members going into the Idaho Center. I also chatted with a couple people which turned out to be very friendly debate. I did see the motorcade which was very cool.

It's great that people were out there voicing their opinions and I'm glad people like you did just that. Keep it up.

I didn't hear the speech, yet (i'm planning on reading it or seeing when it's on c-span.) But I did read this part that I wish I could have been there for.

Speaking to hundreds of Idaho National Guardsmen, the president singled out military mom Tammy Pruett of Pocatello, Idaho, whose husband and five sons have all served in Iraq.

"Tammy has four sons serving in Iraq right now with the Idaho National Guard: Eric, Evan, Greg and Jeff. Last year her husband, Leon, and another son, Aaron, returned from Iraq, where they helped train Iraqi firefighters in Mosul.

"Tammy says this -- and I want you to hear this -- 'I know that if something happens to one of the boys, they would leave this world doing what they believe, what they think is right for our country.'

"And I guess you couldn't ask for a better way of life than giving it for something that you believe in. America lives in freedom because of families like the Pruetts."

The crowd, made up mostly of military family members, broke into cheers and chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!"

[Julie in Boise]

Here is a photo of Tammy Pruett waving after Bush mentioned her family's service:

http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=G0&Date=20050824&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=824001&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=6

I hope all the Pruett men come home alive and intact.

What motorcade did you see? Bush arrived and took off via helicopter, even for the short flight to Boise after his speech.

I am happy to live in a country where I can still protest. I'm just sorry our president can't see *all* the people, including those of us who disagree with him. But it's good we can disagree peaceably.

[Diana Rowe Pauls]

Shane, you must realize that it is very different to state your willingness to sacrifice your son or husband while they are still ALIVE. After they have been killed, it's a different situation. You can't change your mind then, there aren't any "do-overs" once they are dead. Standing at their gravesite is one place to think about the truth and the reality of what price one is willing to pay. It's very hard for me to seriously accept the opinion of someone who's loved ones can still call, e-mail, or come home in one piece. Even some of the Gold Star mothers will state: "I cannot accept it if I find out my son was not killed for a "noble cause"... I MUST believe in the "noble cause" in order to go on..."

Hitler could inspire his audiences also... doesn't make it a good thing.

[Shane]

You're very right Diana. I haven't been in that position and I can't speak from that viewpoint. I pray for anybody who loses a loved one. That's about all I can say from my end of the spectrum. But there are still people who say that their family member died for a cause. Just like soldiers in WW2 etc.

[Julie in Boise]

I've also posted this entry as a diary at Daily Kos, where it's drawing some other interesting comments:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/8/24/184139/882

[Diana Rowe Pauls]

Do you really think that this is an equal comparison to comparing this to WWII? I'm not saying there isn't a good cause, I'm saying that after all of the lies, I don't know what to believe now. I totally support using our wonderful trained skilled military to help out countries in need... I'm a bleeding heart liberal, don't ya know! But even I can see that it is just an excuse to get us to go along with the "plan"... like "war on terror" to keep us feeling safe, "Operation Freedom" keeps us all warm and fuzzy. Saudi's dictator is #3 in the top ten world's worse dictators... it's in the Middle East... it's linked to terrorists... based on all the justifications we were given to invade Iraq, we should be going into Saudi next... but we aren't. Doesn't this tell you something about the "noble cause"?

[Shane]

I see it exactly the same as WWII. Hitler only killed jews, why was that are business? Saddam only killed his own people, who cares?

I do.

There has always been a threat from Saddam since Gulf War 1. Which I think we should have finished the job then. Three presidents have attacked Iraq. Three in a row. Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr. Don't you think that's enough to say that the job needs to be done?

You're right, Saudi Arabia is a tyrannical wasteland. But the idea with Iraq was, and still is, that once we get democracy in the Middle East it will spread. Kind of like what happened with Lebanon. We've got a powerful army, but we can't put ourselves everywhere on this planet even if we wanted to. We need to pick our battles and stick with them.

Don't get me wrong. I'm for bringing our troops home as soon as possible. But we can't do that until Iraq is stable, we can't just leave them to fend for themselves with no protection or stable Iraqi government.

[Diana Rowe Pauls]

RE: "But we can't do that until Iraq is stable, we can't just leave them to fend for themselves with no protection or stable Iraqi government."

I really do agree--but NOT under the current leadership.

Either we impeach Bush and get some real military planners in charge (who aren't afraid of being fired or demoted if they say the "wrong thing") or we bring our troops home NOW. Continuing this mission with this joke of a "commander-in-chief" in charge is the equivelant of military suicide.

[Julie in Idaho]

Iraq was a bad battle to pick, and what we're seeing emerge there bears precious little resemblance to democracy.

[Shane]

Diana,
I don't necessarily agree with Bush's approach either. But a lot of the reason he can't go full out and win in Iraq is because of today’s politics. We've made many mistakes in Iraq, some of which we can't fix. But working at it now is better than not finishing our job, and now, our duty to Iraqis.

Julia,
We haven't won the war yet. And we've still got a lot of work to do. I believe you'll see a lot of change within the next 2-5 years. It's not easy to free people who've been oppressed since day 1 and don't know the meaning of freedom. I still think that what happened on Jan. 30, 2005 was a giant step for Iraq's future.

[Shane]

Julia? What was I thinking?

Ahem - Julie.

[Shane]

Julie,
I just realized I missed one of your questions. I saw the presidential motorcade but Bush wasn't in it. Must have been a diversion. I left before the helicopters got there.

[Diana Rowe Pauls]

FYI... here is the video of Bush's speech... KTVB panned the audience where CNN etc. didn't. Not everybody was clapping and smiling...

http://www.ktvb.com/perl/common/video/wmPlayer.pl?title=www.ktvb.com/presidentspeech.asf