Blue Angels above, protest below (Cindy Sheehan)

[MaineDem]

BRUNSWICK — The Navy's fighter demonstration team, the Blue Angels, returns to Brunswick next month after a six-year absence, and standing nearby to protest the display of military power will be the nation's most prominent peace activist, Cindy Sheehan. Sheehan gained national attention this month by staging a vigil outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. She is scheduled to join a group of local war protesters who will march from the Brunswick Mall to the Brunswick Naval Air Station on the morning of Sept. 10, her publicist confirmed Monday.

The spokeswoman, Jessica Smith of Fenton Commun- ications, a Washington, D.C.-based public relations firm, said Sheehan canceled a trip to Italy to participate in the Brunswick rally.

In Texas, Sheehan's vigil had drawn counter-protests, but it was unclear Monday whether any were planned for Brunswick.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/local/050830blueangels.shtml

The "other side" is already planning a counter demonstration, even if this reporter doesn't know it yet.

[leftchick]

1. notice the emphasis

on Cindy having a PR person. :eyes:

[displacedtexan]

2. America's favorite waste of taxpayer dollars!

That's what Jon Stewart called The Blue Angels.

[RebelOne]

6. I love the Blue Angels. They are absolutely awesome.

And I don't mind that some of my taxpayer dollars are wasted on them.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

7. Sure they doe some amazing stunts, BUT they are a recruting tool!

I don't like them any more.

[RebelOne]

9. Actually, the military is a good thing in non-wartime.

I have two relatives who were in the Air Force. My cousin joined after he graduated high school. He retired as a Lt. Colonel and is now the chief engineer for the Predator Program. My brother-in-law joined the Air Force when he was 19. He retired as a Tech Sgt. at 39. He receives his full retirement pay, plus works as a free-lance computer programmer for Coca-Cola and makes some big bucks. So being in the military isn't all that bad.

[displacedtexan]

14. My father-in-law was a base commander (flew in 3 wars).

My husband flew with the Blue Angels when he was a little boy.

I'm not insulting the Air Force.

I'm just quoting Jon Stewart.

[newblewtoo]

17. The Thunder birds are Air Force

Blue Angles are Navy....

Not to be picky but you would not insult the Air Force.

Did they close Brunswick to punish Sen. Collins?

[Benhurst]

10. I prefer smartly dressed troops goose-stepping down the street. NT

[0007]

11. Me too!

The heart starts a pumping when the big tanks are right behind the goose steppers. And then the big bomb comes behind the tanks on a semi, larger than an eighteen wheeler.

[Peace Patriot]

3. At least they're covering it. That is one of Cindy Sheehan's great helps

to peace activists everywhere.

It's interesting how they sneak in a call to Freepers to provide some show of opposition. They have no basis for saying anything about counter-demonstrators in the Brunswick situation, so they reach back to Crawford and HYPOTHESIZE that there MIGHT BE. That's our war profiteering corporate news monopolies! They are just so clever at pulling things out of thin air.

I've noticed this particularly in their "news" articles about Hugo Chavez, where they always throw in something like "Hugo Chavez, who has been criticized by the opposition in Venezuela as increasingly dictatorial." No quotes. No sources. No evidence whatsoever. No vetting of this opinion. No facts. They can't point to a single instance of Chavez being "increasingly dictatorial." And they never mention that he was elected by big majorities in elections that were monitored by hundreds of international groups, including the Carter Center, all of whom judged the Venezuelan elections to be honest and aboveboard. So the phrase "increasingly dictatorial" slips sideways into peoples' minds, and gets associated with Chavez, even though it is completely without foundation.

Out of thin air! And if Chavez ever gets pissed--and God knows he has a right to be--and throws a few of these war profiteering corporate news monopoly "journalist"/CIA agents out of his country--boy, will THAT get coverage! CHAVEZ THE DICTATOR!

The man has shown incredible restraint--with the Bush Cartel funding his political opposition (with OUR tax dollars!), instigating a coup attempt, having Pat (dinners at the White House) Robertson call for his assassination, and all-out hate-mongering him, 24/7, in our lapdog American press, and with his own press in Venezuela--entirely owned by the rich oil elite--ALSO hate-mongering him, without let. And--who knows?--we're probably funding THAT, too. It's totally amazing that he HASN'T become "increasingly dictatorial." In fact, he replied to Robertson's call for his assassination by offering lower gas prices and free medical care to America's poor! (The guy is brilliant! Really!) He has NOT shut down the "free press" in Venezuela--they continue to vilify him day after day. He has NOT confiscated anybody's Jaguars--or land--or other riches. He's merely using some of the nationalized oil to help Venezuela's vast poor population, who have never before been represented in government. He helped write and pass Venezuela's first real Constitution, including the recall provision they tried to use to take him down. (He won 60% of that vote.) He believes in democracy! Strongly believes in it.

So when they invent this "dictator" out of thin air--is it any wonder that they ALSO invent counter-demonstrators out of thin air, to associate Cindy Sheehan with conflict and controversy, where NONE HAS ARISEN AS YET?

"...but it was unclear Monday whether any were planned for Brunswick." Jeez!

[Imagevision]

4. Cindy needs to be more selective choosing who to protest

Like Cheney or Rumsfeld, -- Blue Angels? god bless but I hope it doesn't paint a questionable version of Cindy. Stay with the heavy weights!


http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[MaineDem]

5. Not only that, this base was just slated to be closed

The economy in the area is going to suffer a major loss.

I think the timing is bad.

[Centered]

12. I would have to agree

Nothing says "Hi there... I'd love to have my ass kicked today" like protesting the military at a base slated to be closed.

That would be about as stupid as protesting unions during a strike.

[cosmokitty1627]

8. News on the bus tour?

I'm new here and was wondering if there is any more news on the bus tour Cindy is going to start. I live in Georgia and I heard she is going to head south. I'd love to see her and show my support for her effort.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Pewlett Hackard]

13. CINDY

the greatest American today, bar none!

[IA_Seth]

15. I will have to suspend support of Cindy on this one...

I don't see the need of protesting this at all. I think this weakens her image and will ultimately hurt her cause.

The military isn't evil. To think that a nation can exist without armed forces is naive. I DO agree that our present administration deserves protesting and I think that this general type of protesting anything military will defeat her mission.

My two cents.

[mitchum]

16. What did Sideshow Bob say about "buzz cut Alabamians entertaining...

gape-mouthed yahoos" in relation to the Blue Angels?
I can't remember the exact quote.