Sunday, March 19, 2006

Anti-War No More?

The media was all geared up for what their leftist operatives told them would be a huge day for anti-war protests; too bad neither the left or the media is in touch with reality...first, the Salt Lake City Tribune:

Anti-war protesters in SLC, elsewhere lament apathy

By the time the war protesters began their march Saturday morning in Salt Lake City, only about 50 people had gathered....The early low turnout was discouraging to some, such as Susan Westergard of Holladay. "There's just about more policemen here than people," said the Democratic candidate for the Utah House of Representatives in District 40...

In Times Square, about 1,000 anti-war protesters rallied outside a military recruiting station, demanding that troops be withdrawn from Iraq.
Police in London said 15,000 people joined a march from Parliament and Big Ben to a rally in Trafalgar Square. The anniversary last year attracted 45,000 protesters in the city.
In Turkey, where opposition to the war cuts across all political stripes, about 3,000 protesters gathered in Istanbul, police said. ''Murderer USA,'' read a sign in Taksim Square. [The "cuts across all stripes" line is editorializing, and obvioulsy false - if it were true, why only 3,000 protestors? - ed.]

One of the biggest protests was in San Francisco, for decades a hub of anti-war sentiment. Police there estimated the crowd gathered outside City Hall at about 6,000 people. Many chanted slogans opposing Bush, and most appeared to hail from a distinctly grayer demographic than that of other protest events. ''There are not enough young people here,'' said Paul Perchonock, 61, a physician...

50 people in Salt Lake City, including a hapless Congressional wannabe? 1,000 in Times Square, New York, the so-called "crossroads of the world"?? If you can only mass 1,000 people in a liberal city of over 8 million, I don't think you have much of a cause.
Of course, there are other reasons - perhaps people, especially the "young people" that Dr. Perchonock laments, realize that this war is a good war, and the right thing to do to safeguard America? Or maybe some of the anti-war heroes, like Cindy Sheehan and John Murtha, are just a little to foul for the average American to stomach? Perhaps people realize we are actually winning this war? Or even if they are anti-war, is it possible they understand that pulling out now would have tragic consequences?

And overseas - only 15,000 in Londonstan? Just 3,000 in Muslim Turkey? Wait, I thought they all hated us...
Speaking of foul, see Cindy Sheehan puff piece here; from San Fran, of course...money quotes:

Sheehan has been severed from much of her old life -- or she has severed it herself. Her marriage, her job, her home. Loss of most of her friends, whom she cannot forgive for voting to re-elect Bush. Loss of her Catholic faith...
...A January Vanity Fair spread featured a photo of Cindy Sheehan, eyes closed, lying on her son's grave: National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg suggested it was "the most shameless, exploitative stunt of the decade."
And Jonah may be underestimating the grossness of her actions...
Anyway, here's the AP shilling for the anti-war movement as well:

The third anniversary of the U.S.-led war in Iraq drew tens of thousands of protesters around the globe, from hurricane-ravaged Louisiana to Australia, with chants of "Stop the War" and calls for the withdrawal of troops.
About 200 war veterans, hurricane survivors and demonstrators gathered Sunday at the Chalmette National Cemetery...
Many of the weekend demonstrations across Australia, Asia and Europe drew smaller-than-anticipated crowds. Only about 200 joined a march Sunday down New York's Fifth Avenue, with signs including: "We the People Need to do More to End the War."...
Anti-war rallies in Japan stretched into a second day Sunday, with about 800 protesters chanting "No war! Stop the war!" and banging drums as they marched peacefully through downtown Tokyo
Protesters also gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia, and at least 1,000 people turned out in Seoul, South Korea, which has the third-largest contingent of foreign troops in Iraq after the U.S. and Britain.

"Tens of thousands"? What, if you add them all together?
I guarentee you there are demostrations every day that draw more than 200, or 800 people, for causes that the AP does not agree with (pro-life, support of the troops, etc.) so it is simply not reported. But 200 for an anti-war protest? Hell, lets make it "tens of thousands"!

It would be interesting to see if the media does any research why anti-war protests have fizzled so...will they explore any of the avenues listed above? Or is the little liberal room so tightly sealed that not a dissenting thought, or fact, can enter?

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