The purpose of Protest Warrior's counter-demonstration against LPAC is to show our support and gratitude to the Kentucky Derby Festival for its efforts to put on a spectacular event like Thunder over Louisville. In addition, we want to publicly thank all the Thunder sponsors -- Chase, Caesars, Ford, and UPS for providing their funding and unwavering support for this annual event that hundreds of thousands of people enjoy each year. And to all the other businesses and individuals that donated through the Thunder Funder program, we thank them as well.
Thunder over Louisville's airshow showcases a wide variety of civilian and military aircraft as is typical of airshows held each year across the United States. The fact that LPAC believes that military aircraft shouldn't be used today is simply incomprehensible. They claim the aircraft used today are 'weapons of mass destruction.' However, the truth is they are implements of liberation and defenders of freedom. For example, the World War II era aircraft flying today represent the same ones that liberated hundreds of millions of people in Europe and the South Pacific from the wretched scourges of the Nazis and Imperial Japan. The more modern aircraft represent the ones that kept us protected, free, and at peace with the Soviet Union during the cold war. They also represent their use in the Gulf War to liberate Kuwait from the dictator Saddam Hussein. Now in the war against terror, these planes have been used to bring freedom and democracy to Iraq and Afghanistan. Those nations combined, 50 million citizens are now free and have voted in their first democratic elections ever held in their histories.
And, let us not forget the Blackhawk helicopters and C-130 cargo planes that have delivered thousands of tons of desperately needed humanitarian relief supplies to the people of the Indian Ocean region whose lives were shattered by the recent tsunami.
In all these instances, these military aircraft were flown and supported by the courageous and honorable men and women of the United States Armed Forces whose service and sacrifice have ensured our republic's freedom and security for over 28 years. And it is they to whom we ultimately pay our respects today.
In counter-demonstrating against LPAC today, Protest Warrior wishes to send a clear signal that LPAC's views are those of a small minority in this community. There will be nearly 500,000 people on the waterfront enjoying Thunder over Louisville today. Though our group is small compared to what LPAC has assembled today, we believe we represent the prevailing opinion of support for the use of military aircraft in Thunder over Louisville.
We say thank you once again to the United States Armed Forces, the Kentucky Derby Festival, Chase, Caesars, Ford, UPS, and all the Thunder Funders. God bless America!"
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