All Conservatives are stupid according to the "smart" doctor with the 2300+ sign.
She must be a neurosurgeon, eh?
As usual, it only takes a few Conservatives to foul up the good Leftist mood of hatred on a protest day. Five of us showed up at the intersection around 10:30AM on Saturday. Thanks to fellow Conservative mastermind, Keith, we got to exercise our artistic talents just prior to the mission by spray painting a sheet with the words "God Bless the Free Iraq." Keith must have been a Boy Scout in his childhood because he certainly came prepared to make the statement -- staple gun, wooden posts, sheet, and paint. The steadfast Robert came equipped with tools and our standard set of flags -- Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force flags as well as Old Glory and a "We Support Our Troops" flag to make the statement complete. Kelly came prepared with her own sign "Freedom takes Courage" and her stalwart ability to stand quietly for hours just holding her sign, glaring at the old hippies, and waving back to motorists who honked in support of our message. A newer member of the group, JD, brought some homemade fliers to hand out to the Lunkheads and passers-by who didn't get what was going on (see below). I brought my usual attitude, the trusty battleworn boombox replete with patriotic tunes, and a notepad and pen for the names, email addresses and phone numbers that usually come our way from people who stop by to talk to us and want to get involved.
By the end of the day, our numbers had tripled!
At 11AM we took our places at the corner of the intersection, strategically positioned to disrupt the bizarre clotheslines that the old hippies were certainly determined to put up when they arrived an hour later. Just standing there with no opposition from LPAC was a great experience. Motorists passing by were well aware that we were there to support the troops and their mission on this third anniversary of the beginning of the battle to liberate Iraq and annihilate the terrorists harbored within. The number who honked, waved, and gave us big smiles and thumbs-up was certainly gratifying. Even the cold, brisk wind that blew all day on Saturday was no match for the warmth we felt from people who appreciated our efforts.
Paragraphs later, the real story begins... Sam, the leader of the Local Leftist Lunkheads, showed up around 11:30AM. Gee, you'd think that "peace" would be worth getting up earlier for, wouldn't you? He immediately marched over to us to inform us that he had a permit to be there and we would have to move. I had called the Special Events and Permits office of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) to ask about the need for a permit. I was told very clearly and very certainly that no permit was required for our group of under 25 people as long as we didn't obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic. We were doing neither and I informed him of this. He was a little dissatisfied with that answer to say the least.
Now, what would you do as a group leader who leads old hippies into protest against the local "fascist" police force at every opportunity? Well naturally, you call the "fascists" to whine about the five people who refuse to move out of your way! I wonder how much bile police officers have to swallow every time a hypocrite like Sam calls to ask for protection after watching that same hypocrite lead protests against him? The Police Chief of Jeffersontown (which is the little village within Louisville where this particular intersection is found) showed up out of uniform to give us a stern talking to. The problem was that he was out of uniform and resembled one of the old members of the LLL who is constantly marching up to us to demand this or that. Keith mistook him for just that individual. When the Police Chief began his rant about our being there without a permit, Keith promptly said, "Unless you're the mayor of J-town, I'd suggest you get lost." Not necessarily what you might call a good start...
We eventually had a friendly chat with the Chief (who is a Marine combat veteran himself) and were allowed to stand where we had been along. The LLL idiots began trying to figure out how to set up their circus around us. Within 30 minutes, a J-town officer wandered over and told us we'd have to move. After reiterating our discussion with his Chief, we were promptly told that the Chief had now decided that we had to move. I'm sure it was the constant whining of the leader of the Lunkheads that finally got to him. We tried some more debate but got nowhere and one of our crew reminded us that we are not the group who hassles officers in the course of their duty. So, respectfully, we moved from our strategic spot to the lousy one designated by the Chief.
Think they were expecting trouble from the pacifists?!Not exactly an ideal spot as we were often mistaken for part of the LLL contingent -- how did we know that passers-by mistook us for them? Easy. They shouted "F-you, Freaks!" and flipped us the bird. It's easy to tell when the good guys have been mistaken for Lunkheads. I can see how it happened. We usually try to stand across from them but this time we were stuck next to them. Bleck.
Booted to the corner to make way for the Leftist Lunkheads. What's up with that, Chief?!Fortunately, some motorists actually read our signs and realized that we were the good guys. I think I counted a total of 14 people who saw our signs, pulled over, parked, and came to chat or stand with us. This happens a lot when we counter the Leftist Lunkheads. We are primarily visited by veterans who stop to thank us; we are always gratified and astonished by this. However, this particular Saturday was the largest volume of citizens that we've ever had stop by and want to participate -- some veterans but predominantly family members of military personnel.
One fellow was a veteran of the 82nd Airborne and felt very strongly about what we were doing -- he grabbed a flag and waved it for almost 2 hours; Another fellow was the son of a Vietnam veteran and was proud to stand with us because no one stood up for his father back in the dark ages of hippies -- he held signs, waved flags, and stuck around for almost the entire time we were there; a woman and her daughter stopped to thank us -- her daughter is currently in Iraq fighting the good fight; another woman whose daughter is a Marine also deployed to Iraq stopped with three teenage girls -- all four of them held signs and waved flags for about an hour or so. The teenage girls were enjoying themselves. It's nice for teens to see that "protest" is not just for the Left anymore! The funniest thing though had to be the drive-bys we got from two large trucks -- evidently, they had passed us before and realized what was going on. Both drivers (at different times during the day) had gone home, mounted their American flags and drove back to the intersection honking their horns and waving. One truck had the largest American flag I think I've ever seen flying from a vehicle -- it brought huge cheers from all around. I wish I had a picture of that. It was absolutely a perfect gesture.
Military Moms are the best! Thanks for standing with us, Ladies!One of the most gratifying comments I heard was from a gentleman I'd coaxed into stopping by to take part in the counter-protest. He said, "This feels REALLY great!" And, you know what? It DOES! Our hearts swelled with pride to be able to wave Old Glory and the flags of each branch of our Armed Forces in support of our troops and our country. It feels great to get out and make sure that the voice of the average American who supports our troops and loves this great country is not lost in the din of the Leftist lunacy on the streets.
Proud new Protest Warrior! -- Welcome to the fight, Mark!
I wish I could remember the names of all of the good people who stopped to counter-protest with us. God bless them all! And, most especially, God bless our troops and their families during this long and difficult conflict. If you have a service member overseas right now engaged in the conflict, please let them know that they are not forgotten and they are respected, admired, and supported by all of the good Right-thinking people in Louisville!
More pictures taken randomly throughout the day:
Looking forward to our next showdown. Look out LLL, we're baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!
Comments
Thank you and all of those who stood out there to support our troops. You guys are great!
My original plans for that Saturday would've taken me right by there.
-CMC