Protesters

[snakey32]

This year the Republican National Convention is being held in downtown Saint Paul. There have been numerous stories in the local media regarding protesters clamoring to get strategic spots in order to ruin things for the GOP. I really despise protesters in general. They're typically fanatical, weak-minded flakes who feel that making a big stink is their way of changing the world.

I've been fantasizing for a few weeks now about rounding up a large group of able-bodied guys to gather in Saint Paul during the convention in order to antagonize the protesters. It would be just awesome to beat down a bunch of *****-arsed, hippy douches whose goal was to inconvience others and whine in chorus. I bet it would only take a few dozen of us to beat back several hundred hippy protesters.

Should I feel bad for my hatred of protesters? I understand that we do have the right to protest and that is for good reason. However, I think it is aggravating and over-used, especially by lefties. Don't get me wrong though, I feel the same about the far-right abortion clinic protesters.

[DenButsu]

As long as they're not wearing pink...

[blenderboy5]

I suppose it depends on the circumstances.

After studying it (I was obviously too young to be alive) I have absolutely no respect for the protestors of the Vietnam War. Especially their dispicable treatment of returning soldiers. Sometimes police brutality isn't enough.

And I had little respect for Cindy "The men who blew my son to smithereens are Freedom Fighters" Sheehan.

But protesting is an essential right. While it is overused, and it can have terrible effects (like helping the Vietnamese outlast America), it's still our right.

I guess people should use it responsibly, but it's one of those rights that should have little restriction as long as its peaceful.

[CubsGirl]

^I agree with your Cindy Sheehan comment. She had such a GREAT platform, but she ruined it by being a total psycho.

[blenderboy5]

She seriously was.

She could have easily said "my brave son who was 10 times a braver person than many americans died, and i'm upset. We shouldn't be in Iraq."

Instead she alienates herself from moderates, becomes a puppet of moveon.org and Michael Moore, starts calling the people killing the very soldiers she claims to love "freedom fighters," calls Americans terrorists, etc.

And what did that get her?

[Max Power]

It is clearly their right, but more often than not, they just turn people off to even listening to their stance due to their idiotic methods.

The ACLU wackjobs are the worst. I have come accross these morons staging protests at sporting events such as the Super Bowl and all star games *****ing about bag checks, metal detectors, and some BS about illegals. Nobody wants to hear their crap, pretty much ever, let alone on their way to a sporting event.

[H-MYK]

I agree with snakey32. I just think that some of these people (sometimes psychos) do these protests for publicity and the media caves in, gives them what they want. In some cases, I don't think that they should be allowed protesting and the media shouldn't be allowed giving them attention. It's pretty hard for me to explain, so bear with me.

[WES445]

Protesting is a american right even if I disagree with their causes. I draw the line at illegals or foreigners protesting for rights they aren't entitle to.

[ari1013]

Protesting is better than rioting. As long as it's civil, there's nothing wrong with it. The whole point of it is to annoy you into wanting them to stop -- and an easy way to do that is to capitulate to their demands.

[gcoll]

Most of them annoy me.

[eyememine]

I'm against protesting and picketing, I just don't know how to show it

[sboyajian]

I don't have a problem with it as long as you aren't encroaching on someone's elses rights.

Many protesters seem to think since they are on the line, it gives them the right to get in people's faces, push them around, etc.

If you want to stand out there and say your catchy phrases .. fine.. but:

a. Don't prevent someone from crossing. It's not your place.
b. Don't touch me.. I will jam my fist so far into your jugular the last thing on your mind will be what your sign says
c. Don't yell at me.. I can read and my ears work just fine..


Nevermind.. I changed my opinion.. protesters suck.. they can go **** themselves.

[blenderboy5]

Protesting is a american right even if I disagree with their causes. I draw the line at illegals or foreigners protesting for rights they aren't entitle to.

Seriously. I would deport every mexican protesting for amnesty.

[DenButsu]

I don't have a problem with it as long as you aren't encroaching on someone's elses rights....

a. Don't prevent someone from crossing. It's not your place.
b. Don't touch me.. I will jam my fist so far into your jugular the last thing on your mind will be what your sign says

I don't know if they still do this anymore or not, but when I was in college Operation Rescue would blockade medical clinics to prevent doctors, nurses and women who wanted/needed abortions from entering, and also just to generally harass them if they dared to show up. To counter this, there was an organized clinic defense effort. It was like a big spy game... Operation Rescue would try to keep it secret which clinics they were targeting, sometimes letting false information leak out, the clinic defense group would try to get a jump on them and beat them to the clinics in order to get the stronger position near the door so they could form human tunnels/human barricades that would provide for the safe passage of the medical staff and patients into and out of the clinics. Both groups had "secret agents" inside the other to try to get the upper hand on information control.

The whole thing was madness (and a good example of how a lot of religious zealots put their own religious "laws" above the law).

Anyhow, I went out to a few of these clinic defense actions. Your post reminded me of a time when the clinic defenders had made a human barricade along the front wall of a clinic down to the doorway, and when a pregnant woman was rushing through to try to enter, this priest was running alongside outside the barricade, attempting to jump over it when he could to try and bash her in the head with his bible. He got one good knock in right on top of her noggin, at which point one of the barricaders broke from the line and just clocked him.

That was interesting.

[PHX-SOXFAN]

Seriously. I would deport every mexican protesting for amnesty.

I'm sure you would. I guess it's a good thing that we'll have comprehensive immigration legislation by the end of next year with the next president, regardless of who it is, and the less conservative congress.