From: J. Lee (milveh@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Mon Aug 19 2002 - 00:19:50 PDT
I just finished reading Jon's e-mail and I have to admit, aside from the
pride I felt for him and his new friends in uniform, I was also a little
jealous because my town doesn't like big green things and such impromptu
military events. Safe to say, the all too vocal minority here does not like
anything military! But, should you need a candle-light vigil in a protest
of US imperialism, we're your community! Back in the Gulf war days I
remember those many young Mom's and grade school teachers with their little
kids walking in a long line down the Esplanade, those innocent little kids
carrying protest signs, like "No blood for Oil!" Oh, it made for good press
and it also made me pretty frustrated knowing this town only turned out one
3rd grade class out of over 3000 students for our Vets Day at the Park and
we had POW's to tell them living history lessons!
We're known as little Berkeley and for good reason and we're know as the
little town with the big party college too. We're infamous for riots on St.
Pats and Halloween in our downtown area when the armature drunks always get
out of hand. We're known for that and for burning couches in the streets
and throwing rocks and bottles at cops when they try to shut down a kegger,
but we're not known for turning out in support of people in uniform who
fought and died to provide those very freedoms they so often abuse to the
point of piggish indulgence. Ironic isn't it?
I hope some day things will be different around here and maybe for the left
coast in general, however I'm not likely to see things change unless
terrorists actually nuke San Francisco or Berkeley... now then we might have
a sort of mass conversion to patriotism and a new found respect for those
who defend her, past present and future. Till then I seriously doubt
anything will change. They peppered the downtown with these foolish "No
Hate Zone" posters aimed at chastising anyone who might express some outrage
over the deaths of thousands of Americans on 9/11 and in support of
understanding for the other side who did it to us!
So Jon now you know why I am a little jealous and why I look forward to the
day when we'll have our own convoy of big green trucks go right thru
downtown with American flags that are not being set on fire.
Jack
Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2002 10:11 PM
Subject: Re: [MV] Celebrate Freedom Parade
> The 14th Armored did the battle at Pigeon Forge last weekend...nice
> people.......we will be back next year........Took the M5A1 and the
> CCKW......had a blast.....had full access to the roads...did an imprompt
to
> parade......down the main drag with several jeeps and had all the vehicles
> covered with ground pounders and Airborne guys...full uniforms and
> weapons......the people on the street were great....plenty of thumbs
> up.......Kinda cool driving a M5A1 down the main street, running out
around
> 35mph......MGs all over the place.....FREEDOM!
>
> Jon
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