The Scriptorium

“Kill people and rape babies.” That’s what one 12th grade protester thought people in the military do. We’ll get to her later. Today, on the first anniversary of President Bush’s reelection, various anti-war rallies were held across the United States. One organization, Youth Against War and Racism, organized student walk-outs and protest rallies in various cities. In Seattle, YAWR was boasting that they could get an estimated 2000 students to cut classes at noon to show up for the protest. Ben and I were on hand to view “America’s future” at its finest. I’m sure YAWR was disappointed, as we estimate no more than 300 people participated in the protest, and approximately 25% were adults (Seattle radio station KVI reported similar estimates). As protests go, this one was pretty low-key, as if everyone had run through the poppy field in “The Wizard of Oz.” I took quite a few photographs, a sampling of which can be viewed here (page may load slowly, but it’s worth it). We would have liked to be able to mingle undetected, but unfortunately we showered this morning, so we obviously did not belong.

The rally organizers had a dual-purpose of protesting the war in Iraq as well as military recruiting in schools. Apparently, this goal is helped by rhythmic drum beating, as quite a few of the protesters were banging on bongo drums, plastic water bottles, and even a frying pan. Recognizing that the masses of the great unwashed could offend the olfactory senses, one of the protesters had the ingenuity of sticking a couple of sticks of burning incense into the top of his sign. Apparently profanity is also an effective way to make a point, as many signs made extensive use of the “f” word. Listening to KVI radio on the way home afterwards, we heard many callers rightly demanding that their tax dollars spent on Seattle public schools be refunded. A producer for KVI’s John Carlson Show had been at the rally and interviewed several people at random. One was an educator who praised the students who skipped classes to attend this rally for their “idealism and high-mindedness.” I think this educator should focus more on doing his job, as students interviewed were pathetically ignorant. One protester was against the war in Iraq, but this 12th grader had no idea who Condi Rice or Donald Rumsfeld were! Another student opposed military recruiting in schools because the recruiters don’t inform students that they could be sent to war. I’m sorry, but if your 18-year-old child does not know that he or she could go to war if they enlist in the military, then you need to team up with the teachers to actually teach SOMETHING to these kids! Most people can make a connection between the U.S. Army and the people in uniform in Iraq. The KVI producer asked one girl if the military couldn’t offer good opportunities for some students who want to enlist. This 18-year-old girl responded, “Well yea, if you want to kill people and rape babies!” Excuse me?!! If this girl thinks that all servicemen do is kill people, and if she thinks they actually rape babies, then her teachers and parents should be arrested and charged with educational neglect!

The protest was mostly peaceful, thanks to a strong showing by the Seattle Police Department. They acted with the utmost professionalism, even when protesters called them “Nazis” simply for attempting to clear the street. I doff my hat to these officers. All in all, it was a pathetically small showing of largely immoral and unintelligent people who should focus more on staying in school and studying than their so-called “idealism.” Enjoy the pictures, and pray for this country’s future!

Endorsers of the Seattle rally include several Socialist organizations, a group that encourages military desertion, and a pro-Palestinian group: Howard Zinn, Socialist Alternative, Military Out of Our Schools! Teen Peace Project, Sound Non-Violent Opponents of War, American Friends Service Committee, Not In Our Name - Seattle, Green Party of Seattle, Washington Green Alliance, Oregon Green Alliance, Independent Community Activist Network, Stand Up Seattle! Save Our Schools, International Socialist Organization, Majority Visibility Project, Just Don’t Go, Palestine Solidarity Committee, Radical Women, Freedom Socialist Party

UPDATE:
More photos at Private Radio

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer provided predictably favorable coverage to this rally, but they also surprised me. They did not buy the rally organizer’s attendance estimate of 1000, saying, “…but that appeared to be a generous assessment.” While not giving the whole story, this is a giant step for the Seattle P-I to question this sort of detail.