March 18th Rally against the war in Fayetteville

[GreenInNC]

http://www.ncpeacejustice.org/

[musical_soul]

1. Those are always inspiring.

The thing going on between protesters and counter protesters is just not the same. It's more personal because it's often vets leading this one.

Last year's was pretty cool because we got to see Drew Plummer, who had just been discharged. His father had been working with "Bring them home now". I like going just to hear the speakers.

[GreenInNC]

2. the speakers

yeah, it was pretty cool seeing Drew up there with his dad, Lou. What got to me was all the vets wearing their uniforms leading the march. There were a couple of guys in their dress Marine uniforms.

[musical_soul]

4. The vets.

I can't help it. I love watching them (on both sides of the protest) try to send messages to each other about why they're doing what they're doing. The pro-war vets feel betrayed by the anti-war vets. The anti-war vets just think the troops are being done dirty. You see the anger go back and forth, but you also see what they have in common as their bond so to speak. The idea that troops just deserve the most respect. They think the other side doesn't feel that way, but you can see that commodity there between them.

I can't describe it in words. It's such a powerful protest to go to even though it doesn't get that many people. I would recommend all people who protest this war to go to that one.

[SaveAmerica]

3. If you go, can you get out a letter to the editor to major papers in

NC after it's over? After last year's protest several people who didn't go but read about it in papers were led to believe that only outsiders were there (i.e. protest groups from out of the city). I think if you could ask a good representative of people if they are vets and tell those stats in a LTTE, that would make a big difference to how people view the protests.