My apologies to Bill Chapman and the Knox County GOP Committee. I was scheduled to visit the Union Fair Saturday, but another event ended up consuming the entire day. I swung by Kennebunkport early Saturday on my way to Union to say hello to Byron Grant and lend some support to the Gathering of Eagles. For those not familiar with GOE, they are American Veterans who stand in support of the fallen and those on active duty by standing in quiet dignity, offering silent opposition to the professional anti-war activists that routinely protest around the country. I was looking forward to meeting Bill Scarborough and the folks who were setting up around Walker's Point to “welcome” Cindy Sheehan and her minions. As events progressed, it quickly became apparent that I couldn't leave. It was important that I stand shoulder to shoulder with those committed to the cause. I grabbed my sign and waited in the August heat for the protestors to approach. They eventually arrived, like some kind of angry circus.
I was shocked at what I saw and heard. There were some in the Sheehan/Kucinich crowd that were civilized in their civil disobedience. They should be commended and respected for exercising their freedom of speech. Peaceful protestors, however, seemed few and far between. The group that approached us at Walker's Point was rowdy, raucous and rude. On more than one occasion they invaded people's personal space as they sought to provoke an irrational response. I am proud to say that not once did any of the men and women I stood with stoop to the level of the protestors. They were deliberately attempting to incite violent confrontation, and we refused to take the bait. We stood proudly and silently with our signs knowing full well that a dialogue with these people was not possible. One young man chastised, teased and ridiculed the young and the old among us as he clanged some kind of instrument. He made profane comments about our children, our spouses and our lives in general. He was pejorative and presumptive about who he thought we were. He was brash, insulting and seemingly without remorse. I couldn't help but consider the irony of his comments, how steeped in his own biases they were. The media accounts of the day suspiciously neglected to mention the aggressive bent of the protestors. What I witnessed will forever stay indelibly etched in my mind.
On our walk back to our vehicles one protester insulted and badgered a 15-year old girl who attended the counter protest with us. Of special note was the colorfully, inflamed speech of one of the group's “grannies.” She had a mouth that would make a sailor blush and the lungs of a lumberjack. She was loud, boisterous and unapologetically vulgar as she dropped multiple four-letter remarks in sequence. She's lucky my father wasn't around to hear her! Another “highlight” was the chant lead by the folks from the "Socialist Party of Massachusetts" - “Fight the rich, not the war! Fight the rich, not the war!"
The motivation of these folks is perplexing. The war seems to give them an opportunity to promote all their other Anti-American views. In that regard it seems politically disingenuous and intellectually dishonest in so many ways. They do not seem able or willing to participate in a dialogue about national security. Instead, these folks are simple contrarians, seeking to deconstruct freedom and capitalism one step at a time. In attendance were many different fringe groups, demanding everything from impeachment to socialism. Quite a colorful spectrum of groups that range from the anti-globalization coalition to the so-called “9/11 Professors for Truth.” They offer a startling contrast to mainstream Americans, those of us that are pro-family, pro-business, pro-America. These folks are not. The contrast was palpable. It is radically different from what we know and love.
I would encourage everybody to participate in a Gathering of Eagles counter-protest so you can see for yourself. If you are like me, you will leave more motivated.
Many thanks to those who turned out and stood with us - Mr. Byron Grant and the 'Gathering Eagles', Mr. Bill Scarborough, Gary and Trish Koch and their two daughters, (Gary was featured on the front of the Portland paper yesterday!) Ignacio and Nancy Sosa and their son Nick, Jens Bergen, Jane Faulkner and the ever reliable and able counter-protester Dan Schuberth.
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