I felt the hatred today
My wife and I were driving up to Flagstaff to see a movie a few hours ago. Before we left town (Sedona Arizona), we saw a peace demonstration and decided to skip the movie and exercise of rights as US citizens to express ourselves :-)
About 1% of the people driving by expressed pure hatred and rage against the people demonstrating. I like to think that I am thick skinned, but the hatred and rage did give me an occasional tight feeling in my chest.
I learned in High School that Americans have the right of free speech
I respect people who support the Bush administration wanting to go to war without UN support. I don't agree with them, but they are Americans and I respect both their opinions and their rights to express themselves.
One woman with three kids in the car rolled down her window and started yelling and swearing at us. I was more disturbed that she was in effect telling her kids that it is not OK to express freedom of speech than by her profanity.
I am confused how people can get so upset and mad at peaceful people standing by the road expressing a desire that we give the UN inspection regime a chance. I wonder: don't they understand that free speech is what the US is all about?
About 50% of the people driving by gave a thumbs up
One thing that I was surprised about: about 50% of the people driving by actively gave a thumbs up or a happy-sounding toot on their car horns. Another 25% smiled warmly - I figure that these are the people who disagreed with us but respected our rights of free speech under the US Constitution. I have seen a few polls that say that about 60% of US voters favor going to war, but only with UN support (no, just England and a few ex-soviet countries desparate for our foreign aid don't cut it in my book).That is actually my position: we should deal with Iraq, but only under the auspices of the UN.
1:05:35 PM 
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