If you've read the previous article on the Charlottesville Center for Peace & Justice's (CCP&J) denial that it is involved in or sponsoring any protests or disruptions at Monticello's July 4 ceremony, this will be simultaneously amusing - and infuriating.
On the CCP&J main page, the following article by David Swanson was posted top and center, at 10:31am on July 2 (the day after the above email exchange), where it's remained ever since. Following are key excerpts from the article:
“There are various flavors of opposition to protesting Bush because new citizens are being 'naturalized.' There are those who believe it's more important to make sure no new citizen is disturbed by the protest than it is to protest Bush. But more numerous are those who believe it would be bad PR to be attacked by the corporate media as disruptors of a ceremony for immigrants (the corporate media's love for whom is so well known).
“But Bush will be making a speech which attendees could interrupt, if they choose, without interrupting the ceremony, which will probably come after the speech. There is no reason to think the majority of those being "naturalized" don't oppose Bush as much as everyone else. There is no reason to think they won't join in a protest. And protesting on the road outside, which is where most of the protesting will happen, won't disturb them. Bush is killing people every day, in Iraq and elsewhere. It is hard to justify placing the lives of those victims below the undisturbed ceremony of a small number of new citizens. Isn't it more important to do everything we can that might help save lives? The new citizens are going to care more about becoming citizens than about the ceremony, and many of them will probably be grateful or join in if Bush is protested.
"In addition, there is something very fitting, not just justifiable, about protesting Bush at a ceremony where people are forced to swear to support and defend the Constitution and the laws of the land. Bush routinely violates both. Living up to their newly sworn duty will oblige the new citizens, just as the rest of us are obliged, to push in every way possible for Bush's impeachment. So, a chant of 'Defend the Constitution! Impeach Bush!' would actually communicate an appropriate message…
“…(President Bush has) abandoned American towns and cities to hurricanes and floods, and shipped thousands of soldiers to their deaths on a mission that has slaughtered over a million innocent human beings, a mission that is ongoing and worsening as we speak (or fail to). This does not bode well for elections as our salvation.
"...(O)ne brave soul expressed his disappointment that he would not be attending Bush's speech, because - while he opposed any protest that might be heard - he had been looking forward to ... - drumroll, please - ... withholding his applause.
…“(S)o, here's my question. Do we accept the standards being established for the White House by Bush and Cheney? Or do we oppose them?”
Those of you who are graduates of the Orwellian Institute for Political DoubleSpeak will read all the above as a non-call for a non-protest, and a non-urging for a non-disruption of the Monticello ceremony You will also recognize that this is most decidedly not being published, or in any way supported, by the CCP&J.
Those of you who weren't able to attend the Institute (or were expelled for questioning anything), however, may see it just a bit differently. Not least in regards to Mr. Swanson's appointment of himself to interpret what these "new citizens" do and don't value, like and want in this ceremony.
One question that has been posed to this blog more than any other is: "Why the h*ll hasn't the local news media picked up on all this? Why do they let the CCP&J and David Swanson get away with this, without scrutiny??? Why do they let him say that he hopes no one disrupts the ceremony* - when he's been the one urging it???" (*see "Update" at the bottom of this thread)
Good question.
We have no answer to offer.
But the numerous lies contained in this missive by Mr. Swanson will be addressed in a blogthread soon, by a guest writer who's a recently-retired veteran of more than a quarter-century in the U.S. military. He has a distinct take on Mr. Swanson's views, and allegations about our soldiers and their leadership.
In other news, this blog learned from a reader tip that Mr. Swanson has even been banned by DailyKos.com.
Those of us who know what a bastion of unhinged leftist hatred and America-bashing sentiment that Kos represents* are amused that Mr. Swanson was banned for - surprise - allegedly violating its copyright policies. Just as Mr. Swanson apparently does not understand property rights (insofar as Monticello is private property, and he doesn't have the right to dictate who does and does not speak, and yet is urging others to disrupt a ceremony there)... he apparently does not understand Kos's intellectual property rights policies, either.
(*One example will suffice: On 31March04, four U.S. security contractors were tortured, murdered, their bodies ripped apart, burned, dragged through the streets, and their body parts hung from a Fallujah, Iraq bridge by Islamist terror militias. In response, Markos Moulitsas ["Kos"] issued the following patriotic, compassionate, tolerant, peace-advancing statement: "SCREW THEM!!!" [the contractors]. And when asked on Meet The Press if he'd like to revise his comment, Kos actually attempted to justify his "screw them." THIS is the guy who found Mr. Swanson's actions to be unacceptable? Goodness gracious!!!) .
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