Amidst all the discussion about health care reform, infamous Bush-bashing organization Answer (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) held its annual war protest recently in Washington, D.C., to mark the seventh anniversary of the United States’ congress-approved invasion of Iraq.
The protest garnered about 2,500 people downtown according to police. As in previous years, the gathering was basically comprised of well-educated, well-informed pacifists — hippies — stomping around Washington yelling “Indict Bush!”
The protest itself was headlined by a speech by former presidential candidate Ralph Nader, followed by a very ironic, violent trampling of a Dick Cheney dummy outside of the Halliburton offices. Finally, someone figured out no one cared about anything they were doing, and everyone went home.
So now as I sit here curled up with a bowl of Ramen watching my hero Glenn Beck on Fox News and I offer you my brief commentary on an incredibly successful and thought-provoking protest. I’m going to offer you a shocking piece of information.
George Walker Bush is no longer the president of the United States. Wow!
Here’s a memo to Answer and to pacifists in general: When attacking the federal government for their presence in a foreign country, at least attack the administration carrying out the war.
I know, I know, politics are complicated, and often times liberals can’t handle juggling more than one issue at a time, but unless I’m mistaken, didn’t President Obama just send some 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan? Did the Bush administration’s initial military action in 2003 write President Obama a blank check to do anything he wants with no consequence?
Most, if not all, of the anger displayed in downtown Washington was directed at ex-President Bush, with few or no attacks on Obama, the commander in chief of the military who carries out wars both in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If I had a dollar for every time Obama has brought up “the previous administration” in a speech, I’d probably have enough money to open a new Reitz Union restaurant.
Agree with me or not, at the very least, credit me for actually knowing what I was talking about in regards to the Answer protest. I understand it’s easy to be ignorant. After all, it sure is easier to digest an oversimplified rant about a four-day conservative political gathering on MSNBC than actually attend or even read about the event.
Matt Powers is a sophomore engineering student.
