Da Goddess

The Pity Party, Part II

Continued....

Once our group of five had assembled, we headed down to the rally for Pablo. A few of us handed out the pieces of paper with the US Codes on them. At first, people accepted them. Of course, we drew attention and I was soon flanked by my own little entourage of activists. I expected this. I'd heard them announce their intentions to run interference any way they could.

"She's a Protest Weenie!" Protest Warrior. And, yes, yes, I am. Damn proud of it, too. Especially if that means that I intend to uphold basic values like those Pablo has eschewed.

I ran into a few familiar faces - people I'd encountered at other rallies. I called them by name and offered my own. I even attempted to shake hands, but I think they were afraid they might catch a conscience if they touched me. I was tickled by this. I mean, if anyone should have been afraid to touch someone else in this crowd, it should have been me.

Undaunted, I continued on, with my new sidekicks. They held signs in front of the camera if I attempted to take photos. That didn't stop me from snapping away. They couldn't cover every angle all the time. On the other hand, when they wanted my photo, I obliged, pointing out my good side. (Yes, I have one.) Their general tactic was to stick the camera within an inch or two of my face and snap away. I can only hope that I had no stray - uh, debris - dangling from my nostrils.

While I was being monitored, I stood and listened to several of the self-important speeches being made. The instructor from City College couldn't seem to get over herself and her contribution to warping Pablo's beliefs. "I teach critical thinking...." she said. All I could think was that she was seriously lacking that skill. She basically admitted to encouraging his desertion.

Prior to Elva Salinas' speech, Jim Brown, of Veterans for Peace, spoke on the immorality of the war in Iraq, and of Pablo's deep, heartfelt conviction that the U.S. military is evil. I piped up with "then he never should have joined." Jim responded that Pablo was a victim of poverty and that the recruiters used that to their advantage (a poverty draft), just as they had on him many years ago. To that I say bullshit. Many people find ways to combat poverty. Most go out, get an education, get jobs. Some of them do get training and experience through the military. That doesn't make the military evil. That makes them a portal to opportunity.

The only reason Jim and his friends feel as they do is because they want to bring an end to democracy in America. Their ultimate goal is to be achieved one piece at a time. More on this later. Promise.

Most people wouldn't talk to me. To his credit, Carl Muhammad did. I listened as he went on about the ideals of communism and how it trumps democracy and capitalism. When I asked why communism hasn't worked elsewhere, he claimed capitalist influence ruined it. When another Protest Warrior asked him why people from communist countries wanted to come to America, Carl again cited the corrupting influence of capitalism. Not freedom, money. Money is the only reason anyone wants to live here. I guess that's why all our communist/socialist/anarchist protesters don't move to countries where they could live in their perceived utopian society. The lure of money and personal success - however they define it - is too powerful. I asked, too, about the leadership in a communist society. How does he explain their wealth? Oh, yes, of course. They've been corrupted by our society.

None of that matters. Our military is evil and must be destroyed. The actions of these protesters are but a small step to that end.

I learned a lot during our conversation. Carl and I have several areas of common ground. Neither of us is swimming in money, we care deeply about our children, and we feel strongly about our views. But we differ greatly in so many other ways. Just as I feel I differ from Pablo Paredes.

For Carl, Pablo, and many of their cohorts, there is only victimization and the corruption of power. For me, there is a basic sense of right and wrong, personal responsibility, honor, and dignity. I don't doubt that Carl, Pablo, and the other activists believe they possess these qualities, but I have yet to see a single one of them put them into action. Warping everything into a political event, hiding behind signs, screaming "oppression" at every opportunity, they only serve to perpetuate their perceived victimhood.

Pablo has been a mere pawn in a game designed to undermine, first, our military, and second, in an attempt to destroy the democracy that we hold dear in America. His life is ruined because he chose to listen to people who lack basic core values. Honor, courage, and commitment.

Honor. Courage. Commitment. Those aren't just words. They're what we believe, and what we strive to uphold.

Pablo, you promised to serve your country and to live by those values. You failed. You listened to the wrong people. Sure, you turned yourself in, but what now?

Posted by DaGoddess at December 19, 2004 11:01 PM