2007.05.27/28 Patriotism in America Roundup
(Updated and bumped)
Below the fold, newest items at the top:
- Bush, bikers mark Memorial Day weekend
- Gathering of Eagles/Rolling Thunder rally for the troops
- Court: West Point Can Deny Access To Smelly Anti-War Hippies
- Eagles, doves clash at Academy protest
- AAR: An Eagle Eye View of West Point
- Battle of Bullhorns: "Eagles" & Moonbats Clash at West Point!
- Gathering of Eagles West Point
*** Updated and bumped. Original timestamp 2007.05.27.15:18
Just go read it:
*** *** *** Fold (but please don't spindle or mutilate) *** *** ***
Bush, bikers mark Memorial Day weekend
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush likes a serene White House most Sundays. Every now and then, though, he is ready for rumble.
Leaders of Rolling Thunder, the motorcycling group that raises awareness about missing veterans, roared up the mansion's driveway Sunday. Bush, just back from a weekend at Camp David, stood alone outside the South Portico to meet them.
No Memorial Day weekend in the capital is complete without the ritualistic rumble of Rolling Thunder. For 20 years, the nonprofit group has led a "Ride for Freedom" along the National Mall, a full-throttle demonstration in support of soldiers held captive or missing in action.) [The CNN post contains a link to a great video at this point. You'll have to go there to watch it.]
"How you doing, Artie? Welcome back," Bush said to Artie Muller, the founder and executive director of the group.
Muller led 13 visitors on eight motorcycles. The guests included Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and White House chief of staff Josh Bolten, whose Harley-Davidson was decked out with patriotic bunting.
Bush shook hands and hugged visitors, looked at the gleaming bikes and then invited his visitors into the Oval Office.
Rolling Thunder seeks a full accounting of veterans who are prisoners of war or are missing in action. It also advocates for fair treatment of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has been critical of Bush's Veteran Affairs Department on that front.
Afterward, Muller said he presented a series of concerns to Bush. ...
Gathering of Eagles/Rolling Thunder rally for the troops
Jonn Lilyea
Every Memorial Day weekend on Sunday, Rolling Thunder, an organization of mostly Viet Nam veterans, comes to DC for their motorcycle ride from the Pentagon to the Vietnam Memorial. It’s an hours-long parade of thousands of participants from across the country to insure that America doesn’t forget the men and women who died for this country in that unpopular war.
This year it’s a little different - today they partnered with the newly-formed Gathering of Eagles, which has it’s roots in the internet. When Vietnam veterans felt that the Wall was threatened by anti-protesters back in March of this year, they hastily assembled an internet gathering point and made plans to protect that monument from being defaced. On March 17th, they gathered around the three Vietnam memorials and the Korean War Memorial and lined the protest to the Pentagon. Crowd estimates were about 20,000 pro-troops participants to about 4,000 anti-war protesters.
I reported on that event and brought you pictures and videos, so I felt it my duty to you and the rest of the nation to bring the same to ya’all this time, too. It doesn’t look like the traditional media is going to cover the event - I didn’t see any journalists there for the three-and-a-half hours I roamed the area. No trucks, no shoulder-carried cameras. Nothing on C-SPAN’s schedule. I remember when they used to cover Rolling Thunder’s event, Brian Lamb himself interviewing participants, but none of that anymore.
Traditionally, Rolling Thunder gathers to remember the Vietnam veterans, but this year, the day before their customary ride, they partnered with Gathering of Eagles to show their support for the next generation of warriors. There probably weren’t 20,000 this time, but the were a few thousand there, as you can see from the following pictures. ...
Court: West Point Can Deny Access To Smelly Anti-War Hippies
By Rob
The correct ruling, in my estimation: West Point — A federal appeals court today upheld a decision giving the U.S. Military Academy authority to ban political protesters on Graduation Day.
Goshen civil rights attorney Michael Sussman and the Democratic Alliance of Orange County had asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to overturn a federal judge’s decision barring them from campus.
Their request would have required West Point Garrison Commander Col. Brian Crawford to open the gates to roughly 1,000 anti-war demonstrators tomorrow.
But in a decision issued today, the appeals court reaffirmed the Academy’s long-stated position that it is a non-public forum exempt from some forms of free-speech.
The left’s reaction will be “B-b-b-but, free speech!,” but this isn’t a free speech issue. ...
Eagles, doves clash at Academy protest
By John Doherty, (H/T: Michelle Malkin)
Highland Falls — After hours of waiting, the first glimpse of slow-moving police cars down the road, lights flashing, let Tim Woods, 56, know it was time to get ready.
"Now remember, honey," he said to his 10-year-old daughter, Rebecca, "yell real loud."
Woods, a retired Army Special Forces soldier, was one of about three dozen protesters gathered on the main strip here yesterday, flags in hand.
As hundreds of anti-war activists gathered down the street to mark Vice President Dick Cheney's commencement address at West Point with a protest march, Woods and others aimed to protest them.
"Daddy," his daughter asked as the crowd of banner-holding anti-war demonstraters drew closer, "what are they going to do?"
"Make asses out of themselves," Woods answered. ...
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