I didn’t even realize this nonsense was coming to Bismarck. Today I was videotaping with the governor and I noticed that there was a press conference in the Great Hall of the state capitol building. It was some guy from Chicago who’s bringing all kinds of boots to stack out on the law in the capitol mall, hoping to bring attention to the human cost of the war. It was liberalism on display; they had a little feel-good session, the TV cameras rolled, then they all sat around for a half hour patting themselves on the back for all they’ve done. Yep, liberalism. Makes ’em feel good, accomplishes jack squat.

I came by the capitol later this evening to have a look and perhaps ask a few questions. They had boots for each National Guard soldier killed so far in the war on terrorism.

There were rows of soldiers’ boots, with name tags, then a little circle of civilian casualties…women’s and children’s shoes were in that area. One of the people running the event mentioned the number 150,000 in reference to civilians killed over there. “Documented?” I asked? She said no, that she really doesn’t know how many…but it must be a lot. I pointed out that the shoes of people that Saddam Hussein killed would fill the mall, but I don’t think that was the point of this “art,” as they called it.

There was a little tent set up with CD’s, buttons, etc…you know, that stuff that solves all the world’s problems without a shot being fired. Wear a button – make a difference! To whom, exactly, that hasn’t been proven…but it might make you feel good. Don’t forget a magnet or sticker for your Prius.

They were handing out fliers as well, with links to a bunch of peaceful, tolerant, level-headed leftist organizations…

For instance: Iraq Veterans against the War, who marched this spring for:
* No more never-ending oil wars!
* Protect our civil liberties & immigrant rights. End illegal spying, government corruption and the subversion of our democracy.
* Rebuild our communities, starting with the Gulf Coast. Stop corporate subsidies and tax cuts for the wealthy while ignoring our basic needs.
* Act quickly to address the climate crisis and the accelerating destruction of our environment.

Uh huh. Typical leftist talking points: class envy, Big Oil, and global warming. Oh, and demanding that illegal aliens get to vote and change the course of this country.

Or there’s Code Pink, whose website claims:
“The oppressive hand of the Bush administration is reaching women all over the world. In Iraq, women are dealing with increasing violence aimed at them by different groups jockeying for power. The new Iraqi constitution is being drafted under the eye of American occupiers, yet nothing is being done to protect women’s rights and freedoms.”

Women are enjoying unprecedented freedoms in parts of the Middle East thanks to what we’re doing. Of course, for the left, you can’t talk about “women’s rights and freedoms” without their right to murder unborn children falling into that description.

Or Gold Star Families for Peace, followers of the insane Cindy Sheehan:
“This war is a war crime, and our soldiers trying to survive are committing war crimes. We need to bring our troops home. We need to do everything we can to save our soldiers and to save the people of Iraq from our George III.”
I used to feel sorry for that wackbag. Maybe she really is just sick. But she’s a useful idiot for the enemies of this country, as are the rest of the above.

I had a nice chat with Karen Van Fossan of the ND Peace Coalition for a few minutes and videotaped the conversation. If I get it encoded among all the other stuff I’ve got going on, I’ll post it here. It wasn’t confrontational or anything…we just shared a pleasant discourse and parted ways politely. I did ask why, among the organizations whose links she posted, I didn’t see the Patriot Guard riders, she just said that it would be a good organization to list. I asked why there were no shoes for the 3000+ victims of the second World Trade Center attacks, or the first one in 1993, or perhaps something in remembrance of the people beheaded by Muslims overseas, and I didn’t really get a solid answer. The answer is because that doesn’t fit the agenda. You see, while they won’t come out and state it here in good ol’ Red State, USA, the idea behind this sort of “art” is that the United States is responsible for everything bad happening in the world. The rest of the world gets a pass.

I also asked her why the ND Peace Coalition would associate itself with organizations who state that “George Bush is the world’s biggest terrorist” or accuse our troups of being war criminals, and she didn’t have a solid answer for me there either. It’s been said that you can tell a lot about people by the company they keep. I think the same applies to the ND Peace Coalition, especially since one of their tolerant and inclusive members flipped off our church group last week. The North Dakota people weren’t acting like hate-filled loonies like the people whose links appear on the fliers, but yet they did put links to those organizations on the paper.

I don’t think these protesters (oops, they’re calling this “art,” not a protest) are bad people…Karen, for instance, was quite pleasant to talk to. They’re just horribly misguided. I dare say that if they tried to take this little circus on display in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, or any other country with dominant Muslim rule, it would be THEIR heads that roll next. And that’s the truth that these people are not equipped to face.