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Non-Tech : IAMR - InterAmerican Resources, Inc. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jmhollen who wrote (116)	11/24/2001 9:41:54 PM
From: Evan	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 208

Thanks uncle John :-)

To: jmhollen who wrote (116)	11/25/2001 9:09:08 AM
From: Evan	Respond to of 208

Country news "Why don’t you go back to Seattle? That’s where all the idiots are." :-) Forty local citizens concerned with the U.S. bombing campaign in Afghanistan lined Highway 20 in Twisp Saturday (Nov. 10) in a demonstration that attempted to raise questions and, in the process, raised some motorists’ ire. Carrying signs with slogans that read, "No war," "We are bombing innocent civilians," "Can Afghanistan endure our freedom?," "Thou shalt not kill," "What are we willing to trade for Caspian oil?," and "Truth is the first casualty of war," among others, protesters received honks, smiles and thumbs up as well as stony looks, thumbs down and middle fingers. Demonstrator Morgan Schneider was present for the duration of the gathering on the road in front of the community center. "I feel like the demonstration went really well, and for the most part people on the street seemed really supportive. I think the people who took offense to us being there were in the minority," said Schneider. "I felt it was empowering to be a part of an event like this in this community. I was a little disappointed there was not more open dialogue between the opposing sides, but hopefully that will be something that can take place in time." The only person to stop and talk with the protesters was one man who pulled over and walked up to a demonstrator and said, "I just want to voice my opinion. Why don’t you go back to Seattle? That’s where all the idiots are." Like dozens of motorists, Twisp resident Scott Edson expressed his displeasure toward the protest in a non-verbal fashion while driving through the lines of protesters. Contacted later, he expressed his frustration. "I’m just disappointed because it seems like the country should be rallying around the government and not protesting what we have done in the past," said Edson. "I don’t think the reason we are in Afghanistan is for the oil reserves. We are trying to protect the American people and our freedom. We don’t want the terrorists to come into this country and kill our people. "I support the people’s right to voice their opinion, but if it was any member of their family that was killed, I think their opinion would different. I don’t believe the protest was based on an anti-war stance," he opined. "I think this is more of an environmental stance in protest to how much oil reserves are being burned up in the war." Though several protest signs did question the role that oil was playing in the campaign against Afghanistan, more took a stand against the killing of innocent people as a byproduct of the U.S. bombing on Afghanistan and raised the question of whether the U.S. response to the Sept. 11 attacks on American soil was helping rid the world of terrorism. When asked why he chose to participate in Saturday’s demonstration, Richard Wrangle of Carlton said "U.S. foreign policy is often unfair in terms of promoting only our nation’s interests. Some countries have a legitimate complaint against us. This does not mean we condone terrorism but when it occurs we need to look at the root cause before we react in a way that isolates us from the rest of the world community. I believe that if we want peace we have to work for justice." Demonstrator Anaka Mines said she agreed that we need to reduce terrorism in the world, but questioned whether the way the United States was going about it was appropriate or legitimate. Rather than killing more innocent people, she said, our government should be collecting evidence and moving to bring to justice those responsible for the attacks that killed thousands of Americans on Sept. 11. After the two-hour demonstration, participants gathered in a circle to share some more thoughts. David Edwards of Twisp said he was revived by seeing citizens out practicing their right to speak freely and question the government. "This is the first time in two months I feel something akin to delight," said Edwards, a former war crimes and human rights violations investigator and war correspondent. "It is good to see citizens exercising the first and constant duty of all of us who desire to dwell in democracy, which is to question everything." Several demonstrators expressed the desire to continue their vigil on a weekly basis. They will meet again next Saturday (Nov. 17) on the grounds of the community center in Twisp from noon to 2 p.m.