Maybe its just because they are not sophisticated. Maybe its just that they are uninformed. Maybe they are afraid of things that go bump in the night, or maybe they honestly do believe that which they espouse. Whatever the case, I’ve had it. I can not and I will not take it any more.
A little background would be helpful, I’m sure.
This last Saturday, I was on the way into my local grocery supermarket here in suburban Chicago. The nation was still reeling from the deaths of 21 young people in Chicago, and 97 in Warwick, R.I. I was on a long-distance call on my cell phone when I first passed the guy who was passing out sheets of paper and asking for signatures. I never stop for these guys. I’m too busy for whatever the survey is.
“OK, fine, celery not grown in organic conditions might give laboratory rats cancer if applied at 72 times its body weight. I don’t eat celery anyway.”
It was only a second – just a glimpse – but everything slowed way down. In the course of one footstep, I went from closing my cell phone and putting it away, grabbing my cart to head into the store with, to catching a glimpse of the logo on the paper being passed out. In seeing that glimpse, the shape of the logo lodged in my brain and like a lightening bolt striking my very spine, I wheeled around to see the man who had just thrust this into my hand.
The paper had a series of quotes posted on it. From Mike Farrell to Susan Sarandon, even isolated comments from Hans Blix had been pulled out of context and placed squarely on the sheet of paper. Criticism abounded. There was criticism for the United States. There was criticism of President Bush. There was criticism of the evil oil companies. And, of course, there was criticism of Israel – must drag Israel into everything you know.
But what really burned me – almost to an instantaneous boil – was the criticism of our military. This criticism was calling our fighting men and women cowards. These who are now and have been since 9-11, fighting for our security, for our protection and for our good.
I scanned the sheet of paper, and watched as he had another passer by give a less than serious glance at his sheet of paper and then lean over to sign his petition – calling for our president to be impeached should he choose to enforce the U.N. resolution 1441.
Now, being under control, but feeling the hottest internally I had been in months, I calmly approached him.
“You wanted me to sign this,” I asked. “I was just wondering if you would answer me a simple question?”
“Sure,” came the reply.
“Well, I was looking over your paper here, and while I see a lot of criticism for everyone else,” I said pausing for some effect and then raising the volume a bit I continued, “Why are you such an avid advocate of Saddam Hussein?” I could tell it was drawing some attention to him.
“Uh, sir, look I want him to be disarmed, just as badly as you do,” he tried to say in hushed tones. “We just think that the country should give inspections a chance. Its worked before and we think it will work again.”
“Where did inspections work?” I asked him with a wry grin. “Seems to me his Al-Sammoud missiles can fly farther than ever. It seems to me that he has ignored the U.S., the U.N., his own people, and his own family – so tell me again – when did inspections work?”
“Well,” his mouth going dry, “we just don’t think that innocent people should die.”
“Are you referring to the almost 10,000 that he has killed in the last 12 years? You know, the mothers who have been raped in front of their families and then as the village looks on Saddam’s Republican Guard troops decapitate her and pull her pieces apart by hand.”
“So you think we should kill Saddam?” the man asks, obviously expecting me to say no.
“Well, if necessary, I think the families of those women would say so – wouldn’t you?” I asked with some degree of incredulity.
The man, now annoyed, tried to carry out his mission telling me to move along. MOVE ALONG? I don’t think so buster. As he continued to try to hand out his papers of out of context and maniacal writings, I kept asking him the question. “When will you hold Saddam responsible?”
No answer.
“When will you hold Saddam responsible?”
No answer.
“When will you hold Saddam responsible for the atrocious things he has done?”
“Fine,” the man said – now in utter disgust. And with that he packed up his bag walked to his car, started it and drove away.
It was the perfect exercise of free speech. I discovered my blood pressure had come back to normal, and I actually went back to my shopping with some degree of satisfaction knowing that I had beaten one of Saddam’s allies right there on the sidewalk of my local supermarket in 20 degree weather.
The great thing about it was that the weapons I used, we all can – and I, for one, will more often.
All it takes is, truth, logic and a willingness to not worry about what those around you will say. Considering I am asking my United States military to put their bodies in harm’s way so that I can live safely, a bit of willingness to tell the truth and not be scared seems like quite little to ask of me.
So sidewalk peaceniks beware. I’m not taking it anymore. Just so you know, I gave you advanced notice!
