July 18, 2007... It is still dark out, the humidity is oppressive.. I was waiting for the paper boy while my coffee was brewing. I knew that it was best to wait inside, as the summer time in Florida is not conducive to idle outdoor activities, after all, I would be spending the rest of the day humping my butt off on another nasty construction site. I'll probably have to carry all of my tools and materials up 12 flights of stairs in a newly constructed condo building on the beach before I can even begin to start working.
There he is... the paper boy, and the coffee is ready, looks like a good day so far.
The local paper is truly a liberal rag, but I like to do the puzzles in the morning, to get my brain in gear for the day.
The local section of the paper catches my eye... There is a picture of a group of (obviously) aging hippies staging a war protest in my area. According to the article... "One can't help wondering what would happen if more Americans got up off their couches and took up a sign or joined a protest march to object to this unpopular war or other injustices in our society today." (Read the article here.)
GREAT IDEA! Thank you, Dianne Steinle! I'll take up a sign to support our troops AND their mission!!
The day was full of energy for me. I could not wait to exercise my right to free speech (especially since I am a combat veteran who actually fought for these rights that ALL people of our great nation are afforded, including those peace creeps in my county)
I get home from work and immediately begin to assemble the required gear for this mission. Paint, scrap pieces of plywood, and just a hint of sarcastic attitude. A short while later my ammo is locked and loaded... signs read as follows: "I support the troops AND the war", "Redeploy means retreat". These signs should get their attention! ( Yes, these signs got their attention! ) I called my wife at work, and said words that I never expected to hear from my own mouth... "I'll see you later honey, I'm off to the protest!"
I arrived to find the hippies set up with their "peace symbols" and anti-Bush signs already in place. They have splayed themselves along an approximately 75 meter stretch of drying grass on the roadside face of a beautiful City park. However, there was a 15 meter gap in the center of their lineup... the perfect spot for my deployment.
I proudly wore my USMC issued "chocholate chip" utility top that no longer fit my fat ass after Desert Storm (Boy, if my drill insructors could see me now! ). However, I made a stand with a smile on my face. The first person to approach me was a reporter from the "Tampa Bay Sun" (pg 2 here) ,Bill Stone. He was in the middle of asking me what I was doing there when a hippie rapidly approached me with intent in his eyes. I tried to stave off an aggressive confrontation by initiating conversation... "How ya doin', friend?" only to be immediately chastized with the verbiage "You're not my friend, you watch Fox News!" Wow... where did that come from?
Apparently the hippies can smell a Veteran. Within seconds I was surrounded by "peace" activists who immediately began to threaten me.
"You better watch your back", "There's more of us than there are of you!", "What gives you the right to be here?" etc. Blah blah blah... one of you swing on me, please!
Oh well, nobody actually went for the physical confrontation, but the psychological effect of my presence was undeniable, this is duly noted in the article written by Bill Stone of the Tampa Bay Sun. (Read the article here: page 1 page 2)I decided that I would return again, to face off with the hippies, and return dignity and pride to our local community.
[Read Chapter 2: Deep Into Enemy Territory]
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