FWIW, a glimpse at the opposition

[erik_kosberg]

<totally_unscientific_anecdotal_evidence>
While taking the bus home after work today, I passed by an anti-war demonstration at the new federal building in downtown Minneapolis. At the time of Desert Storm, I saw a similar protest at the old federal building. I’d estimate that both had about 250–300 people; the one that I saw today was perhaps slightly larger than the Desert Storm demo. The big difference was in who was there. The Desert Storm crowd was largely young and “lefty” with banners for the Progressive Student Organization, the Revolutionary Anarchist Bowling League, Women Against Military Madness, and other groups dominating the signs. Today’s crowd seemed to have only a smattering of “obvious” leftists, was notably older on average (lots of grey hairs in the crowd), and perhaps had a higher percentage of women than did the Desert Storm demonstration.
</totally_unscientific_anecdotal_evidence>

[realtraveller]

So you can spot the "obvious" leftists just by looking at them from the bus. Hmmmm! Sounds like sartorial selection, hair styling, foot shodding profiling.

[amykhar]

I think she gotcha there Erik

But, back to the topic ...

It seems a wide variety of people just don't feel comfortable with the idea of this war, or at least the war that the government is describing.

It is hard for me to get a good feel on how America really feels about this war because a bit of my viewpoint has been slanted because I spend so much time here.

Amy

[erik_kosberg]

So you can spot the "obvious" leftists just by looking at them from the bus.

Yeah, those crew cuts and three-piece suits are a dead giveawy.

But strange as it may seem, to a certain extent, yes. “Obvious” to me anyway. This is a not-all-that-big city, and if you’ve been around long enough, you get to know a lot of people. As a rough guess, I probably knew 10–15% of the people in the Desert Storm demo on a first name basis, and there were more than a few familiar faces in today’s crowd.

[mshawpyle]

Originally posted by erik_kosberg
As a rough guess, I probably knew 10?15% of the people in the Desert Storm demo on a first name basis, and there were more than a few familiar faces in today?s crowd.

You need a new set of friends.

[erik_kosberg]

Knowing someone and being friends with them are two different things.

I used to work in a Kinko’s and after awhile you get to know the people printing up U.S. Out of Freedonia! flyers and people printing up direct mail for Ollie North’s legal defense fund.

But I don’t pick my friends because of their political leanings or their backgrounds. Why some of my best friends are conservative southerners. And some of them are even lawyers.

And in the spirit of a certain CEO, another winky for no reason at all:

[mshawpyle]

Originally posted by erik_kosberg
Why some of my best friends are conservative southerners. And some of them are even lawyers.

Then you really, really, desperately need new friends.

And for God's sake, stop already with the Nirav tic.