Religion and Politics - During

Religion and Politics - During the elections and in the immediate aftermath, many of us on the right noted this: while many on the right mix religion and politics pretty gratuituously, many on the left go one step further - view politics as their religion.

Yesterday, at the Uptown pro-Terror, pro-Antisemitism, pro-rape, pro-dictatorship demonstrations, the KARE11 crew noted a number of people wearing WWWD stickers - "What Would Wellstone Do".

I expect to see much more of the same at the Wellstone Symposium.

The Uptown pro-Terror, Pro-Antisemitism, Pro-Rape, Pro-Dictatorship Demonstrations - A couple of thousand people turned out yesterday to protest in favor of genocidal dictators, the extermination of Israel, gang-rape of the relatives of political prisoners, and the flouting of UN resolutions. The Star Tribune covered it.

The protest was organized by the Iraq Peace Action Coalition and supported by Women Against Military Madness, Nurses Against War, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee and CodePink.

The article states this as if they aren't all the same group.

Thousands of e-mails, phone calls and leaflets had gone out inviting people to the demonstration. All ages were represented, but it was mostly an adult group.

Organizers said they counted 2,400 people. "We were incredibly impressed with the numbers that turned out," Sundin said. "It was more than we expected in our highest hopes. People's energy was really high."

The temperature hovered around zero. If people don't keep their "energy...really high", hypothermia sets in.

The protest started about 1 p.m. and lasted about an hour. The group was spirited but controlled and stayed out of the way of traffic until spilling into the street and walking on Hennepin Avenue to Lake Street, then down Lake to Lyndale Avenue.

For those of you from out of town - that's "Uptown", which used to be the "artists quarter" of Minneapolis, and is now...well, let's call it "Berkeleyland, the Leftist Theme Park" - all sorts of franchises catering to the Volvo-driving, MPR-listening, Perpetually-Concerned culture. Organic coffee, multiplex arthouse theater, places where you can spend $200 on a saute pan...

Many who braved the cold said they felt compelled to show up and send a message to President Bush.

"I think it's important that everybody who is against the war make their voice heard," said Chris Baird of Minneapolis.

"I think that we would end up killing a lot of innocent Iraqis, and an action like that would not separate us very much from the terrorists," she said.

Snappy comebacks are reeling through my head. But the whole thought that someone, probably college-educated, actually believes this in 2003 is just too depressing.

Evan Swanson of Hutchinson said he joined the protests because "I believe we haven't seen proof of weapons of mass destruction. I don't think there's any rush. Let's do everything we can to keep the peace and negotiate."

Because "Peace" - however unjust and awful and fraught with peril for the US, is always preferable to war, right?

Said Chris Kujawa of Minneapolis: "I don't want to see violence in Iraq. I think it's unnecessary. I think the sanctions are working. I think the war is about oil and not about the weapons inspections."

So much illogic, on so many levels. Lord, where does one start?

And that's the first I think I've ever seen anyone on the left not call for an end to "unjust, child-killing sanctions..."

In fact, on KARE11's coverage of the demonstrations on last night's news and nearly every other hearing the left gets on the war, that was the big theme - "there must be a peaceful solution. Let's try diplomacy. The sanctions are working"...and the capstone, "somehow, diplomacy can fix the situation".

How? Someone suggest to me how "diplomacy" can work, against a dictator for whom diplomacy is purely nothing other than a means to preserve his power?

I'll be waiting.

John Kohring of Minneapolis said that he opposes a war with Iraq and that he is optimistic that public protest will change minds in Washington.

Public opposition to the war in Vietnam brought that conflict to an end, Kohring said, but the opposition did not take root until after the war was well underway. In the case of an Iraq war, "it's quite remarkable that there is such an outpouring" before it even starts, he said.

Kohring said he thinks protests such as the one Saturday have already had an effect by slowing the juggernaut of war. "Each of us has a responsibility to speak out," he said. "This war is not consistent with our values."

Jessica Miranti of Edina said that after 40 years of working for nonviolence she is becoming cynical and wondering whether she has had any impact at all. But, she said, she was out on the street again Saturday because "I am very concerned about this war with Iraq. I cannot imagine sending my grandsons into battle for purely economic reason."

She added: "I'm here because I want to be counted."

Well, that was what they accomplished.

I'm not saying I'm thrilled at the notion of war with Iraq. I think I've been clear on that.

But between the strategic leverage it'd give us against our enemies both overt and covert, and the definite need to pre-empt Hussein's weapons program, I think it's the lesser of a large number of evils.

Posted by Mitch at January 12, 2003 09:04 AM