I'm watching the local news from San Francisco, and it looks like the "peace" protests were more violent than the war...

These anti-war protestors represent a population that is desperately seeking to matter in some way and to bring some meaning into their otherwise meaningless lives. They don't come up with original ideas, they react to them. They don't lead, they rebel for the sake of nothing more than to be different.
Mark

So needless to say, you don't think they might just have a right to disagree with this course of action?

Sure, they have a right to. But their goofy antics are tying up the police power available to protect against terrorist attacks. The peace protestors may soon become a clear and present danger if they get more out of hand.

Seems that whenever a "peace" protestor is criticized for their actions they immediatly jump to the conclusion that you are somehow denying them the right to voice their own views. That right is a given, as is MY right to oppose their quackings. Note, however, that the groups funding and supporting the "peace" protests are the very ones who would, were they in power, take away any right of dissent from THEIR opponents.

Certainly they do, Dave. Did I suggest that they should not have the right to voice their opinions as you and I are doing here, in a civil tone? It's an issue of motivation and an effective course of action.
Their behavior is counterproductive and, quite honestly driving many to resent them. Come on - blocking emergency vehicles from responding to calls, is that how you win popular support? That goes quite a bit beyond "voicing ones opinion". Don't you agree?
The last time I checked, no intelligent being responds favorably to one they resent.
Mark

The demonstrators may even have every right to say that our troops should shoot their officers -- but they don't have the right to expect sane people to accept what they're saying as reasonable dissent.

What I find very ironic is that the protesters choose to 'shut down' a city that is, for the most part, in agreement with their protest. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.

Funny, I sent an email to my family last night under the subject heading "Ironic, isn't it?", that went something like this:
"American 'peaceniks' using violence to protest their government's use of violence to bring to the Iraqi people, among other things, the right to protest their own government....somehow the logic escapes me."

I am a clinical psychologist and I specialize in war-related post traumatic stress disorder(PTSD). I have treated hundreds of Vietnam Veterans who returned home as "war mongers" rather than valiant men and women. The result: 58,000 war casualties and over 50,000 (so far) SUICIDES. Why? Because the soldiers were not validated by their fellow Americans. Although the "peace" protestors certainly have a right to express their opinions, most likely they are unaware or do not care about the consequences of their actions on the morale and mental health of the American soldiers who are risking their lives to preserve the protestors' right to protest. I do not see any of the peace signs addressing Saddam's genocide against his own people or protesting his financial endorsement of terrorism against America and Israel.
Of course, we should remember that it takes less courage to block an ambulance or carry a sign than to expose yourself to enemy fire with real bullets.It also takes less intellectual power to view the war with Iraq as oil related than as the geopolitical danger that Saddam Hussein presents to all civilized people who believe in the right to freedom and the respect for life.
Mario E. Martinez. Psy.D.

Let history also remind the world that when the U.S.A. went to war, we never took a thing from our opponents. On the contrary, we are now in debt to foreign economies that we helped create and who rely on our patronage to support their spending habits. I guess we really did Japan and Germany a big disservice. Gosh, let's see who else's dignity we can rob?
As one prominent Briton put it - America assumes the role of world police because everyone else shirks the responsibility (U.K. excluded of course).
Mark

I too have been following the Anti-War Protests, and frankly I'm not surprised. It seems to be the same crowd the protested the WTO and burned down a Starbucks, (talk about the irony, they burned down the very place that they go to sit down and drink Ecologically "correct" Coffee and bash the US). They are a far different animal than their Vietnam era predecessors. I don't recall Vietnam era protestors looking like members of the Jesse James gang.
With all their posturing about freedom and peace they ignore the crimes of Saddam's regime. They are also the first ones to try and shut you up if you and defend your point of view. As if the 1st amendement only applies to them and everyone else is just brainwashed by "The Man". And if you start to make cogent points to refute their conspiracy theories they call you names like, "facist", "Rich White Oppressor" (Hello!! I am a latino born of immigrant parents...) and much worse. When lack of reason fails resort to name calling, throw enough mud and hope some of it sticks.

They have no idea of what Islamo-facism is, and what its effect on the world is. They are willing to to turn a blind eye to women's rights in those countries, (since they don't jibe with what "proper" feminists espouse). Of course I don't see them Protesting in the "Little Bhagdad" Area of their own cities. Nor do I see Iraqui exiles joining these "Peace" marches. (They would probably stone them if they did)

What I find pathetic is that ordinary citizens who normally would not be involved with such hooligans, get drawn in and almost give these miscreants validity. It is easier to say its about oil and US imperialism (though when pressed they can't define it or give real examples of it). I suppose we can blame our education system and our love of conspiricy theories. Too bad people are unable to separate the X-files from reality.