Farmers Market Freep Fun

[Warren DeMontague]

Just got back from one of our local sonoma county farmer's markets.. Much fun, big crowds at the kerry table, a nice little old lady from code pink, a really cool lady and her teenage kid running a "throw a pie at bush" booth.. so, fairly early on this older gentleman shows up with big sign about "HANOI JOHN KERRY". Now, I'm fairly non-confrontational, but this dude planted himself right in front of the Kerry booth, and was shouting at people who tried to get closer. So, I moseyed on over there to try to sort of debate him out of the way.. Whooo! What fun. So the guy was a vietnam vet, supposedly, and I said, "Look, sir. I respect you and all vets. But that war was wrong, and Kerry was right to say so". His answers were ridiculous, dumb-ass lines about "Heinz Ketchup" and "Jane Fonda" that didn't have anything to do with the argument at hand. So, finally, when it came to the "war on terror", I had just about had it.. I said, "Who, precisely, are we supposed to be fighting in this war on terror? Who flew those planes into those buildings-- I'll tell you who, religious extremists. Just like Bush and the people who support him." His response was something about "move to iraq and try to spout off like that".. I said, "no, I think I'll spout off here, because this is where I live, and it's the freedom of this country that I'm most concerned about"... Finally, I had just about had it with this doof, but I had managed to gradually move him out of the way of the kerry table.. So I went home, and printed up a sign of my own; Here's a mini version:



So I went back, by this time the guy had moved downstream a bit, and was crowding the nice pie lady. So I stood next to him for a while. He started shouting something at me, regarding Vietnam, about how I should "learn some history"... I said, "I know the history. I know all about the elections that were scheduled to take place in 1956, that Eisenhower and the South Vietnamese put the kabosh on. I know Ho Chi Minh worked with the US in WWII, and he quoted from the declaration of independence in 1945 when proclaiming an independent vietnam.. At which point we sold him down the river to help your good friends, the French, reclaim their colonial properties.."

All he heard was Ho Chi Minh.. "HO CHI MINH IS JOHN KERRY'S BUDDY!"

"no, he was the CIA's buddy. Or whatever intelligence was called back then. Anyway, Macnamara now admits the war was wrong, why can't you?"

"Macnamara. Bah!" But he was flustered, and losing whatever argumentative balance he had. I could see it. I sort of felt bad for the guy. I finally split, leaving my sign with the pie lady.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

1. Good Work. That guy was a whackjob like all freepers.

Great sign, by he way.

[zeemike]

2. interesting story

And it shows that truth will always win the argument, but someone that is blinded by ideology is immune to it.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. Yeah, after a while it just goes round and round...

but it's interesting to note that, when confronted with actual facts by someone genuinely looking for dialogue, these folks generally just sputter back on some AM Radio or freeper talking points.

[Sugarbleus]

3. FANTASTIC JOB!! Well done....

You held your own, you had your facts, no one got hurt and the truth reigns supreme. WTG!! Impeachd :toast:

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Thanks...

I really had to push myself to go back, but I'm glad I did. I'm not always so good at thinking on my feet in those situations, but I think I'm getting better at it.

[faithnotgreed]

6. great work and a very cool sign you made.... thank you

[JohnnyRingo]

7. Good job !...Thanx

One question I've noticed that most of these "support the troops" people can't answer, believe it or not, is: "Do you know how many soldiers have been killed in Iraq?".

It's a good way to reveal them as uncaring hawks.

They stay in denial of the deaths because they really mean: "Support Buxh and anything he wants".

[jbm]

8. I love the sign!!

it's a great story too! Good work!

[Warren DeMontague]

9. Feel Free to take it, use it, distribute it, whatever...

If you want a higher res version, PM Me.

[Warren DeMontague]

10. My short run-down of the few folks who actually patronized the Bush Table:

There was a sweaty, overweight guy in a starched dark blue business shirt and dockers (this was at about 6pm, and it was easily pushing 90 degrees) ... a Dr. Laura clone... and a couple of late teens girls who looked WAY too plastic and phony-- you could tell they didn't have a CLUE as to what the issues were, but thought a "JOHN SKERRY" bumpersticker was, like, soooo funny! fer shure!