It all happened less than a week ago today. I innocently enough was given a ticket to see the President of the United States of America speak at a political function in the neighboring town of mine. Although I agree with none of Mr. Bush's policies, I politely accepted the ticket and set out to attend a Republican function. Before ever even entering the premises where the President was going to speak I was politlely asked to lift up my shirt and reveal the shirt that was underneath it. Baffled by the man asking me this question, I asked him why. Well as it turns out, people have been writing negativities about Mr. Bush on t-shirts and smuggling them in under another shirt. I wondered why I hadn't thought of that and then kindly lifted my shirt. As I walked away, I was confused as to the fact that he had asked me to lift up my shirt. I was not sporting a John Kerry button, I didn't have a DFL hat or anything of that matter. Nobody asked the older gentleman next to me to lift up his shirt. Was it because of my age? Was it because of my sex? Or do i just look like one of those dirty liberals? Anyway, I shrugged it off and decided to not let it ruin my die. I would let the President do that later on. Within five minutes of my last incident, the exact same thing happened again. I will admit, I was starting to get a little pissed off. But it is in my nature, so I complied with the gentlemans request. Some time passed and I was starting to get a little anxious, I mean, I was in a place that I didn't fit in, and I was already shaken from the two men before. I stood up with a buddy of mine and headed for the back to split a smoke.
I was standing towards the back of the crowd, splitting the smoke i mentioned before and having a conversation about how out of place I felt when a middle aged women approached and asked if I wanted to buy a George W. Bush t-shirt. Before I could respond my buddy piped in and said, "There's no way in hell, I would ever buy that shirt." She simply turned her back and walked away. We laughed about the incident, and I felt bad for the lady, but why do people assume your a Republican if your going to see a Republican speak. Do I not have the right to hear the voice that is charge of my world, the air I breath, the water I drink, and is sending my generation to Iraq. If so, I guess I am a twisted individual, but America was found on the values that everyone has a diffferent view and together, many views become one great overall rule. But, once again. I was wrong.
We finished the smoke and headed back to sit down. Within ten minutes, we were approached by four state troopers and two Bush representaives. They were asking random questions, but the one that sticks out in my mind is, "Do you support this President." After Jake answered no the man looked to me and I answered the same. He then told us that they had reprots that Jake and I were going to start something, what we were going to start I do not know, something is all he would say and that they had to ask us to leave. I was scared shitless. There was more security there than I had seen in my life and after knowing that they were watching me I left. But I was pissed. I wasn't there to start anything, my god, what has this world come to. Everybody is up to something if you look a little different from the next guy and your not sporting a Support The Troops sticker or a President Bush pin. But anyway, I left. But I was soon to return.
Down the street was a group of protestors, so that is where I headed. Upon arriving I was greeted with smiles and handshakes and was more than reluctant to share the story of my day with them. Everyone was amazed at the stupidity of everybody involoved in kicked to kids out of a convention. Something then sparked inside my body and I started rounding up people. We starting marching. We started chanting. We started making a difference. Other protestors were hooking up with our group and before you knew it we had two city blocks full of people marching two miles back to the speech of Mr. Bush. I felt proud, and I felt American.
I was amazed at the reaction we recieved. I was called a faggot, a communist, and told to go back to Russia. None of which meant a thing coming from people who didn't accept me before either. I never raised my voice. I was brought up to respect people differing opinions as I am sure many of those people had. What ever happened to American values. I suppose it is just one more thing hidden by the Bush Administration. Or maybe it was Saddam who hid them, yes that's it, American values are with Saddam's weapons of mass destruction. But all joking aside, it was a truly eye opening experience for me and it definitley made my Liberal views even stronger. So to anyone who has had a similar experience, I am pulling for you, because at the end of the day, we are all in the struggle together.
But to continue my story, It wasn't even the way the Bush supporters treated me that hurt. It was the fact that I had been treated like a criminal all day just because my view differed from most of the people surrounding me. I was barracaded from a street because I had a John Kerry sign, while people with George W. Bush sign casually walked down them. Do we know longer have the right to peacefully assemble. I thought I remembered hearing about that somewhere. Oh yeah, what's that called again, The Constitution. Am I a criminal for disagreeing. I believe not and I will continue to do the same. With much more involvement. If there is one positive from the day. it is the fact that I have truly learned and witnessed what the Bush Adminisration has done to this country. Besides creating the largest job loss in 75 years, getting into a war with no cause and raising health care costs by nearly 60%, he has turned neighbor against neighbor. What an awful thing to do. I am gald I went to see President Bush and even more glad I got kicked out because I learned more outside the convention than I ever could have by the lies being told inside.