"Patriotism," the mayor said, "demands that people speak out when we
see our government officials acting in such anti-democratic and
deceitful ways to the people of our country."
He also said:
"I don't understand people simply blindly going along with the sort of
deceit and utter cruelty of this administration. It's not just we have
the right to speak out, but we have the obligation to speak out when
we see misconduct on the part of the government. The most patriotic
thing we can do is stand up against the misuse of governmental power."
Even though Utah gave Bush his largest margin of victory of any state
in the 2000 and 2004 elections, Anderson, a Democrat, wrote in this
e-mail:
"Don't let him come to Utah and not see huge opposition, even in the
reddest state! This would send such an important message."
"A tepid response will just send a message of apathy and resignation.
Let the Bush administration - and the world - hear from Salt Lake
City!"
Meanwhile, peace activists already were gearing up for the president's
visit.
Erin Davis, a veteran who opposes the war in Iraq, predicted at least
1,000 anti-war activists would begin gathering in Pioneer Park early
Monday.
The demonstration will be joined by a national group of military
families who oppose the war.
Anderson plans to participate at Pioneer Park demonstration against
the war and is scheduled to speak.
Axford described the rally at Pioneer Park, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
as a "pro-peace rally."
It isn't being held near the Salt Palace, where the president will
speak, because organizers didn't want to make the convention attendees
feel unwelcome, the mayor said.
"We didn't want to invite any kind of confrontation. We wanted to
focus on our positive message."
That message, Axford says, is:
"We'd just like [the president] to explain and justify this war in
light of the fact so much of what we were told we were fighting for
clearly we weren't fighting for."
From The Salt Lake Tribune, 8/20/05:
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_2958368
By Glen Warchol
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson called for "the biggest
demonstration this state has ever seen" to protest President Bush's
appearance Monday before a national veterans convention.
"This administration has been disastrous to the country," Anderson
said Friday.
"If people could organize and speak out in an effective manner from
the reddest state in the country, that would garner a lot of
attention."
In an e-mail Wednesday to about 10 activist leaders, the maverick
mayor of Utah's capital called for a diverse demonstration to greet
Bush when he speaks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars at the Salt Palace
Convention Center.
The mayor plans to join the protesters.
"There should be a collaboration of health-care-provision advocates,
seniors, the [gay, lesbian and bisexual and transsexual] community,
anti-Patriot Act advocates and other civil libertarians, anti-war
folks, pro-Social Security advocates, environmental advocates,
anti-nuclear-testing advocates, and
anti-nuclear-waste-shipment-and-storage advocates," the mayor wrote in
the e-mail.
_____________________________________________________________
Harry
.
|
