Just finished reading this.

Dozens of Seattle police officers escorted the demonstrators while others, armed with long sticks and pepper spray, stood behind fences and police tape outside the recruiting offices for the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps.

If you're protesting the war but not the individual service-members, why protest at a recruiting station? The people working there are service-members. In the Army it's a volunteer duty (like Drill Sergeant Duty) in order to have a couple of years stability (although there are a number who do it in order to avoid deployment.)

My friend just left last week for his deployment. He's a "newbie" just like me, as we both were in the same AIT class. My cousin just got back from Iraq with his unit.

And I look at these pictures and the people protesting for "peace" are downright angry. What they're angry at, I don't know?

You wake up and the sun is still up (although it may be cloudy.) You have to what? Go to class? Assuming your parents don't pay for your education, you're having to work (God-forbid) to pay for your education (FYI, there are numerous resources available from the government including student grants and loans. It's almost impossible to not fund an education this day in age. And yes - gasp - you will have to pay any loans back. The interest on them is minimal and you have forever and a day to pay it back.)

I just don't know what to think when I read the paper.

I was going to post this in the Open Thread where I originally spoke of Charlie and Lisa's encounter with the the port protesters. That thread is now closed so I'll post Charlie's LTE here:

Protesters threw trash bins, newspaper boxes, Dumpsters and concrete blocks in front of my wife and me, who were in traffic at Fourth and Plum on Nov. 10. We were blocked while about a dozen mostly masked people frantically committed their criminal acts.

Police were not yet in force on that scene as the mayhem was occurring. I photographed the lawbreakers in action as they obstructed the intersection. After traffic was finally cleared, we parked. I then photographed the same lawbreakers without their masks, relaxed, while they laughed and recounted their criminal misdeeds.

I also observed Dr. Peter Bohmer, professor of Marxism and economic justice at The Evergreen State College, coaching the group of about 20 protesters, as they prepared for each new stage of protest action.

I asked the professor how come he wasn't in the middle of the group and if he liked to run the plays from the sideline so he doesn't get himself into trouble? His response to me was a two-word epithet, not suitable for publication.

I have a particular problem over impunity for people who commit criminal acts, and those who lead such criminals.

Ends justifying means doesn't cut it. Causes aside, we have become entirely too tolerant of those who commit crimes. Catch and release, or not catching at all, are counterintuitive messages against crime. Whatever happened to our spine for the law and its inherent justice?

Charlie Kirry, Olympia

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This is the photo which many have claimed to be doctored. You can see the child on the left's red shirt sticking out from underneath his sweatshirt.

These photos are from Michelle Malkin's blog.

You don't need ethics, a journalism degree, or even Photoshop to see that it has gone too far.

from olympiaimc.org Fri, 11/16/2007 - 16:13.

Hundreds of local students participated in the national walkout against the war today in Olympia. Students rallied on Capital Way in front of the State Capitol building. As of 2pm students are participating in a “die in” to visually simulate the human cost of war.

This one is for you eregular.

By Associated Press

Regional March and Rally

Saturday, Nov. 17th

1pm

Percival Landing at 4th & Water St. March to City Hall on to the Port Plaza.

Organized by Olympia Port Militarization Resistance

Since November 5th, our port has been occupied by the war machines from Iraq. The anti-war community came out to nonviolently protest demanding an end to the revolving door of war through Olympia; they were met with pepper spray, pepper balls, batons, tear gas, bean bag rounds, and concussion grenades. We are marching to end a cycle of violence now reinforced by police. This is the beginning of community accountability of the police. With a mass community movement we can cut off the war through our ports. We allow what goes in and out of our port. Civilian cargo yes, military no. For more info email olypmr@riseup.net

Referring to the OPMR and assumedly the OMJP, Michelle Malkin spewed forth this hyper-conservative intolerant tripe.

"Useful idiots, meet useful idiots. A reader forwarded me this e-mail request sent out today to “peace and justice” moonbats in Washington state. Seems al Jazeera wants “broadcast quality” video footage of the seditious protests blocking military equipment at the Port of Olympia."