There are little children there being coerced into standing in front of trucks and babies on mom's shoulders forced to be a party to this?  That's insane. 

"Do not mistake for conspiracy and intrigue what can best be explained by stupidity and incompetence." - Unknown

I went to one of those Tough Gloves amateur boxing matches in Tacoma once because a friend was entered and saw parents with kids of all ages there. That sort of glorification of violence is way worse in my opinion than bringing kids to a peace rally.

I think the difference would be that in a boxing match, they would be observing only and the "violence" is contained --- you pretty much know who's going to get beat up (the contestants) and who's not (the audience). And the kids belong to the latter group. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to argue the merits or dismerits of boxing. I'm not saying that if and when I have kids, I'd take them to see a match. But there is an important distiction between that and taking kids to an event where by their presence, they are a participants.

My take is that it depends on the nature of the protest, level of action expected, and anticipated potential consequences - plus the purpose of having the child present, what alternatives are available (child care, etc.), and maybe some other factors. Bringing a kid to a relatively low key even where you're standing on the side-walk holding signs is one thing. Putting a kid in the middle of a direct action is another.

Frankly, the first time I watched the clip, I didn't even notice the kid. I hope that if the situation had escalated, the child would have been escorted to safety first thing.

One more point on the comparison to boxing matches --- something isn't good because soemthing else is worse.

Guys, this stuff is going back to Fort Lewis, give it a rest. Play your guitars and endanger your children somewhere else. If you are going to stage a protest that at best will get marginalized as the actions of a bunch of incoherent wackjobs who strew garbage in streets hoping to block the military at least do it when the stuff is GOING to Iraq, not COMING BACK. Jeez, but then again that's why you all have liberal arts degrees from Evergreen, instead of something useful? Go run for office and buy cigarettes and bath salts with donor money or something else.

All of the postings look like a conversation to me.  Different viewpoints are represented, and people seem to feel free to express them on OlyBlog.  Is there anything in the OlyBlog guidelines that says only a single viewpoint is welcome?

I agree with much of what security_six is saying.  Using children as shields, spitting on police and troops, throwing garbage in the streets ... none of those types of actions inspire trust or help change opinions.  Just the opposite.

Nothing productive will come of this protest.  The war isn't going to end because of it.  The crowd will eventually disburse or be disbursed.  The shipments will get through.  And the Port and OPD will have ended up wasting a bunch of money on police overtime that could have been spent on something else.

there is a young boy in brown with a red bandana eating something out of a red cup.  He is clearly school aged and does not belong sitting in front of a moving semi in hopes of preventing it from reaching it's destination.  He is clearly being put in danger by an adult who should know better.

In the pictures Rob posted, this boy & another small boy are shown positioned in front of the semi.  A new baby is being laying across the lap of a woman sitting in the ground in another.

These are not the actions of a parent who values their children's lives or is attempting to teach them values.  These parents are endangering their children's lives.  A sane person would tell these children they belong in school even if these children begged them to go protest.  They would also prevent these small children from sitting in front of a semi.  A sane mother of a baby or small child who can't speak would be a responsible parent by getting a babysitter or staying home with their baby instead of sitting in front of a moving semi with it in their lap.

I can't & won't condone the actions of these parents.

"Do not mistake for conspiracy and intrigue what can best be explained by stupidity and incompetence." - Unknown

So many assumptions, so few questions. It looks to me like the semi is stationary, and therefore not dangerous to anyone. Please think for a moment before making accusations and threatening to call cps.

...I would ask is: "Is that truck moving?" Because, as you note, it is a still picture, it is impossible to tell. Now, we can talk about what makes sense. I, as someone who works with families and children, haven't encountered many parents who would put their child in harms way. So, it seems unlikely that that is what was happening in the picture. What do you think?

Too bad folks resorted to hiding behind their kids.  That tactic won't do a thing to convince people that the action is a just one.  For me, I'm appalled.  I don't care if the truck is stationery, has been sitting there for hours, or was moving.  Putting even one child front and center at a protest is irresponsible.  I hope CPS is on scene today to remove children from such irresponsible parents.

Using kids as a shield, dumping garbage and litter on the site, spitting -- is this really the Olympia way?  I'm ashamed.  Since I'm not working this weekend, I had intended to head downtown and add my voice to those calling for an end to the war.  No way will I go now and condone this sort of irresponsible, embarrasing behavior.

I am always amazed at how loosely people throw the CPS card.  There are many many choices that parents make every day that I personally think are dangerous and irresponsible but unless a child is being physically abused/neglected or whatnot I would never even think about CPS.   I keep seeing people spank their kids in stores because they are "acting up"... I think it's apalling and a lazy parenting choice.  Should I call CPS?  There are kids whose parents bring them McDonald's to school every day for lunch...I feel that it is dangerous to feed your kids that crap.  Should I call CPS?  There are choices that I make in parenting that I know  people disagree with (extended breastfeeding, cosleeping when they were babies, etc) and have the opinion that it's dangerous to the child.  Personally I wouldn't have a problem with taking my kids to a protest and I trust my judgement and instincts that I would get them out of there if I felt they were in danger.  Oh, and sometimes I let my older son play hookey from school and we do horrible things like go to the zoo or Northwest trek.  Sometimes we even just stay home and rest. 

Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.  ~Ludwig van Beethoven

It's the same old story - Everywhere I go, I get slandered, Libeled, I hear words I never heard in the bible

There was a woman posting yesterday in the Olympian about bringing her child down to "welcome the troops".

I believe I coined the phrase "neither side owns the franchise on being stupid"