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Did demonstrators learn from 1968?

Published Monday, March 17, 2008

According to news reports (Fox 9 News), a large number of demonstrators will be gathering in St. Paul hoping to disrupt the Republican National Convention later this year.

Did protesters learn any lessons from the 1968 Democratic National Convention exactly 40 years ago?

The results of property damage and violence at the Chicago convention — all televised and correctly blamed on Democratic partisans — was devastating.

Republicans buried the Democrats in the general election. Protesters can only blame themselves for turning the public off to their cause.

At the same time, I was two years back from Vietnam attending classes at the University of Minnesota on the Gl bill. Although we fought communist aggression in part to maintain the protesters free-speech rights, I still don't believe that included blocking my path to the classrooms.

Exactly 40 years ago that experience changed my political viewpoint.

John Holley - Ironton

Comments

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Posted by pilsnerurquel (anonymous) on March 17, 2008 at 6:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Don't believe everything you read. There are crazies who protest at every RNC and DNC convention. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Posted by Elizabeth (anonymous) on March 17, 2008 at 9:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

1968 was Nixon vs. Humphrey.

I'm sure the candidates themselves had nothing to do with the Republican win.

Posted by Rumpusgoopus (anonymous) on March 17, 2008 at 9:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Oy frickin' vey. I don't think this letter could possibly exhibit a more inept understanding of American history. Yeah, it was because there were war protesters that Americans decided to vote Republican. It certainly had nothing to do with the Democratic party being hopelessly split due to McGovern winning the majority (and I think all) of the presidential primaries, and yet the party went with Humphrey.

And certainly, the country didn't eventually pull out of Vietnam because of the country being against the war. Sure, that never happened.

Posted by Mel (anonymous) on March 17, 2008 at 11:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The leftest gov't in the twin cities passed rules to make it easier for the demonstators to demonstrate at the Republican convention, on purpose!

Posted by tanker8 (anonymous) on March 18, 2008 at 9:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Protestors changed your political viewpoint? Thats weak, and I seriously doubt you had much of a grip on politics to begin with.

Posted by sametoyou (anonymous) on March 18, 2008 at 9:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This guy is a nut case! He lives as if anything druggy Limbough says is gospel. He spews the hate messages in all the local papers, and it's always about druggy Limboughs poiseness reteric.

Posted by globalcooling (anonymous) on March 18, 2008 at 10:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Message to sametoyou and Rumpusgoopus: What you call "hate messages" were actual historical events. Your liberal dribble demonstrates how intellectually challenged you are. You stoop to name calling when you when you have no case. Also, learn how to spell before you post a comment.

Posted by Rumpusgoopus (anonymous) on March 18, 2008 at 11:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Globalcooling, when you criticize me, could you, you know, criticize ME? I see nothing there that says anything about what I wrote.

And out of curiosity, did you mean "liberal drivel" instead of "liberal dribble"?

Posted by sametoyou (anonymous) on March 19, 2008 at 7:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Globalcooling, you can keep telling yourself that everything that druggy Limbough says is historical if that's what you want to believe, because I'm going to continue to miss spell, and post, and there is nothing you and Rush can do about it! Don't spend to much time on this sight, you may miss part of his show today. I'm sure he has some more hate to spew today!!!

Posted by globalcooling (anonymous) on March 19, 2008 at 8:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Unlike some of the free-loading, dope smoking liberals of the sixties we conservatives don't have time to sit around during work hours on the computer. We're out working hard to support our families. It's liberals like you, who under the guise of taxes, extort money from us to support bleeding heart programs like proposed universal healthcare.

Your Maxcist view of politics has blinded you to what is right and wrong in this world. The truth is Americans in 1968 were sick of the anti-war peace crowd that protested a just war against the Communists and who supported traitors such as Jane Fonda. This is in part why we won big in 1968.

The Democrats of today are so far left, they want to see America defeated in the war against terror. Like it or not, the terrorists are in Iraq. Who do you think we are at war with over there? Iraqi nationalists? Wake up! These Democrats (and even some Republicans) want us to pull out of Iraq and go home. Do they think the enemy will just leave us alone? Even the hippie protestors from the sixties would probably view the Democrats of today as extreme.

God help us if America votes in someone like Hillary or Obama. If either of them were the leader of the free world in 1941, we would all be speaking German.

History will prove that George W. Bush is one our greatest presidents ever.

Get your facts straight sametoyou and Rumpusgoopus. On second thought.... keep on posting. It is quite entertaining to watch you make a fool of yourselves.

By the way where did you come up with the username Rumpusgoopus? Ha!

Posted by MyFurryFriend56537 (anonymous) on March 19, 2008 at 10:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Where did you come up with the username globalcooling? Ha! I bet you think the earth is only 6,000 years old, too.

Posted by globalcooling (anonymous) on March 19, 2008 at 10:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Prove it otherwise.

Posted by globalcooling (anonymous) on March 19, 2008 at 10:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

BTW...have you been to Greenland lately? It's not green anymore.

Posted by Mel (anonymous) on March 19, 2008 at 11:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I wish I had thought of the user name "globalcooling"
Do you mean that greenland is white or brown or what? When all that ice melted did they find lots of old Viking stuff?

Posted by sametoyou (anonymous) on March 20, 2008 at 7:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Keep it up globalidiot. You are so entertaining. You actually have us believing that you believe the crap you say! But we all know, nobody could be such an idiot. 7 and a half years of this guy has been just great. Good one!

Posted by Rumpusgoopus (anonymous) on March 20, 2008 at 2:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

You know, there's a lot to dislike about the FFDJ, but there is something to be said for the comments. It's quite amusing to watch people explode on the slightest prompting.

Posted by Elizabeth (anonymous) on March 20, 2008 at 7:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

globalcooling-
Do you honestly expect to be taken seriously after saying "History will prove that George W. Bush is one our greatest presidents ever."

Further, your lack of knowledge about world history is shocking.

One more tip - if you choose to criticize others' spelling, you might want to make sure you spell things correctly. Should I assume "Maxcist" actually means "Marxist?"

Posted by globalcooling (anonymous) on March 20, 2008 at 8:09 p.m.