What if no one came?
Where's that massive pro-war sentiment the media love to
claim they've polled? The VFW and the New Jersey Department of
the Military and Veterans Affairs cosponsored a big patriotic
bash at Liberty State Park in Jersey City on Oct. 27.
It was held virtually in the shadow of the Statue of
Liberty. President Bush sent a video statement about "God and
country" to be shown on two huge screens. The stage was
red-white-and-blue bunting in stars and stripes and featured a
20-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty's hand and torch.
Gubernatorial candidates, discouraged by organizers from
handing out campaign literature at a patriotic event,
glad-handed voters. New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani sent a
representative. Other speakers wore shiny brass on their
epaulets and hats.
Organizers eagerly anticipated 10,000 people would attend.
But the Oct. 29 Jersey Journal reported, "More than 3,000 seats
were set up, but only several hundred were filled at any time,
according to Jerry Newberry, VFW director of
communications."
By contrast, tens of thousands of people have demonstrated
against the war in the past month.
--L.F.
Reprinted from the Nov. 8, 2001, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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