Everyone PLEASE try to come down to South Pasadena for a protest against the way this country is currently being run. The city of South Pasadena is holding it's annual 4th of July parade and celebration and it would be a great opportunity to get our message out. Bring signs, wear shirts with messages, bring literature if you wish.

Seriously, let's DO something here! A good amount of people in this city were AGAINST the war and are against Bush being in office as well, but there is still a HUGE segment of the population here who think the man is a GOD and is really HELPING our country! (My very own granmother is one of those people, she writes letters to Bush and to other countries who have "helped fight this war against evil" telling them that they did a GREAT job and "God Bless!")

I realize South Pasadena is a small town to protest in, but it is a town that is and has always been extremely patriotic and has a huge turnout for these parade events. So again, PLEASE come here and get the word out that we don't approve of the things Bush has done!

Here is the list of festivity times:
11am - Diamond Avenue and El Centro Street.
The parade moves down Mission St. to Garfield Park.
After parade there will be festivities in the park
until 4pm or so.

6pm festivities begin at South Pasadena High School,
fireworks begin at dusk (around 9pm). It costs $5 to get in to the High School for this event.

(NOTE: Protesting the parade would be the best idea. It would help if everyone met up on the lawn of the Library on Diamond and El Centro a bit BEFORE (10/10:30am?) the parade to organize and talk / eat or something.

Hope to see you there. And if anyone wants to see the official parade info site, go here:
http://www.ci.south-pasadena.ca.us/events/ev_July4events2003.htm

I feel it would be a big mistake to protest the community parade. IMO, having a Fourth of July Parade is not endorsing Bush or his policies, so why protest it? It seems like we would alienate people rather than sway them.

The Fourth of July and the American flag belongs to Pro-Bush and anti-Bush people alike--at least, that's how I feel. I will only take part in a DEMONSTRATION that supplements the festivities rather than subverts them.

I don't plan on it being a protest against the parade itself. The parade is okay, it can be annoying but it's okay. It would be more of a demonstration than a protest and it would be against Bush. It will be a more subtle thing too. Like instead of wearing a "GOD BLESS AMERICA" shirt with a flag on it wear a shirt that has a message on it or hold a sign to inform the people of what the problems are with Bush in office. So the point IS to spread the word not cause a huge commotion at the parade. Maybe I should've worded the entry better.

Regarding "protesting" the July 4th parades.

I do get tired of people judging my partiotism by the size of my flag.

I am patriotic. I do love this country, its people, its lands, its potential. Many who consider themselves patriotic reject my views on what is good for our country. But I will not allow them to tell me I am not an American, or that I do not love my country.

Personally I consider myself more patriotic than any republican on the planet.

We know that Patriotism is NOT "agreeing with the president". It is thinking for ourselves, seeking out real information, and spreading truth, and fighting for our values.

For me the July fourth celebrations are an opportunity to say "I too am America". I suggest we participate in our parades, side by side with our neighbors. And express our patriotism, our true patriotism, of activly working for peace and justice in this country and in the world.

Many of our neighbors are not rabid rightwingers, but DO also love their country, and enjoy a celebration. And they too have various views and opinions, and they need to see that their opinions are shared, that people just like them are questioning the current administration.

The people at these parades are not our enemy. They are people like us with families, jobs schools and services that are disappearing, and questions about what is going on in the world.

I would like them to see that our goal is to genuinely work with our neighbors to find ways to force our government to represent the values of the people of this country. My values, our values. And that we will stand together to turn this country around.

I would like to see us go to the parades as participants, and bring our message that Peace and dissent ARE patriotic, and that we will not sit idly by as this administration dismantles the Constitution.

Perhaps we can take this opportunity to talk to people about the patriot act, one on one, eyeball to eyeball.

I fear that if we do not reach out to people and engage them directly, find out what they think, and spread information we will doom ourselves to forever "preaching to the converted".

Peace, through Justice,

Nina

I would be very sad to see a protest against Bush, or anything else for that matter, on the day that we celebrate the greatest country in the world. While I wholly support protests and demonstrations as a sacred freedom of the United States of America, the 4th of July is the one day we should set aside our political agendas, our differing beliefs, our disappointment or disatisfaction with our homeland or it's leaders.

I will not be happy to see you out there, demonstrating on America's birthday, but of course this is your right. Just consider this: you will likely lose the attention or the ear of anyone who may have listened to you on another, perhaps more appropriate day for divisive protest.

Happy Fourth of July, 2003

this one is learning who his Naiad is he wants her to know that he loves her