Activists' attorney: Ruling on West Point protest 'a shame'

West Point is a governmental affiliated program which means it gets tax payer monies. I for one, am a tax payer. These people should be allowed to protest at this event. I am getting sick and tired of Bush and Cheney squashing the first amendment rights of this country. When are they going to be impeached!!! The sooner the better!!! And if this war is so important to Cheney, Bush, Condi, Rummy, Wolfie and Rove, let them go over and fight it and send their flesh and blood. They are all losers-pathetic losers-not one of them is worth wiping the boots of the soldiers they are sending to get blown full of holes in Iraq!! I don't know how they all sleep at night knowing all of the blood on their hands for this fairy tale war based on greed!!!

This guy, Stephen Bergstein, need to check his memory. He is a tool! Like most protestors, free speech only apply's if you agree with them. All differing opinions need to be ridiculed and silenced. GIVE ME A BREAK!!

Cheryl, please get a grip. The military puts up with a lot of this crap you on the left are putting out. We take it with a smile because we all have a right to our opinions. Do you think maybe, you could cool it on graduation day so these future leaders can enjoy a great accomplishment (graduation from college) with their loved ones without it becomming a politically charged spectacle???

POV - If they didn't want a politcially charged spectacle, they shouldn't have invited a chickenhawk to speak. End of story, Se-lah, QED.

POT- Did your parents ever teach you thhat there is a time and place for everything. Protesting a a college graduation or someone's funeral ( which has been done by some of these thoughtless atteniton seekers)is not the place for protests. Believe it or not the world revolves around more than just you!! Let these people enjoy their day! Let these people protest at the important events of their own family.

The wars in the middle east will wind down once the United States creates an area similar to Area 51,in Iraq, relocates the troops and equipment there, and just maintains an army strike force that will threaten the leaders of the Middle East, all of them. The populations will readjust borders, and leadership. The oil will flow on.

What America needs to do is get all the troops out of Iraq now, and send Bush and Cheney, their sons and daughters to fight their Stupid Scandal!

It's not a shame, it's a crime against the Constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech.

And for the poster saying, "Let these people enjoy their day! Let these people protest at the important events of their own family," if it were not someone like Cheney, I might agree. But does anyone with an ounce of sanity believe that Cheney -- draft-dodger that he is -- will merely deliver an inspiring speech full of platitudes and exhortations to "do your best in the world" to the graduates? No. It will be a highly charged political speech. Cheney gets to spew his political rhetoric unchallenged while the rest of America is gagged and forced to remain silent.

I hope some of the more conscience-driven West Point graduates have the courage and the integrity to refuse to attend the ceremony.

Cheney is just like Patton, almost. Patton is quoted saying something like, "make that other stupid backstard die for his country", and Cheney says something like, "make that other stupid backstard dies for our country". Small, minor difference. Don't you think?

So thousands of professional soldiers with weapons are afraid of a bunch of civilians with signs?

These kids are about 22 years old. When Cheney and Company invaded Iraq, they were 18. They probably figured the war would last a few months and would not involve them. They were relieved when Bush donned a flight suit, landed on a carrier in the Gulf and proclaimed victory behind a Mission Accomplished banner. They were thrilled when the Democrats took over Congress (though they would never say so even to classmates).
Now that Congress has pussied out, reality has begun sinking in. So it's with a sinking heart they'll put on a brave front and heartily applaud the ChickenHawk in their midst.
Brave they may be, but not man enough stand up to the architect of their useless death. Not brave enough to question how their coming sacrifice will serve their country. Not brave enough to ask what sacrifices the rest of the country is being asked to make, and too respectfull of authority to even demand that they be properly cared for when they return broken.
What appalls me he how Cheney can face these children and fail to break down in tears at the thought of his treachery. Is it really possible that when he looks out over the sea of faces below, that he sees not children but cannon fodder? OK, so forget compassion. Where the Hell is his Conscience?

mtkj wrote:

POT- Did your parents ever teach you thhat [sic]there is a time and place for everything. Protesting a a college graduation or someone's funeral (which has been done by some of these thoughtless atteniton [sic]seekers)is not the place for protests.

Believe it or not, mtkj, I agree with you. And I say once again - if West Point didn't want this kind of controversy they shoudn't have let Halliburton's ex-CEO rub Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL) in these fine graduates' faces.

Pissed off taxpayer wrote:

<quoted text>
Believe it or not, mtkj, I agree with you. And I say once again - if West Point didn't want this kind of controversy they shoudn't have let Halliburton's ex-CEO rub Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL) in these fine graduates' faces.

They invited the Vice President of the United States not the ex ceo of halliburton. Everyone's personal opinions aside the citizens of the USA need to show a little more respect for the elected offices (President, Vice President ect)if they agree with them or not. I'm not saying don't protest, but I'am saying is don't slander and name call. People can get their point across and express their dissatisification in more constructive ways then they usually do.

The above comments are hysterical. If one actually READ the Second Circuit's opinion, a task undoubtedly too responsible for left-wing verbal bomb throwers, one would realize how sensible and utterly correct the court's analysis was. Judge Cabranes noted that one could protest outside the facility but one did not have a right to go right through the gates of West Point with it while the graduation ceremony was going on. Moreover, no protester has a right to invade the security zone of the President or the Vice-President. And for the protesters' lawyer to assert his clients would not have sought to disrupt the ceremony is laughable. Anti-war and anti-Bush administration protesters have established a dismal record of disrupting events, heckling conservative speakers, violating the rights of attendees at speeches (including rushing the stage like stormtroopers to disrupt and shut down speakers whose views they wish to suppress)and engaging in outright assaults on speakers who disagree with them. Having shown that they cannot respect the first amendment rights of others, it is ironic to see them whine about a court ruling which appropriately protects the rights of families and graduates to hear a commencement address without disruption by those who seek not to express an opinion but simply to disrupt and shout others down.

mtkj wrote:

<quoted text>
They invited the Vice President of the United States not the ex ceo of halliburton. Everyone's personal opinions aside the citizens of the USA need to show a little more respect for the elected offices (President, Vice President ect)if they agree with them or not. I'm not saying don't protest, but I'am saying is don't slander and name call. People can get their point across and express their dissatisification in more constructive ways then they usually do.

Amen to that. They could have stood back, peacefully. This country was yelling to get even after 9/11. Maybe the big picture should have been re-thought. We are a waring nation, but no one prays for harder for peace than soliders. The real deal is don't die for your country, make the other guy die for his. Quote Patton. I don't care for Machiavelli Cheney, but I certainly think it is pointless to disrespect his office at the USMA - what did it get him?

Perez Texas wrote:

What America needs to do is get all the troops out of Iraq now, and send Bush and Cheney, their sons and daughters to fight their Stupid Scandal!

Read a little closer. The are on their way home. No one needs to prove that evil exist. We all know it does. This is just another Vietnam with half truths, ommissions of truths. This is worse. All wars fought for religion are never ending. Maybe it will be down to grandchildren and great grandchildren, heaven forbid.