Friday, August 20

Bush in Minneapolis Last Wednesday

Strib columnist Nick Coleman went, and it wasn't pretty. He filed his report today. Sample passages:
...we were informed by the emcee, conservative talk-radio host and author Laura Ingraham, that if the ACLU had its way, we wouldn't even be allowed to pray. When the crowd didn't respond, Ingraham stepped back to the microphone to chide us: "You're supposed to BOO when I say the ACLU!" After that, boos came at all the proper cues.
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With the remainder of their three hours in St. Paul, many of the recovering addicts made crosses by taping together inflatable Bush 2004 "thunder sticks." Later, during the president's speech, they lifted the improvised crosses toward the podium, holding them out in a reverential manner.

"Bush stands for One Nation Under God," said one teen when I asked why he was raising a cross for the president. "He wants to keep God in the nation."

The crosses worried two visitors sitting next to me, foreign students seeing their first American political rally.

Gabriella Gyorgy from Romania works part time in a senior center in St. Paul. She happened to pick up the phone when a Republican organizer called to ask if any old folks would like to see the president. She said no, but ended up taking tickets for herself and her friend, Balint Vanek of Hungary.

She hoped that seeing a campaign rally might help her understand America. Mission not accomplished.

"Please tell the meaning of the crosses," Gabriella said. "We are bothered by that. Do they mean evil is coming?"

No, I said. Why do you think that?

"Because many bad Hollywood films show crosses when evil comes."

Since she was Romanian, I was afraid it might be rude to discuss my favorite Dracula movies. She and Vanek were having enough trouble with the Europe-bashing they were hearing.

"I do not understand the mentality," Gabriella said, looking pained when one speaker's mere mention of the word "Europe" drew boos. "Every person must have friends who they talk to and helps them. If they have no friends, then everything is 'Me, me, me.'

"It is the same with countries."
I think the ACLU will let me say, "Amen."