Speaking Truth to Power - Annotated

In an article on the demonstrations in DC over the weekend, the NYT covered comments from several participants. The NYT thought they spoke for themselves, I thought to improve what the Times was trying to say (in who they chose from this august crowd) they should be annotated.

Barbara Abrams, 78, Catholic worker from Rochester, N.Y. (Top RIGHT)
"I think we should pull out of Iraq. I think the 20,000 soldiers should be sent, with all the money, to New Orleans." Indeed, Ms. Abrams there are a lot of terrorists in New Orleans. Perhaps the alternative would have been to draft the Mayor and the Governor and send them to Iraq - it would certainly improve the disaster relief efforts in Louisiana.
Mark Ballard, 30, of New York(TOP Left - with the Helmet)
"I don't do much protesting. I guess I came to this one because I've been complaining for four years. It's time to sacrifice a Saturday." Wow!!, A whole Saturday, now that is commitment.
Chris Dols, 24, senior at the University of Wisconsin (Second Left)
"I hope that some enlisted person sees this protest on TV and has the courage to stand up and resist deployment to this awful war. That's the only way it's going to end. Earth to Chris - the enlisted persons are volunteers. But they also have a pretty good idea of what is at stake. You and Mark seem to have spent your six years as an undergraduate productively - evidently avoided the logic courses though.
James Fiorentino, 25, senior at the University of Massachussetts(Second Right)
"We're here to say that without us, without the young people, they can't fight this war. They ripped our history away from us, but we will take it back." James, evidently you did not get to take any English at U Mass - who is the they there - the terrorists or the brave young Americans who are resisting their efforts to bring us back to the 13th century. I guess you three students are going to open a firm together.
Memphis Rudder, 21, organizer for World Can't Wait from Paragold, Ark.(Third Right - with Tattoos and Piercings)
"We are trying to get Bush impeached so that every president after this will not think it's okay to commit war crimes. ... It's going to take a massive upheaval from the bottom to make this happen." Memphis, so what part of reality have you participated in in the last decade?
Cindy Price, 44, of Washington (Third Left - Sunglasses)
"I very much support our armed forces. It breaks my heart to see these people coming home dismembered and disabled, or in body bags and caskets. I'm opposed to people dying, Americans and Iraqis." Say Carol, how do you feel about the thousands of Americans who were killed by terrorists? Just how do you support them?
Hillary Clinton (59- Washington DC) Actually Hillary was in Iowa trying to convince Iowans that she would make a good president and also trying to avoid the history that she voted to authorize the current engagement in Iraq - this will be the best chance to see twist and shout in the 2008 campaign.... (Fourth Right)
the Bush administration plan to invade Iraq in 2003 was “the height of irresponsibility” she (Hillary) allowed “the president to go to war,” and asked for specific steps she would take to end the war and withdraw the troops. The senator replied with her familiar talking points: She said she did not see her vote as one “for pre-emptive war,” but rather as leverage for the president to work diplomatic channels. (I guess she did not bother to read the authorizing resolution.
“If we had known then what we know now, there never would have been a vote and I never would have voted to give the president the authority,” (Six months from now she will have constructed a way to explain how her vote for was not a vote to authorize it - this will be better than losing papers in the White House for a year or so.

The NYT story was very circumspect about the crowd estimate. I remember the Vietnam mobilizations where all of the mall was filled with people. The President's plans should be discussed and thought about by all Americans but if this is thought we need to crank it up a bit.