Thursday, February 20, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Bore rally

Las Vegas' already meager war protest voice dwindles further into confusion

By Newt Briggs

Maybe two marches in two months were too many for Las Vegas.

Because while Saturday's anti-war demonstration in front of the Bellagio might have carried the same message as its Jan. 18 predecessor, it proved neither as loud nor as convincing. And even with the dreadlocked, corduroyed spillover from a weekend of Phish shows at the Thomas & Mack Center, the march managed little more than 400 people--at least 100 fewer than showed up for the previous demonstration.

"I guess this one was a little different from the last protest," said 26-year-old Henderson resident Leslie Scully. "I don't know, it just seemed smaller and more sedate. Maybe people were worn out from Valentine's Day, but they definitely didn't have the same spirit that I saw a few weeks ago."

As a testament to the group's apathy, Saturday's march lasted more than an hour longer than the previous demonstration but did not walk as far. In fact, the anti-war throng occasionally fell into complete silence as they tromped along Las Vegas Boulevard.

In contrast, the pro-war voice seemed louder than ever, ringing from everyone from a pack of vacationing servicemen to a disenchanted guy who drove past the rally holding a piece of paper that read "Bomb Saddam" out the window of his car. Pro-war hecklers were also in abundance along the parade route.

"Y'all need to put down your crayons, get a job and pay some taxes," shouted a naysayer as the procession passed in front of the Harley-Davidson Café. "We got tanks to build."

It was a sentiment shared by Vietnam veteran and Valley High School government teacher Carl Ridenour. "I've been walking up and down here and getting more applause and more support than any of these idiots," Ridenour said as he hoisted a placard that read, "We support our president and our troops in the Mideast. Go USA!"

And even when the protesters did muster a voice, their cries often came out confused, muddled by a lack of coherence or uncertainty about historical precedent. Like the chant that began "Hey, hey, ho, ho/ This racist war has got to go," and gradually became ""Hey, hey, ho, ho/ This crazy tour has got the go" as it swept to the front of the march. Or the sign that read, "Those that would trade their freedom for security deserve neither--Thomas Jefferson." The actual quote: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." And that one goes to Ben Franklin, not Thomas Jefferson.

Besides that, last Saturday's protesters frequently seemed puzzled as to their agenda, alternating between anti-war rhetoric, Bush bashing and calls for increased funding for social programs. In perhaps the most bizarre departure from its intended purpose, the rally was closed with a poem lobbying for the legalization of marijuana. While the Phish fans cheered, many others left scratching their heads.

Still, some visitors were pleased to see that there was anything going on in Las Vegas. "I'm really happy to see all of these people coming together in what seems like such a self-indulgent place," said Wendy Bumgarner of Arcata, Calif.

For many, though, the decreased turnout was a cause for real concern. According to local retiree Jim DeLong, it may mean that some Las Vegans have become resigned to the inevitability of armed conflict with Iraq.

"More and more I think people are starting to believe that our current administration is going to war no matter what," said DeLong. "Maybe they're beginning to see these protests as little more than an exercise in futility."