Stationed at the bottom of Kerckhoff steps, Grant Rabenn was one
of the first pro-war activists students saw as they walked down
Bruin Walk Wednesday.
Rabenn, a fourth-year political science and history student, was
protesting a protest.
“Is the world better after you support these socialist
causes?” he asked.
Rabenn was backed by other war supporters, including Democrats,
Republicans, Independents and members of other political
parties.
Jon English, a member of the Bruin Democrats and first-year
political science student, said calling for “education not
devastation” was hypocritical.
“When they walk out of class, that pisses me off,”
he said.
English could be seen shouldering a boom box playing the Pledge
of Allegiance.
Other students held signs reading, “Saddam loves
walkouts,” and some handed out fliers reading, “Love
Hitler? Then you’ll love Saddam.”
The “Love Hitler?” flier went on to show
similarities between Hussein and Adolf Hitler in the areas of
genocide, conquest of neighbors and nuclear weapon production
attempts.
“They (anti-war protesters) don’t know what they are
fighting for. All they care about is blaming America first, they
know nothing of the Kurdish people,” Rabenn declared.
Rabenn said it is the United States’ responsibility to
protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Owen Paun, a fifth-year European studies student, agreed with
Rabenn.
“America is the only country with the military
capabilities to defend the Iraqi people,” Paun said.
Paun, who said his father received two bronze medals and two
purple hearts in Vietnam, said Americans’ involvement in that
war was wrong.
“Iraq is different. The Iraqi people are not going to
fight for Saddam like the Viet Cong did (in the Vietnam
war),” Paun said.
When asked about an anti-war sign that read, “Stop fuhrer
Bush,” Rabenn said the protesters’ hyperbole was a
testament of their ignorance.
“You would never see a protest like this in Iraq,”
he said.
Emily Currin, a fourth-year political science student, said
signs declaring President Bush as incompetent were unfounded and
she put her faith in him.
“God knows I’d rather listen to someone who got Cs
at Yale, than a bunch of spoiled, liberal UCLA brats who skip class
to go to some stupid rally,” Currin said.
Rabenn’s brother, Chase, a first-year undeclared student,
said anti-war protesters had no arguments and were just spewing
rhetoric.
“All I hear is no blood for oil. If this were a war for
oil we would be attacking Venezuela,” Chase said.
Chase added that claims for peace seemed contradictory, coming
from protesters who tore down a pro-war sign and who Chase said
were trying to pick fights with some war supporters.
“They say they want peace, peace for who? Peace for
themselves so they can sleep at night, or peace for the Iraqi
people who are dying every day?” Chase asked.
Currin said it was important for someone to represent the United
States’ interests.
“Everyone seems to be just supporting the interest of
countries that want to kill us,” she said.
As the protest moved from Westwood Plaza to Murphy Hall, the
pro-war activists could be seen leading the line of anti-war
protesters behind them.
“We felt that we would make a bigger impact in the
front,” said fourth-year physics and math student Jeremy
Werner.
“It’s important Americans know that some college
students still love their country,” he said.