Iraq War Opponents Confront Rep. Thomas

Prior to his annual "Military Academy Night" showcase of military college careers in Bakersfield scheduled for 6:00 p.m. last Monday evening, for the benefit of potential students, Congressman William M. Thomas was destined to be greeted by some 20 of his feistiest female constituents from San Luis Obispo County. This pink-clad entourage boldly accompanied Gold Star Families Against the War founder, Bill Mitchell, to the Kern County Board of Supervisors Building on Truxtun Avenue around 5:00 p.m. Mitchell's 25 year old son was shot and killed the same day that Cindy Sheehan's son perished--both during the Shiite Uprising in Sader City.

Ten to fifteen variously affiliated others supported the action. They included Bakersfield residents and Iraq War critics from other districts as far flung as Los Angeles and as nearby as Porterville. The gathering was poised at the entrances so as to invite prospective military academy recruits and their family members to read information regarding Thomas's refusal to meet with the bereaved parent of a fallen soldier from his district and about his continuing endorsement of the administration's plodding course in Iraq. Most of Thomas's guests appeared rather sullen as they rejected the invitations on their way to be engulfed by the equally haughty modern high-rise office complex.

Appeals were made by letter and written statements to the media for Thomas to support several pieces of legislation designed to end the blood bath, to hold a Town Meeting in Atascadero ASAP. There was also a request of Thomas to give a formal apology to Mr. Mitchell for ignoring his numerous requests to meet with his Congressional Representative as well as for the poor treatment shown by Rep. Thomas's staff during Bill's visits to the nation's capitol.

Just before the scheduled event threshold, Thomas appeared inside the lobby--stealthily avoiding the gauntlet of tasseled pink Santa Clause hatted heads on the opposite side of the massive plate glass windows as if by employing elfish magic of his own. During his forum inside the supervisors chambers, however, Thomas could not avoid a startling confrontation with citizens opposed to the brutal foreign policy that he promotes. An "Iraq Veteran Against the War" who exposed a T-shirt bearing that identification from beneath an outer garment proceeded to chant together with a Code Pink representative, "Stop the War Now! Stop the War Now!"

The exemplary exhibition of peace advocacy concluded with the pair being expeditiously escorted to an exit where the gathering outside congratulated them warmly, made dinner plans, and soon departed.