Demonstration Information: Mainz Südbahnhof February 23

Here are the pictures of our pro-Bush demonstration!

(Deutsche Version)

IT'S OFFICIAL: Davids Medienkritik and Medienkritik Online will be LIVE in Mainz on February 23 at the Mainz Südbahnhof. The demonstration will begin at 10 AM and go until 4 PM.

We now have flyers for you to print-out, hang-up and distribute. Here are 4 versions to choose from (PDF format):

Version 1,  Version 2,  Version 3,  Version 4

The media will also be covering the demonstration. Several news networks and even SPIEGEL ONLINE will be there!

IMPORTANT: Mainz Traffic Information (German) / Planned Autobahn Closures / S-Bahn Linie 8 / S-Bahn Infos / Bahn Regional Plan 1 / Bahn Regional Plan 2

We recommend that you arrive in the Mainz area as early as possible for the event and to dress warmly. If possible, those attending should travel to the greater Mainz area the evening of the 22nd and stay overnight. We highly recommend you stay overnight somewhere near the S-Bahn Line 8 between Wiesbaden HBF and Kelsterbach via Mainz. The S-Bahn Line 8 will be the best and easiest means of reaching the rally, even when other transportation routes have been cut off.

Here are some links to hotel information for that area: 

HOTELS:

Mainz: Hotels
Wiesbaden: Hotels
Bischofsheim Hotel
Kelsterbach: Hotels
Rüsselsheim: Hotels
Raunheim: Hotels

To ensure maximum safety and success at our demonstration, we have received an official permit to demonstrate from Mainz city authorities and will be cooperating closely to secure the event with Mainz city police. Additionally, our rally will not be held in the direct path of anti-Bush demonstrations. Our goal is to show support for stong German-American relations and conduct ourselves in a respectable manner, not to vandalize or trash anything or anyone as the other side may do.

We expect a high turnout and will be joined by another pro-American group at our rally. In order to further increase attendence, we encourage everyone to spread the word about the rally and bring as many friends and family along as possible! We hope to have a PDF flyer out asap for you to print out and distribute. Please make your local German-American clubs and organizations aware of the rally! Email, call and promote the event anyway possible.

If anyone could contact Mainz organizatons such as the German-American club or local FDP and ask them whether they could provide further lodging accomodations, that would be excellent.

The authorities will begin cutting traffic connections including major highways, roads and train connections to the city of Mainz at 7 AM on the 23rd. We believe that it will still be possible to reach Mainz Südbahnhof via S-Bahn from Wiesbaden, Bischofsheim and within the city itself after 7 AM, but there may be some delays. We will keep you updated.

We strongly recommend that those wishing to attend use public transportation, especially within a 10 kilometer radius of the event. Here are some maps of the city and links on public transportation and transportation alternatives: 

Mapquest (Enter this address: Holzhofstr. 8 / 55116 / Mainz)
German Rail
Mainz City Map
Downtown
City and transportation info at Mainz.de
Public transportation - Map (old)
Public transportation map/ PDF, 960KB (new)
Mainz Transportation Authority (ÖPNV)
Mitfahrzentrale

For your safety, we recommend that you do not bring any large signs or wear anything that might inflame Bush opponents or identify you as a participant in our rally while on your way to the event. We will have plenty of signs, flags and t-shirts for everyone at the demonstration.

If you can help us to put together signs for the rally, please email me asap. If you have sign ideas or slogans, please let us know about them in the comments section.

Stay tuned, more information will be continually added to this posting...

Comments

[amiexpat]

cannot be with you, but will be with you in spirit.

[Joe]

Good Luck.

Please be safe!

[Cousin Dave]

Good luck and give 'em hell, guys and gals! I happen to know that some German descendents on this side of the pond are watching and taking notes.

[Stuck in Germany]

Great blog! Please be careful next week in Mainz, these people are crazy! I am an American and my husband is German. We live a small quiet apartment complex in Heidelberg, most people here are retirees, and we have never had any problems with our neighbours. Last night when we came home we noticed that someone drew a swastika an inch in diameter next to our door. By husband was dumbfounded and I was pissed! For those of you that do not live here, it is in vogue here for the anti-American crowd to call us fascists or Nazis. The Germans that my husband spoke too were shocked that something like this could happen in our neighbourhood. The Americans that I spoke to were not surprised and they told me stories about the anti-Americanism that they faced in their day to day lives.

Qou vadis, Germany....?

[N. Hale]

To all who are going to attend, I wish to express the same thing that Cousin Dave has said. Give'em Hell! But be safe and may God be with you! Remember, God is whatever you want to believe God is.

To Stuck in Germany: The anti-Americanism is so strong in the Ruhrgebiet that some of the wonderful friends I thought that I had, have disappeared. They never call, come over like they used too. They have something else to do when invited. In the past, they attacked me (an American) and my wife (a German) for all of their perceived ills caused by the U.S. Government. I am the only American in this group of former friends and they had no other source to release their anger on. This does not excuse them in any way. From my experience, with friends like that, who needs enemies. The loss of their friendship is just a minor glitch in my day to day life. It turns out that they really weren't my friends after all. So, my point is, the state of anti-Americanism is so disgusting at this point in time. This is a form is "Ausländerfeindlichkeit". To do the same to any other "Ausländer" would never be allowed to others in Germany, however, Americans can be insulted without limit.

You think that's bad? My German girlfriend broke up with me over discussions on Iraq & President Bush.

These latter comments only show once again that the Atlantic Alliance is over and there is no way to put it back togther again. And good god, why would we want to be allied with GERMANS anyway? The same for all Old Europe. In your forthcoming march in Mainz, you are wasting your time. Germany is America's enemy!

[beimami]

Let's take a step back and look at the whole picture: Germany is not our enemy, Leftism is our enemy. It is true that anti-Americanism in Germany has reached absolutely hyserical levels, and Germany history may play some role in that, but anti-Americanism is not just a German phenomenon. The worldwide Leftist movement is the driving force behind anti-Americanism, and has the potential to be far worse than Naziism was. I guess we can be happy that the Leftists and the Nazis have not joined forces (at least not yet). If they did, they could kill more people than old age.

Good luck to those who are going to Mainz. And do be careful. After seeing the way they act during Karneval (it gets worse every year), I suspect the German crowds are capable of just about anything.

Germany is NOT your "enemy" (maybe France, but NOT Germany) but those blokes who are in charge in Germany! Call our chancellor enemy, our secretary of state, and most of our "independend" media organizations, always remember, there are a few supporters of the United States in Germany (most of them will meet in mainz I think) and give us a few years, we will make a difference!

[Ray D.]

@ anonymous:

Great message, although I'm sure many in France are also tired of the anti-American BS as well.

Ray D.

[Ray D.]

@ anonymous who calls Germany America's "enemy."

That is just utter nonsense. Many in the German left would like to see it that way, but we are trying to fight them here so that Germany and America might regain the vital friendship of earlier days.

---Ray D.

[Ch. Arm]

well, I was only kidding about France, well, you know, (and you do know from mapquest ;-) I`m living near the German-french border, well, that mints ! ;-)

and be sure, we will make a difference, lots of the younger elitarian generation is supporting either George Bush or the American people or both! and we HAVE to show this to the people and to the media, I think it would be disaster to get lost in the crowd, to hide in dark rooms, fill with bitterness, we HAVE to stand up in this leftist, unfree crowde and we have to urge the German people to refect about the current situation, and furthermore, to change their mind!
the demonstration and the very high number of media answers are one very important step!
Hope to see lots of you gentle guys in Mainz!

[Ch. Arm]

by the way: for all who are not in Germany or the are around mainz at the moment, have some warm winter clothes with you, it`s bloody cold and snowing A LOT here in the south west of Germany.

[Chicago Guy]

Ch. Arm, I think you are absolutely correct.

I wish I could stand with you guys.

I work with several German collegues who are very pro-American, some even pro-Bush and some not (but still pro-American).

I'm usually in Germany 2-3 a year at our Frankfurt office, and these visits usually includes at least one big dinner out with the folks from the office. At each dinner there are inevitably few "enlightened" (their words, not mine) who feel it is there duty to inform me that America & Bush are stupid...blah, blah, blah. I've learned to expect it, but they don't get a rise out of me. I calmly explain to them that a company dinner is not the place for this one-sided discussion, and shows a lack of professional/personal courtesy to "attack" the host (me) who is footing the tab. I usually wonder aloud why they are working for an American company; the hypocrisy always seems to be lost on them.

It is usually at this point that the pro-American collegues cut me off and dress-them-down in German.

Even when having civil discussions with some of the anti-Bush (but pro-America) folks, they are usually surprised my knowledge of German history, geography, politics, culture and etc. And this flys in the face of prejudices that the German media/schooling taught them about Americans, much less about the "uneducated" folks from Texas.

I tell them I may not agree with their political ideology, or even the current Chancellor and his party politics, but I would never be so naive as to think that what the German media says truely represents all Germans. This holds true for Germany and the US; from the looney fringes on the left and right. I truely believe that blogs like David's Medienkritk is going to lead to an awakening in the political discourse in German media and society, much like blogs have done in the US. The news is no longer filtered through the prism of the liberal elite who usually in lock-step (no pun intended) in their political beliefs as the European/German media elite.

Keep up the good work.

To N. Hale, I too have experienced blatant anti-Americanism while traveling through Germany, but also experienced the best that Germany has to offer. I was in Frankfurt last December with two American collegues/friends (also well traveled) for three days of meetings. Prior to leaving Chicago we had decided to tack on a weeks vacation and to go skiing in Austria. We also decided to rent a car and drive as neither had been to Germany before and I wanted to show them how beautiful Germany was and to do some sight-seeing along the way. To make a long story short, we stopped at an autobahn rest stop for gas just outside of Munich and while pumping gas a group of Germans in the car beside us started yelling "Bloeder (sp?) Amis", "Fu*k Bush" and "Fu*k America" out the windows as they drove away. They were yelling so loud that everyone heard them. Mind you, we were just standing there pumping gas and minding our own business, speaking with subdued voices in order not to draw attention to ourselves and we did not respond in any way. At first I was embarrassed and "pissed" because everyone turned around and was looking at us, but then I became embarrassed for the Germans themselves as this really shook up my two buddies who had ever only experienced subtle anti-Americanism in their travels. However, as we stood in line in the mini-mart to pay for the gas and assorted snacks/drinks a German couple (50ish) behind us interjected in broken English and told us they felt so sorry for what had just happened to us, and that we shouldn't think bad of Germans. I assured them in my heavily English-accented German that I didn't and extended my hand in friendship and thanked them for their sentiments. They asked if we were US military, and I told them that we weren't and I asked why they thought we were. They said that we looked like young (late 20's/early 30's), clean-cut American military officers, we were driving a nice car, and the fact that I spoke German. I told them I would take that as a compliment, but told them we were in Germany on business, and that the BMW 5-Series was rented. After shaking hands again as we left, wishing us a good time in Austria and a "guten flug nach hause", my/our faith had been restored. After returning to Chicago, all my buddies can talk about, in terms of Germany, was the great beer and food, driving 220kph on the Autobahn, Munich, having to give tips at bathroom doors, and the beautiful German women.....not one mention of our encounter.

I still proudly display my "D" sticker on car.

I'm true friend of Germany and I'll be standing shoulder-to-shoulder (in spirit) with you guys in Mainz.

[Ch. Arm]

very nice comment, and as you will see on the pictures taken on wednesday, there re at least about five dozen people who represent the "other shoulder" in Germany, ;-)

How silly to talk about restoring the "vital friendship" between Germany and America! How silly. What does it take to accept the obvious, that the Alliance is over--Thank God it is!--and that it will never to be restored? I say again: Germany is America's enemy and the feeling is mutual.

You will probably delete this message like you have in the past and practice censorship just like the MSM, but I'll say it anyway: Let Germany rot.

.

[Mark]

I want to say that I visited family in Hamburg a couple years ago and I never felt anything that I would categorize as "Auslanderfeindlichkeit". Many people did, however, have some very strong opinions about president Bush. I am an American and while it is true that my family is German, everyone could hear my American accent. Maybe things have changed for the worse in recent years. I should say that I have seen worse treatment from people in America who hate Germans more than vice versa, and that the origin of this sentiment has historically come from the political left. However, the harsh rhetoric of Schroeder and the Bush administration played the enmities of the American and German people against each other in order to win political support. This is not good. I would never thought to see anti-German sentiment emerging from the political right in America, it is completely unusual and untraditional for them since the vast majority of Americans with German descent vote Republican. Postwar food relief for Germany was led by Herbert Hoover, then a Republican ex-President. The Eisenhower-Dulles plan to reunify postwar Germany and keep her in NATO was made by a Republican administration. Presidents like Regan and Nixon who caused the fall of the Soviet Empire were Republican. George H. W. Bush who supported German reunification against the wishes of some in the world and in his own country, he was a Republican. I have always felt the Republicans to be my party; I could never vote for a Democrat and not feel that I am betraying something. I think it is time for Germany to get back on America's good graces, especially since the stabilization of Iraq is now a humanitarian mission. They have an elected government now, a process which went surprisingly well, and I think Bush deserves some praise for this. It would be a tremendous symbol to see one democracy that emerged with American help assisting another democracy that emerged with American help. If I were in Mainz I would march with you, because the cause of American-German friendship is too great to be ruined just because you disagree with one single U.S. president.

[Ray D.]

@ anonymous,

How silly to talk about restoring the "vital friendship" between Germany and America!

We won't delete your message, but I hope you don't expect anyone here to take you seriously. You are probably a troll just trying to make the site look bad.

[Andres]

Good luck in your demonstration and keep safe.

Ray D,

Question: Why do you want to restore what you call the "vital friendship" between the US and Germany?

[Michael]

Question: Why do you want to restore what you call the "vital friendship" between the US and Germany?

Last time I checked, friendship was generally considered to be a good thing.

The question about "vital friendship" is for Ray D.

[Ray D.]

Because I believe the German and American people have far more in common than they don't and because I believe the German media and a small elite in Germany is spoiling a friendship built painstakingly over 5 decades. I don't believe in throwing all that down the toilet because a few cynics think we should and are ready to give-up.

---Ray D.

[Joe]

Mark,

Question:

Do you have any examples of the harsh rhetoric of President Bush or his adminstration toward Germany?

Other than the comment of the then National Security Advisor Dr Rice to ignore Germany, I can think of none.

At the time I thought this was good advice. I still think it is.

It really is much like what Ray just said. Should the US react to the noise out of Berlin in kind, then there would be no German American relationship to be concerned with saving as it would be over.

[Ch. Arm]

to the anonymous reader and his question about "vital friendship" :

I think Germany and the U.S. belongs together. It maybe sounds strange, but in my opinion, after the terrible World War 2, Germany became something like a son for the United States, in times of the cold war the United States defended our freedom and the realtionship was even closer. The U.S. has looked after his "child", kept an eye on its child und supported this child during the Berlin-crises and the terrible, unbelievable act of building a wall through the heart of GermanyBut Germany has grown up in a way, and, well, now, it`s making his "father" trouble in rebelling against "him", but, I`m looking forward to the day when the child will recognize that it was wrong and where the child really belongs to and we can put the axe in the helve!

[Joe]

Ray D

As soon as possible after Mainz, will you please post if all the members of our group are OK and safe.

I would personally appericate that as I am sure others would also.

You can provide us all with a more detail narrative of your exploits in another post.

I shall get up early to watch FOX and yes even CNN to see if there is any coverage of you.

Thanks

[Ch. Arm]

Apologies for the faults in my comment, I`m not a native tongue, so, apologies again!

[Didi]

I was born in Germany. I became a US citiezen in 1972.I switched my party affiliation from Democrat to Republican after the failed Presidency of Jimmy Carter.I hope you have a safe demonstration in Mainz.Remember, the US President gave you a united Germany.

[Mark]

Anonymous, of course you are basically right. It was Schroeder who started this whole thing and it’s inconceivable that Washington wouldn't reciprocate somehow. I think when Richard Perle suggested that Schroeder should resign that was well-intentioned (if rather unconventional) advice that would have helped American-German relations had it been heeded. I also think it's telling that it's Bush who goes to Germany for reconciliation rather than vice versa, because he is in my opinion the much bigger man of the two. I hope the Germans are wise enough to seize this opportunity and listen to what Bush has to offer. Even if the official dignitaries aren't, I'm glad that these folks here will be marching in solidarity with the USA and I hope Bush sees them.

[Tom Penn]

I am somehow hurt by the fact that the German people seem predisposed to believe the very worst about me and my country, while all manner of excuses are made for the theocracies and tyrannies of this world. How can it be that Americans are demonizied and (even worse) feared by the very same people my grandfather, aunt, and several uncles fought to free? How can it be that they prize their democratic sovereignty and freedom, earned by our common blood, so dispensable? Was freedom too cheap?

I would fully support efforts by Germany and France to strengthen democratic freedoms in Europe by building a democratic EU and a credible self-defense force to protect it. Instead, they are seeking an undemocratic EU and working to build the forces of the likes of Syria, Iran, and China, instead of their own. Why?

I do feel taken for granted as an American, but more deeply than that, I feel betrayed as a human being. The greatest offense of Germany and France is not that they have abandoned America in very hard times, but that they have abandoned Freedom, Democracy and their own sovereignty.

German opposition or support for my nation and my president are not the critical issue. The demonstrations in Mainz would be more meaningful and have greater resonance if they focused on the common ideals that have bound the Trans-Atlantic relationship together for all these years: Freedom and Democracy. I need to know if Germans still believe these ideals in their hearts. If so, there is hope. If not, then good-bye and good luck.

Ray D,

You say the German media and German elites want to destroy US-German friendship and the alliance between the two countries.

Why do they want to do this?

[MEGAFON]

Hi Guys,

we are busy over here organizing the demo. I was opening some of you could pitch in for a megafon. They cost around 70 Euros. If this were possible it would be greatly appreciated.

Lets pray that this day is a success and by that I mean we make our statement and all stay safe!!

Best
Trish

[Ray D.]

Hey Trish,

We got your back with the Euros. Please donate everyone!

Ray D.

[N. Hale]

To Chicago Guy,

Be thankful that you only have to face the anti-Americanism on an intermittent basis. I live it everyday. Not evereyone I meet is anti-American, and not everyone I know hates G.W. Bush. On a daily basis though, I have to suffer the tirades of the elitest press, be it paper, radio or television. At first I was shocked by the impoliteness of it all. Now I just view it as misinformation and a form of a peeing contest. There are so many problems with the government and economy, the people need a diversion of some kind. I have to agree with you about the beautiful German women, my wife is one of them.

I do face another problem as well, I have black hair and a dark complexion. I have been asked if I were Turkish or Greek in such a nasty tone that it would make any neo-Nazi, white supremist in America proud. That's right, discrimination is alive and well here in the land of "multi-kulti". Multi-kulti is only a vague concept that everyone is proud of and that only a few live by. I am sneered at if I asked if a seat is taken on the train or bus. And the poor Africans, what they have to suffer, no one talks to them unless they absolutely have to. The KKK could find "a few good men and women" here to join their ranks.

[lemmy]

I must say, I haven't experienced any out-right anti-Americanism (I've lived in Germany 18+ years), but one thing that I found very interesting (and it falls right in line with what this Blog is all about) is when I met with some acquaintances (Bekannten) whom I had not seen in a long while (or even a hand full of Germans whom I see on a somewhat regular basis), all of them (100%) were absolutely befuddled when they would ask me about the 2004 US presidential election, and I would tell them with confidence that Bush would win. The looks on their faces are, in retrospect, funnier now. The incredulous looks I got were a sign of what they were force fed in the German/European main-stream media (MSM). When I told one of them the Bush would win, I added, "you heard it here first"!

Even worse, I had heard through one of my German Bekannten that one American (lives here and is married to a German man) that she said she was "ashamed" to be an American (because of Iraq).

Well, being "ashamed" of one's heritage is odd (I might say, insane), no matter if one is German, American, Russian or Iraqi. One day I would like to meet this person and explain a few things to her.

As for N. Hale's "multi-kulti" post, well, sometimes I have to chuckle. This grand plan by the politcal left that mulit-kulti would be a great thing is an utter failure. Besides, the anybody ever ask the immigrants who came to western Europe if they even WANTED to assimilate into the Western culture? Just use your Ouiji board and ask that poor dead Turkish woman from Berlin. She tried, and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Talk about tolerance! Oh yeah, tolerance is only a one-way street. Just ask the Left.

A few things to say here:

#1) I voted for John Kerry and I disagree with a number of George W.'s policies. However, I do not think the re-election of Mr. Bush is threatening to anyone outside of the US but dictators (and those who choose to look the other way to them).

#2) Even if there are policy disagreements, the relationship between the US and Germany is far too important to give up on!

#3) Please ignore the "anonymous" poster, there are ignorant people in my country just as there are ignorant people everywhere else. I sincerely apologize for his nonsense.

#4) Despite what the media might tell you in Europe, there is hardly ANY prejudice against Europeans or others here - at least where I live. I've never heard anyone speak insults about Germany. Most here still consider Germans "friendly" to us. My father, an American, grew up in Belgium and Germany. The reason he did was because *his* father was stationed there during the Cold War to guard against possible Soviet aggression. He recalls to me when the Berlin Wall fell and how excited everyone was - including his father who was nearly in tears over it. That's how strong the German-American connection runs here - there are countless other families with the same experience.

Regarding other biases: the only people who are really ever made fun of are the French. People love telling French jokes, to be honest.. and I think they are quite funny. But there's such a difference between anti-French sentiment here and anti-American sentiment in France. We joke about things like "freedom fries", they make jokes about dead American soldiers and they seem to *hope* Iraq plunges into a civil war, instead of becoming a Democracy. I've heard stories about other things that have happened in France, like the desecration of graves where American soldiers are buried. Soldiers who died to *liberate* the country. ..And when Bush came to France to commemorate the anniversary of D-Day, that was even worse. The press went on and on about how he was such an "evil dictator" and "American arrogance" and so on (check out http://www.thedissidentfrogman.com/dacha for proof). Mr. Bush came there as a representitive not of HIS foreign policy but of the US contribution to the allied forces who aided other allies to free most of Europe! I was sad to see that they couldn't put aside our current differences and come together to truly honor the blood we shed together for liberty.

As for anti-Moslem/Arab bias: Barely any to speak of. If any press says that there is widespread anti-Arab sentiment in the United States, they ought to come here and visit. I have Arab friends. The guys who work at the local gas stations and convenience stores are Arabs. There are several Arab doctors in my neighborhood, who are very successful. It is incredibly difficult to be anti-*anything* here as our population is so diverse and tolerant.

The reason I mention these things is that, whenever I view the European press (even the BBC!) I hear statements about American arrogance, discrimination, ignorance, violence. I don't think these opinions are based on experience but rather assumptions. People who complain Americans are ignorant are often more ignorant than we are.

#5) Please know that, given similar circumstances, there would be plenty of Americans (myself included) staging similar rallies here.

Viel Glück
Seien Sie sicher
Vielen Dank!

Matt
New York, USA

My mother returned to her native Germany just last year and told me she had to remove the tags from her luggage at Frankfurt am Main so that people wouldn't see that she arrived from America. This was after being confronted on the train by total strangers, including a man claiming to be a Muslim, who asked her things like "What is wrong with America, how could you reelect Bush?". Of course at that time I became concerned for her safety, regretting that I didn't accompany her. So I asked her if she felt too threatened to travel in Germany by herself. To this she replied, "Oh no, it was okay. I agreed with them".

[Ch. Arm]

German forum of the radical left wing organization "attac":

http://www.attac.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3015&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=60

very peaceful...

[VIK]

ACHTUNG ACHTUNG !!!

Die Rote Front hatin Belgien Mobil gemacht !!!!

Hier die ersten Bilder dazu:

http://www.stern.de/politik/ausland/index.html?id=536801&nv=fs&cp=1

Hoo boy. What other books are there on that bookshelf? Books about:

Humble Frenchmen
Good Italian Drivers
Sober Scots
Famous and Influential Belgians
Well-mannered British football fans

(Yikes!)

[Eriks]

A good question by Phil.

"Does anybody else find it ridiculous that a Party does not have to get 5% just because it is Danish?"

Welcome to PC fairlyand, Phil. It's something to do with it Danes having "ethnic- minority status", which means they are "special", simply for being Germans of Danish origin... (in other words there is no legitimate reason)

But hey, the Brussels politburo has told Latvia that it should-er, must-allow non-Latvian citizens to vote in local elections in Latvia. That almost half of all residents of Latvia are Russians, many of whom want Latvia to re-join the Rodina, means nothing to those dangerous clowns in Brussels. That is the nature of the euro-left.

Phil, the PC euro-left and the anti-American euro-left are not rational people. One cannot make logical assertions such as you do and expect a reasoned response from that lot. It's sad and pathetic, but that's where we are these days.

[erp]

The summer before 911, we were in Montpellier (France), an area crawling with Algerian Arabs. Only their hate-filled eyes showed their hostility and the French, being French, were rude, but it took a couple of young German men to scare the bejeesus out of us. They were staying at the same small neighborhood hotel as we and were openly hostile and threatening. They were watching us everytime we went in or out of the hotel and they told us to "keep silent" until we got inside our room because our speaking English was offensive to them. We also suspect they were in our room because we found cigarette butts in our luggage.

Can't imagine what they though their problem was. A couple of punks with nothing to do all day. Interestingly, the students we ran into from black Africa were very friendly and courteous and spoke English beautifully. Go figure!

[plum]

To all who are going to attend, I wish to express the same thing that Cousin Dave has said. Give'em Hell! But be safe and may God be with you! Remember, God is whatever you want to believe God is.

To Stuck in Germany: The anti-Americanism is so strong in the Ruhrgebiet that some of the wonderful friends I thought that I had, have disappeared. They never call, come over like they used too. They have something else to do when invited. In the past, they attacked me (an American) and my wife (a German) for all of their perceived ills caused by the U.S. Government. I am the only American in this group of former friends and they had no other source to release their anger on. This does not excuse them in any way. From my experience, with friends like that, who needs enemies. The loss of their friendship is just a minor glitch in my day to day life. It turns out that they really weren't my friends after all. So, my point is, the state of anti-Americanism is so disgusting at this point in time. This is a form is "Ausländerfeindlichkeit". To do the same to any other "Ausländer" would never be allowed to others in Germany, however, Americans can be insulted without limit.

"In really deep hope for a sudden impact of all you Ami-Swines with the aluminum baseball-bats of my buddies in Mainz. May your dentist fix you as good as he can."

This would be great, but the problem is the police will protect them. Your buddies should identify them, publish their photos and do the baseball game later.

[Joe Walden]

I'm not offended by the caricature - after all caricature is something that keeps democracy alive.
Furthermore I strongly believe that it is more a cynic comment on Angela Merkel than on the President or America. As far as I now "kissing one's butt" is in German more of a negative comment on the one who kisses than on one who's butt being kissed...
Take it easy, Joe

[Tom]

Hi Ray,
I've seen your speech at UMass and I wanted to check out your blog.
I read that you will erase critical comments - I just recall what you repeated over and over at the speech - take a look at both sides - do you think your (truly intersting) site (and that deleting-policy) meets that goal?
At the speech I was shocked to see the covers you showed us - I couldn't believe it. I wanted to know more about that so I just checked out the last 12 issues of Stern in AC library. They were not concerning America - yet one reported about the religion of the Islam but not invoking any ideas like 'terror' or 'fundamentalism' (which you suggested in you speech).
How do you account for the strong emphasis you put on the covers in your speech. I mean I was under the impression that this is something like the rule (you used the term 'propaganda' on your poster) but right now it seems to me more than something exceptional.
Hope you don't delete my comment - it's only some questions, I'm curious to learn more.
Best, Tom

---From Ray D: Hi Tom,

Fair enough question. I erased a number of comments on this particular page because I stated from the beginning that this particular comments section was for planning and organizing the rally, not for people to leave critical comments or make comments that might frighten people away from our effort. In fact, David and I opened an extra comments section specifically for people who wanted to argue about the rally to provide them a forum for their opinions. Now that the rally is over, this and all other sections are open to all comments that do not violate our comments policy.

As for my emphasis on covers in the speech, I only had something like an hour and I had to cover an enormous amount of ground. If we had had several hours, I could have gone into the specifics of articles and news coverage which also demonstrate the trend of bias in the German media. I guess you could say I was limited by time. If you want more detail about our positions, I suggest you take a look at this site and all of our past postings and also have a look at Medienkritik Online if you can read German.

As for the poster for the speech, I was a little unhappy about it because the UMass Republicans designed it and did not ask me whether I approved or not. So it is not fair to say that it was "my" poster. However, I do think that some of the things you see in the German media border on propaganda, for example Sterns "How America Lied to the World" cover.

Tom, you are always welcome to comment here.

[An American]

Thanks!

[melly]

lemmy: "Well, being "ashamed" of one's heritage is odd (I might say, insane), no matter if one is German, American, Russian or Iraqi. One day I would like to meet this person and explain a few things to her."

You can explain this things to David and Ray, because they are obviously ashamed of their country too. But explaining things to insane people is not very helpful. All they can think of is censorship.

[melly]

Tom: "How do you account for the strong emphasis you put on the covers in your speech."

He does not account for anything. He just hates Germany. He promotes censorship, not free speech.