Notes: Post-911 unity has certainly served a purpose. Last fall and winter, this strip uncritically supported America's war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. With the total defeat of the Taliban and, according to George W. Bush, the marginalization of Osama bin Laden, open debate is returning to the country. Some believe it's been too long in coming, others are still trying to stifle differing opinions using the McCarthyism tactic of claiming it aids terrorism (substitute communism for the McCarthy version).

From Friday through Monday various organizations converged on Washington, D.C. to protest. Cliff Kincaid writing for NewsMax.com listed the following -- sometimes amusingly-named -- groups of demonstrators: Anti-Capitalist Bloc, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Queers for Racial and Economic Justice, National Network to End the War Against Iraq, and Nude Forest Frolicking Party of America (everyone's favorite). Neely Tucker of the Washington Post mentioned "Nerds Against the War," a small group from MIT. On the right was a rally called Patriots Rally For America with speakers from conservative organizations including Maria Heil from Second Amendment Sisters (another fun name). According to Tucker's piece, 75,000 had shown up by Saturday.

Have at it people -- This is America. 04.21.02