Here's a quote from a government employee who witnessed a recent interaction between an elderly woman and an anti-war protester in a metro station in DC:
There were protesters on the train platform handing out pamphlets on the "evils" of America. I politely declined to take one. An elderly woman was behind me getting off the escalator and a (20ish) female protester offered her a pamphlet which she politely declined.
The young protester put her hand on the elderly woman's shoulder as a gesture of friendship and said in a very soft voice:
"Lady, don't you care about the children of Iraq?"
The old woman looked up at her and said,
"Honey, my father died in France during World War II, I lost my husband in Korea, and a son in Vietnam. All three died so you would have the right to stand here, and bad mouth our country. If you touch me again I'll stick this umbrella up your ass and open it."
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!
