Rantz: Fringe left-wing activists mad at Blue Angels rent tiny billboard. Who cares what they think?

A small band of insufferable, fringe activists has popped up with a tiny billboard to accompany their insignificant campaign to protest the Blue Angels’ Seafair flyover — with demands to cancel the entire show. They complain about promoting “militarization,” claim it’s bad for the environment, and say it’s too loud. But here’s an obvious question we should all ask: Who in the world cares what these people think?

The handful of activists, calling themselves the “Air Show Climate Action Coalition,” rented a billboard this week on Rainier Avenue South, urging an end to the Blue Angels’ appearance at Seafair this August. The billboard is so small that you’d have to squint to read it.

“We don’t oppose Seafair, we do oppose the continued Boeing-sponsored airshow with the Blue Angels,” said Mary Paterson, a member of the Airshow Climate Action Coalition, to FOX 13. She’s also a volunteer with 350 Seattle, which has stood in solidarity with the pro-Hamas movement, which explains why she brings up Boeing, a corporation villainized for doing business with the state of Israel.

Every complaint against Blue Angels in Seattle is ridiculous

We’ve got a tiny group upset that a spectacle loved by the region is too loud and too “militaristic.” For normal people, the Blue Angels’ routines stir national pride and are awe-inspiring to watch. While this doesn’t align with the views of the Radical Left, it does with the rest of us. The complaints are completely contrived, as they are every year when the same minority of activists complain.

Claiming the Blue Angels “militarize” Seafair is like saying the Seafair Pirates promote armed robbery on the high seas — by that logic, we should arrest them all for piracy.

Then there’s the environmental angle. They’re griping about carbon and pollution — but the Blue Angels use biodegradable paraffin oil for the smoke. Meanwhile, the fringe activists are using a billboard intended to be seen by people driving in their cars.

They also claim that the Blue Angels’ flyover noise causes hearing impairments, particularly to children. This is, of course, false. Kids aren’t going deaf because of these brief shows. But what’s undeniable is that prolonged exposure to their whining can cause severe intellectual impairment — especially if you mistake it for a serious argument.

This isn’t a news story

From their vantage, we should feel guilty for celebrating tradition. They’ve bought a billboard nobody sees, rallied a few online petition signatures, and now think that’s enough to cancel one of Seattle’s proudest annual events. This entire stunt is drowned out by the roar of jets and the cheers of real attendees.

Why is Seattle media fanning this fire, devoting airtime to an otherwise irrelevant protest? This isn’t a credible movement. It’s a performative sideshow. But showing any opposition makes journalists be seen as part of the progressive activist club, even if the dissent is manufactured and insulated.

You drive by Rainier Avenue and see a message that says “Stop militarism.” You don’t think “Wow, someone’s got a point.” You think, “Who even paid for that stupid billboard?” You roll your eyes and keep driving.

To the activists: airshows are loud, violent, carbon-emitting — and people love them. The Blue Angels want to thrill crowds, remind us of sacrifice, and sell patriotic fun. For every person who complains, there are thousands ready to wave American flags and cheer them on.

Stop pretending this billboard matters. Sure, let them protest. Let them shout their piece. But don’t treat their stunt as anything more than what it is — a billboard, staged in obscurity, pushed by a few zealots backed by clickbait coverage.

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