Injured Soldier Spurs Veteran Support for "Occupy"

[Hissyspit]

Source: Reuters

Injured soldier spurs veteran support for "Occupy"

Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:19pm EDT
By Peter Henderson

OAKLAND, California (Reuters) - A former soldier wounded in a protest on the streets of Oakland after surviving two tours in Iraq has put a new face on the 'Occupy' movement by galvanizing veteran backing for the push against economic inequality in the United States.

Former Marine Scott Olsen, 24, was sent to the hospital in critical condition after a clash on Tuesday night with police, which authorities blamed on provocation by protesters. Demonstrators have rejected blame.

A video of the bloodied young man being carried to safety by other protesters has eclipsed images of dirty tent camps and people dressed in costume that have dominated national coverage of the occupy demonstrations.

"A lot of people are now doing this for Scott," said Claire Chadwick, who works in nearby Berkeley. She was at the Tuesday demonstration and said she was the first to aid Olsen after a projectile hit him.

Read more: http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE79R08720111028?irpc=932

[Rick Myers]

1. As a USAF veteran, WE ARE ON THIS!!!

Here in Minneapolis, we are in full support of OccupyMN!!!

current.tv says Scott is awake and writing messages, now in fair condition...

[red dog 1]

2. Let's All Send Healing Thoughts & Prayers To Scott Olson.

[tsuki]

3. This is what the movement needs. The anti war movement of the 60's

did not gain traction until returning vets joined the movement.

[No Elephants]

11. Vets know how to use firearms. Most of the other peaceful protestors don't. Maybe that's it.

[Left Coast2020]

16. Agreed. But why didn't we have this movement....

...when the pResident was squating in the WH?

[stevedeshazer]

4. I support Scott Olsen.

I'm not a veteran, but my dad and great-uncle were.

They've left this place called Earth, but I know they would support Scott Olsen and Shamar Thomas.

[DeSwiss]

5. K&R

[Lars77]

8. That cop looks like Cains campaign manager.

[bullwinkle428]

6. Those brownshirts picked the wrong guy to fuck with.

K&R.

[christx30]

7. There is a twitter pic

from his brother. He's holding up the picture of Scott after he got injured. He's also holding up a piece of paper with the words "You did this to my brother."
He's got this look of white hot anger on his face. Scary face. Would not want to meet that guy on a bad day.

They also have the picture on OCW's Facebook. It's in the wall photos section.

[dorksied]

9. Here is the pic

[Laluchacontinua]

13. I think it's not his actual brother, but another marine.

[No Elephants]

12. +1 You ain't just whistling the Marine Anthem.

[NAO]

10. Most (if not all) law enforcement officers are in the 99% and need our protection

It is tragic that on this particular occasion, these particular officers acted brutally on behalf of the 1%. I think it's important to identify these particular perpetrators and not to lump together in any way all the law enforcement professionals that protect and serve us.

It needs to be made clear that the OWS movement supports the police - whether they be city, county, state, or federal officers - and that OWS is protesting to protect their pay, their pensions, their benefits, and their families against those who would lay them off, cut their pay, slash their benefits, and raid their pensions. THAT is what the OWS movement is really about.

THAT is the answer we need to present to the befuddled media, who keep asking "but what do these OWS people really want"?

[No Elephants]

14. What the OWS mission is about could not be clearer. We want our country

back from the robber barons and the politicians who do their bidding.

The rest is details.

Legislators and bureaucrats get paid to do those details. It's their job. It's their expertise. Let them take it from there.

They knew exactly what to do to land us in this income disparity situation. They can start doing the opposite of what they did before.

The "what do they want" meme is Reichwing bullshit.

That is all.

[Left Coast2020]

15. Someone told me several years ago....

...you piss off a Marine, and you piss-off the entire Marine Corps. From my vantage point, I can see more than just Marines are really pissed. Am I wrong on that primise?

[NAO]

17. You are correct. My best friend is a Marine Veteran...

You are correct. My best friend is a Veteran of the US Marine Corps, and if you belittle or denigrate or god forbid PHYSICALLY HARM any active duty member or veteran of the armed forces, you're REALLY going to piss off A LOT of people. There is true solidarity among soldiers.

My point was just that cops, whether they know it or not, are themselves at risk for pay cuts, benefit cuts, pension raids...all the same shit that's are done to screw over ordinary Americans.

If law enforcement officers see their predicament - that their boat's the same as ours - they will be much more likely to understand and support OWS, and be much more reluctant to use any sort of force against peaceful protesters.

With police supporting peaceful OWS protests - for the sake of their own jobs or the jobs of their families who may work in the pirate...um..the private sector, that will be a VERY BAD THING for those (both Dem & Rep) who would tilt the tables in favor of the already wealthy.