MUST SEE! Veteran DESTROYS people verbally in Modesto, CA at MJC Budget Cuts meeting (w/captions!)

[blizz]

Run time: 05:29 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlUC4R-9AfA   Posted on YouTube: March 10, 2011 By YouTube Member: azuritereaction Views on YouTube: 14529   Posted on DU: March 12, 2011 By DU Member: blizz Views on DU: 7380

 
Lets all take a page out of this guys book and not lose any faith or gumption on what is fair

[snappyturtle]

1. Glad to see this young veteran standing up to 'authority'...thanks for posting. nt

[Charleston Chew]

2. Veterans Advocates Discuss Impact of Reckless Republican Budget Plan on Homeless Vets

__________
U.S. Senators from across the country stood with advocates for homeless veterans to oppose a provision in Republicans' reckless spending proposal that would cut 10,000 housing vouchers that would keep homeless veterans off the streets next year.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x561569
__________

[NYC_SKP]

3. Recommended. Modesto Junior College - Veteran Isaac Soderstrom, please watch.

Very passionate, I went to his facebook page and saw other veterans and I'm a little verklempt.

http://www.facebook.com/ModestoVeteran?sk=wall#!/ModestoVeteran?sk=info

wow.

:patriot:

[2banon]

12. thanks for the link... i went to this fb and rec'd it. n/t

:toast:

[liberalhistorian]

34. Thanks for posting that;

happy to see it on FB. What a true example for us all.

[truedelphi]

45. Thank you for the link to this man Facebook.

maybe we can help make his attitude go viral.

[proud patriot]

4. wow Modesto

sleepy farming town on the outskirts of the Bay Area .. It's awesome to see people standing up for themselves there.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. "You will lead by example"

Boy, did I get all choked up. That's the military personnel that I remembered. Not the types that seem to abound today which expect autocratic obedience in civil community matters.

Let it be said that the problem of our country is that our leaders are setting the wrong example for all of us.

[1monster]

8. Talk about expecting obedience! Everyone of the members on that panel, with

the exception of the one man who gave the veteran a standing O, had the sour looks of authoritative adults who expect those younger than them to kow tow to their positions, being told off by an arrogant subordiante teenager refusing to clean up his/her room. The contempt on those faces was undeniable.

Takes me back nearly forty years when those on that panel would have been in the age group of the students and the veterans...

edit: left out some letters

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. You have a good eye.

I think we do have a failure in leadership in this country. I blame all those MBA's, morphed with poor military leadership and the voir dire method of weaning out the best, the most honest and those with the highest integrity.

It's the little things.

[Populist_Prole]

14. So right, and none of them looked like they did a days "real" work in their lives.

What a kangaroo court that was. I've been to city council meetings where that same kind of stonewall repression was practiced. Whenever business leaders wanted to talk, it was always long winded corporate happy talk with slick powerpoint presentations. Whenever a neighborhood groups spokesman rebutted ( and began gathering support of those listening in attendance ) after about 15 or 20 seconds it was like "OK ok, that's enough, you made your point, everybody be quiet now please".

What a sham this so called democracy has been made of by the bought and paid for civic leaders.

[Maraya1969]

31. I said one thing in opposition to one of the committee member and she yelled, "Security"

They were very nice to me but I did have to stay outside after that.

[xxqqqzme]

30. There are no leaders.

[dotymed]

6. The PEOPLE,( It is supposed to be our govt.)

are not allowed to speak. The audience agreed that he was not usurping their time, yet he was still removed (arrested too?). What does it take for people to understand that we are no longer in control of our government? They care for themselves only, and we PAY THEM to treat us this way.

[fascisthunter]

7. hey richies.... thanks for waking the Sleeping Giant

and THIS time we'll make sure you never fuck with us again. We will make checks and balances so hard for you to destroy you'll wish you were eith the people when you had the chance. Enjoy!

[AKDavy]

10. Dissent, revolt and civil disobedience--May they spread

Was proud to see this, both as a veteran and an MJC graduate.

[2banon]

11. K & R'd Excellent clip!

:applause: Refreshing to see and listen to. I didn't catch his name or the vet org he referred to.

[Oilwellian]

13. There are captions added

Go to the You Tube link and click the cc button right below the video. Great for those who hardly understood what he was saying in video. But even with cc, there are garbled parts.

Righteous anger abounds. :D

[2banon]

51. thanks. yes.. righteous anger does indeed! n/t

:toast:

[OffWithTheirHeads]

15. Oh hell yeah! K&fuckingR

[idrahaje]

16. Gee and I thought they were pro soldiers

nope. or as a line for George carlin... on abortion They need live babies to be dead soldiers...

whoops...

[Populist_Prole]

18. Oh they're pro soldiers alright

So long as it's confined to wearing flag lapel pins or yellow awareness ribbons on their behemoth SUV's.

I'll bet they really belt out 'The Star Spangled Banner' with gusto as well.

[Brigid]

43. It's like one firefighter (a 9/11 firefighter, I think) said:

"They love us when they can use us." But God forbid they have views of their own and speak up. This soldier's parents must be very proud. :)

[Plucketeer]

17. I'm genuinely choked up and embarrassed

Embarrassed that I haven't stood up and spoken like that in the face of the unjustices that "they" are foisting on us! Bravo soldier!

EDIT to add - I'd love to see this fella and phony-ass Joe The Dumber go at it!

[Populist_Prole]

19. I'd like to see them go at it too.

I like the delicious irony too:

To the sour establishment types there ( or elsewhere ) he's probably their perfect stereotype with his long hair and youthful impudence - Yet he's surely tougher than nails and a lot more competent at what he does than those pampered faux patriotic types ever were.

He'd no doubt mop the floor with 'Joe the Plumber' figuratively and literally.

How's that crusty cons? Long haired liberal whippersnappers can and will eat your lunch!

[Plucketeer]

24. Amen! nt

[butterfly77]

20. This is what irritates me about republiCONS...

they write some unfair bullshit law and then when the people speak against it they tell us ITS THE LAW and then they proceed to make another law to prevent the people from speaking against that too..

[harmonicon]

21. Please tell me something before I actually watch this:

Is anyone actually destroyed in this video? I somehow doubt it. If they are, I think it would probably make me sick. Horror movies I can take, but real blood and guts gets to me.

[bertman]

22. I could not understand half or more of what he said.

Is there a written transcript of what was said by the vet and by the chairwoman? Also, can someone please explain what MJC Budget Cuts are?

[ProfessionalLeftist]

23. Same here. Can't understand most of what he's saying

Probably great but need a transcript. It's too loud, too much echo and too many people screaming while he's talking.

[Maraya1969]

32. If you go to the site or if you computer is like mine there is a little

button that you can click that will caption the whole thing so you can hear what he is saying.

[bertman]

39. Thank you, Maraya1969. That worked. His emotion was very powerful.

I wish I could have seen what he wanted to read to them.

REC.

[jwirr]

26. Yes, I had trouble also but I was crying my heart out. A real genuine

hero in more ways than one. I am old enough to remember another young soldier who stood up and asked a question about being the last one to die in Vietnam.

So enlighten us - what is his name? what were the panel discussing and exactly what did he tell them. That woman who started screaming back should have to spend a year in Afghanistan on the front lines - not is some safe zone.

[Iris]

25. You think Bushie & Rove ever thought about what they were going to unleash in terms of returned

veterans?

This is awesome. Beautiful even.

[mistertrickster]

27. Interesting video. The Vet nailed them. But what was he protesting exactly?

What's the context?

[quakerboy]

28. Interesting

But it won't make any difference until it ends differently. Until every man and woman in the room says.. you want him out, you have to take me out first, you arrest him you have to arrest me first. Until every police officer brought to quell the disruption says, no, this is not what the people hired me to do.

Until then we can have as many individuals speak out as you want and nothing will change.

[louslobbs]

29. This is how we all have to speak truth to power to stop the madness that the

Republicons have visited upon this nation. Anyone and everyone, especially those who have served in the armed forces, should be give time to voice their upsets and not be shut down by a panel of do nothings, one with a gavel and a very big mouth, talking over a former military man who fought for her freedom to sit there, talk over him and bang her little hammer. They should be ashamed of themselves, but they should be warned, the people are awake not and we will not sit idle while our country is under attack from within by the Koch Klan funded Republicons and their Union Busting, Women hating, Muslim hating, gay hating, mexican hating, poor people hating Brigade of Radical Rightwing crazies. They hate NPR, EPA, FDA, Internet freedom, Women's rights, gay rights, Private Manning's rights, your rights, my rights. Recently a Republicon official said of mentally ill people, that "he wished we had a Siberia, so that he could send all of the mentally ill to that island to freeze to death". "That would stop them from burdening the Gov for services to help them". A Republicon friend of his standing nearby, agreed with him and added that he should be able to say anything he wants without apology because he is (90) yrs old. He also stated, that he thought there were things that "Hitler did right"?.......this is the Republicon party people and they are dangerous beyond our wildest imaginations.
Lou

[Ken Burch]

33. Can we nominate this guy for SOMETHING in 2012?

If nothing else, HE should give the damn keynote speech at the next convention!

No more weasel words...no more politeness...deference equals defeat!

[Ken Burch]

35. Did they arrest the cameraman at the end of the clip?

From the way the camcorder swung around, it looked like he was being led out of the building by the security gestapo.

[Ken Burch]

36. The original video could've used a better title

I'd have gone with "Vetaran stands up to jerks who suppressed free speech at MJC Budget Cuts meeting".

[grahamhgreen]

37. I love this guy!

[big lu]

38. k&R Great clip

[spooked911]

40. much of the captions say "garbled"

best I can understand, he is protesting budget cuts to the college (Modesto Junior College?), and is asking for the board members to sacrifice and show leadership.

It's too bad it is so hard to understand, sound like a powerful moment.

[FLAprogressive]

41. That snotty-ass Linda Flores lady is, surprisingly, a Democrat.

http://www.smartvoter.org/2000/11/07/ca/stn/vote/flores_l/

[pacalo]

42. I love this guy! Despite anti-democracy tactics stifling his right to speak, he made his point

loud & clear. Thankfully, the camera guy was there to record it. I wish all veterans felt as compelled as this guy to stand up in dissent to those who are taking away citizens' rights in any way.

Shame on the chairlady who didn't allow him to finish & shame on the council members for not standing up to her on his behalf.

[dbmk]

46. I don't know..

Is it really "anti-democracy" tactics to impose a time limit on the comments? So everyone can get a chance to be heard? Theres of course a limit to that, but as a concept I see nothing anti-democratic about it. Quite the contrary.
What if actually did not want him to continue, because you wanted to get a word in as well, but was a afraid of saying so, given the atmosphere that was building in that room?

If he had started by making his actual points, instead of spending 2 minutes on shouting about how he had earned the right to make said points, he might had all the time he needed. Then he might actually have owned them.

Veterans deserve all kinds of respect. But they don't deserve special rules when it comes to a public meeting.
THAT would be anti-democratic.

[blizz]

47. I posted this ....

Because he attacks the status quo -- I applaud him

[janet118]

48. I wish I knew what he was so upset about . . .

I agree that he wasted too much time giving his creds rather than getting to exactly what his objection was. Was he annoyed that people weren't allowed to speak out? Did he think the board was disrespectful? What was the subject of the hearings? When he finally got around to reading some statement, the board member began talking over him and I couldn't make out what his point was. People should stand up and they should be angry about being stifled, but they should also have a strong, coherent message when they finally get the floor.

That said, this guy was impressive - he just needs to focus. I assume that he hadn't planned to become so emotional and only reacted to the circumstances he found himself in. Soldier, get that anger under control enough to get your message out and you will be a powerful voice for your cause.

I hope we hear more from him in the future.

[gtar100]

44. Standing up to these weasel politicians is revealing their true face.

They are getting desperate and showing a great deal of contempt for the the people they are supposedly representing.

[Veronica.Franco]

49. The San Joaquin Valley is nothing but redneck weasels ...

My advice to this young veteran is to LEAVE ... and to all of those like him ... pack up your friends, your family, and let that valley blow away in a cloud of dust ... there is no changing ignorant rightwingers ... I left THIRTY years ago ... run, don't walk ... they are all completely dead from the neck up and will never change ... Modesto only developed, over the past couple decades, because it became a bedroom community for the BAY AREA ... now that the development is OVER it will go back to being what it always was ... just another tiny dirty ignorant valley town filled with righwing bigoted narrow-minded oafs ... start over someplace else ... get out of there ... do not raise your families in the valley ... they are hopeless ... the air is not fit to breathe and the water unfit to drink ...

[CrawlingChaos]

52. Or stay and be a force for change

I think the Central Valley could turn progressive with right momentum behind it. Those young people cheering the veteran on sure didn't seem "dead from the neck up" to me.

[Veronica.Franco]

53. No, that valley is redneck ...

The few people who cheered the vet in the video do not, in anyway shape of form, represent the majority there ... the majority worships people like Limbaugh and Beck ... the word "progressive" is not in the vocabulary of the majority ... unfortunately, that young Vet is learning how people can be used and cast aside not unlike the Vietnam Vets learned it so long ago ... I wish I could tell you there's hope but greater men have spent their lives there and died trying ... the military, like the farm labor in that valley, is only something to be used ... like a backhoe ...

[provis99]

50. man! I wish I could talk like that!

This righteous brother was really rolling!