regarding Carlos - the incident a the march

[frogcycle]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1828529&mesg_id=1828529

I hate to suggest making a spectacle of this man who, like many other Gold Star parents, is just grieving for his lost child and hoping to prevent more of the same.

But the way the "spitting on vets" stories run rampant w/respect to VN, and also trumped-up incidents from the last march, I would really like to see this made into a big deal.

We all know that the gang of thugs who did this are just that - thugs - who went there looking for a fight. They are like barroom brawlers. They probably get their jollies bashing gays, and would happily join a KKK group and hold a lynching or two every Sunday morning. They are not representative of the few remaining sincere "stay the course" patriots who believe the administration spin about "fighting them over there." They are opportunist thugs.

All that said, the right wing tactic of painting all war opponents - both in the 70s and now - as unpatriotic, communist-sympathizing, jihadist-sympathizing traitors is done not just by thugs like this but by people like bill-o, Tom Delay, Dick Cheney, George Bush, etc. They take advantage of ill-advised moves by people on "our side" and shout them from the rooftops.

This "incident" should get press. And more press. And more press.

Write LTTE; write the TV news networks, call talk radio. I don't care about "fair play."
Paint these people as loyal bushies. Say "This is what bush wants to do to all of us." "This is where he is headed with all his spying and suspending habeas corpus." "He promotes rule by thugs." "Blackwater's out-of-control behavior is the next step for us; THEY will be doing "crowd control" at the next march."

Hell, make outrageous charges. There are still a few reasonable people clingng to supporting dear leader because they can't quite make the break. They are like abused spouses still hanging in there. We need to push them over the edge. With a few more of the general public saying "that's it" we can get a few more senators to say "that's it."

WE CAN GET THE VOTES!

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Please send this story to Olbermann

And here is a thread I posted that got no replies - letting DUers know how they can help Carlos.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1832253&mesg_id=1832253

Thank you very much frogcycle. I know Carlos appreciates all the kind thoughts sent his way.

[frogcycle]

10. here's what i sent to Countdown:

If this gang of thugs is not a candidate for Worst Person in the World, I don’t know who is.

There seems to have been little or no media coverage. Several people who were eyewitnesses, some themselves roughed up, describe the incident in this and other Democratic Underground threads:

Gold Star Father Kicked Defending Dead Son's Memorial


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1828529

Quick summary: This man’s son was kia in Iraq in 2004. He participated in the peace rally in DC on Saturday. He had a memorial to his son, with some pictures, that he was pulling along on wheels. One of the “Green Eagle” counter-protesters grabbed a picture and made off with it. The dad chased after him, into the crowd of counter-protesters. He was knocked to the ground and kicked, received cuts and bruises. People pitched in to help him, also got roughed up. Police eventually broke it up, but made no arrests.


160 peace marchers were arrested for other “incidents,” though.

(signed)

PS: get well soon, Keith

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. That's great - thanks!

[xchrom]

2. recommend

[frogcycle]

3. shameless self-kick

I see it has 7 recs - thank you all - but even with "hide thread" applied as fast as I can to the myriad taser threads I see this is one step from scrolling off page one. So I'll give it one hit with the old defibrillator.

I mean, hell, if it's ok to put the 400th OP on the same topic, it ought to be ok to self-kick once in a while, eh?

Someone said once that a self-kick is ok if it adds more content to the thread. So I am rambling on a bit - let me see...

tasering - against it if not to protect safety of cop or those around, and then it should call for an automatic investigation, just as discharging weapon does. If found to have been uncalled for, the appropriate punishment is pretty obvious.

breastfeeding - for it. Actually think a constitutional amendment might be in order.

thugs at peace demonstrations - against them

[me b zola]

4. There is a woman on the origional thread

Who was there and helped Carlos. She said that she got pics, but ones of the beating were blury. She did say, though, that she did have one good shot of the faces of these thugs. I have asked her to post that pic so that we can see what these thugs look like.

[frogcycle]

6. yes, I saw that

but regardless of whether they are ever identified, and whether the "authorities" ever react beyond what they did, my point is that this story needs to get circulated and repeated. I have heard plenty of casual references to "spitting on veterans" as if it were commonplace, that that is all anyone who opposes the continuing illegal police action to steal oil ever does, ever thinks about doing.

We need to equate these thugs and any remaining "stay the course' holdouts. I don't care if they remain anonymous. Hell, look at all the flaming over the police overreaction at the Kerry speech. They already have him fitted with horns. This needs to be hammered on. Every time someone gets into any conversation with the oreillys or hannitys they need to include the phrase "bush's thugs kicking Gold Star parents in the head"

It needs to become their worst nightmare.

Do I sound pissed?

Fair play? That ship sailed a loooooong time ago.

[me b zola]

9. I agree 100%

And I am beyond pissed myself.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. His picture is here:

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZWI5MGZmM2Y2NzNhMjlmODY4ZWQ5YWE3MmZlMjIzNzU=

[me b zola]

13. Geebus, you could have warned a gal...

What a filthy perversion that entire article was :puke:


Thanks, though, for the pic.

[truebrit71]

14. What a cesspool that site is...

:puke:

[Richard Steele]

5. K&R

[Oilwellian]

7. I'm writing an LTTE on this incident

Although I didn't see the attack on Carlos, I did see the anger this crowd had towards the veterans leading the march. I was ahead of the march walking along side the veterans who lead it, and got stuck between the human chain protecting the veterans and the mob spitting mad at their participation. They were as you described, thugs. We were so close to them, I just knew at any moment my girlfriend & I were going to take a hit, they were that out of control. My sense was, they were furious at the upside down flag the veterans were marching with and just couldn't handle their beloved soldiers turning against their dear leader's illegal war. It was surreal to see them spitting anger & venom at the soldiers they claim to support...and against the Constitutional rights our soldiers are supposedly fighting for. How confusing it must all be for these idiots.

K&R :kick:

[uppityperson]

8. kick for parents, especially Gold Star Parents