http://www.whittierdailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,207~12026~1234836,00.html This is utterly despicable. although officers witnessed the vandalism Saturday afternoon, police did not arrest three people seen damaging the display because they were "exercising the same freedom of speech that the people who put up the flags were,' La Habra Police Capt. John Rees said Monday. "For this to be vandalism, there had to be an ill-will intent,' he said. Umm, I'm pretty sure destroying a display on private property that has nothing to do with a possible war in Iraq is ill-will intent, Barney Fife.
"It was all about supporting our troops, which could mean bringing them home, and about remembering 9-11."
When did the memorial go up and for what purpose? Further deployments have happened since then, thus by extension, those troops are supported as well. In no way was it a "pro-war" site.
That's true, and I still don't get the legal argument. Whether it's public or private property I'm suprised they are allowed to damage it and protected from punishment (unless the owner files a complaint). Either way it's all symbolism and really isn't an important story.
you should probably be a little more sensative with what you say i think. unless that's "not the communist/revolutionary way"
Bunch of fucking cocksuckers. They should be tried for vandalism, but instead of paying a fine or jail time they should each be forced to sit down with the guy's kids who helped make that memorial and explain why they felt it neccesary to rip it up. Then they should do the same with a family member of someone who died on 9/11. And that sorry-ass ecuse for a cop ought to be fired on the spot. Alex
Well no, it's not. But it wasn't my intention to be insensitive. I just was trying to put the story in it's place. I think they'd rather do that then a fine or jail time.
"Sick" in what sense Alex? In the sense that I simply learn from our history? Now granted, this probably was the work of some drunk faux-radical half-wit, but it "sounds" EXACTLY like the kind of crap the FBI pulled throughout the 60s in its COINTEL program. They staged all kinds of things just like this to discredit groups from student peace organizations to the Black Panthers. So a little dose of skepticism is a good idea when faced with this type of totally anonymous and stupid "act" of dissent.
i think this is a little "smaller scale" than something the FBI would go about arranging. conspiracy theory aside it was retarded (said in slang context)
Some think (the best way to support the troops) is to not question their role. Some think the best way is to pursue all means possible to avoid putting them in danger,' he said. "That still does not excuse any desecration of people's symbolic participation.' This best somes it up. People can try to draw analogies from the past, etc, but this memorial has nothing to do with a war with Iraq.. These people not only should be ashamed, but should have been arrested (and beaten in my opinion, not by the police, but by those enraged bystanders. ..)
I think irishFS has a point when he says this may be a little too small scale for the FBI. The FBI and CIA are more into marshal law and assassinating political leaders.
And herein lies the problem with the left. It is still living in the 1960s. And the Black Panthers were NOT a "peace organization". Alex