Post by scrap on Aug 12, 2005 12:05:41 GMT -5
As some of you know I'm from the Cleveland Ohio area,and as some of you know (at least the more astute ones) I'm a Former Marine.
The Reserve Headquarters for the 3-25th is located in Brookpark, a suburb of Cleveland.
The entire area is in mourning with the loss of so many young men recently.
I'm not here to discuss the rights or wrongs of the war effort but to discuss the rights of protesters.
Our civil liberties are guaranteed in the Constitution but where do we draw the line when it comes to the feelings of these families who have suffered the losses of their loved ones.
I give you the Memorial Service at the IX Center in Brookpark this past Monday as an example.
There's a group out of Kansas called the Westboro Baptist Church (I believe) that sent some protesters to this Service.
www.godhatesfags.com/main/index.html
Now these weren't your ordinary war protesters, these people carried signs with some of the most inflammatory crap I have ever seen. My brother and I and a few others who got wind of them coming were there to try and keep them from being seen. I won't go into details of what little we accomplished since that's not what this is about.
I never thought I'd see the day when someone would trample on my Countries Flag in front of me and not be able to do anything about it. The Cops were actually on our side but their hands were tied also.
If you follow some of the links on their website I'm sure you'll be able to see the signs I'm talking about.
These families suffering as they were, having to be subjected to this kind of thing was excruciating for me to say the least.
I was interviewed by a local reporter while it was going on and had my say which made the news that evening. They had enough sense to not air the moronic protesters comments and just gave a passing comment about a smattering of protesters.
Someone tell me where the line should be drawn on appropriate behavior at a protest and what should be illegal or at least immoral.
I probably know the answers and maybe I just needed to vent, but Jesus you should have seen it
The Reserve Headquarters for the 3-25th is located in Brookpark, a suburb of Cleveland.
The entire area is in mourning with the loss of so many young men recently.
I'm not here to discuss the rights or wrongs of the war effort but to discuss the rights of protesters.
Our civil liberties are guaranteed in the Constitution but where do we draw the line when it comes to the feelings of these families who have suffered the losses of their loved ones.
I give you the Memorial Service at the IX Center in Brookpark this past Monday as an example.
There's a group out of Kansas called the Westboro Baptist Church (I believe) that sent some protesters to this Service.
www.godhatesfags.com/main/index.html
Now these weren't your ordinary war protesters, these people carried signs with some of the most inflammatory crap I have ever seen. My brother and I and a few others who got wind of them coming were there to try and keep them from being seen. I won't go into details of what little we accomplished since that's not what this is about.
I never thought I'd see the day when someone would trample on my Countries Flag in front of me and not be able to do anything about it. The Cops were actually on our side but their hands were tied also.
If you follow some of the links on their website I'm sure you'll be able to see the signs I'm talking about.
These families suffering as they were, having to be subjected to this kind of thing was excruciating for me to say the least.
I was interviewed by a local reporter while it was going on and had my say which made the news that evening. They had enough sense to not air the moronic protesters comments and just gave a passing comment about a smattering of protesters.
Someone tell me where the line should be drawn on appropriate behavior at a protest and what should be illegal or at least immoral.
I probably know the answers and maybe I just needed to vent, but Jesus you should have seen it
