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