How low will the Anti-war groups go??

This low..

Published on March 30, 2006 By ShadowWar In Current Events

There is a War Protest with a cemetery display at a college in St Louis. They have tomb stones with the names of those that were killed in the war. I am sending this out so that any family who has a loved in who was killed in Iraq if you want to call or write the Dean of Students and let them know how upsetting this is to you please do so

Need to know how disgusting this display is? Here is a picture of the referenced display (from a previous event), organized by the St. Louis Instead of War Coalition:

This is typical of the response that has been received to requests for removal:

Dear Ms. M---:

Per your request, I have seen to it that the tombstone with the name of your loved one has been taken down.

Please let me say that I am extremely sorry for your loss. The students who set up the memorial on our campus did not mean to add to your pain. They were simply trying to bring honor to those soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve those freedoms that we enjoy.

Hmmmmmm...somehow, I don't think so. This hero's widow didn't think so, either:

Mr. Brady,
I am responding to your comment "They were simply trying to bring honor to those soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve those freedoms that we enjoy."

It is my understanding that there was a tombstone with simply D----- M---- on it. (Name withheld pending permission from this hero's widow) No branch of service, no rank. Exactly how were you honoring a "soldier" when you excluded his military experience? My husband EARNED his rank by being in the Marine Corps for 13 years and doing his job well. His intention was to be in for 20 years. Your students erased his dedication to defending their freedoms by erasing his military background. Your students have made him just a name. Really I can't even dream up something as distasteful. I would not have called if I didn't feel this was truly just a display for visual impact....by no means "honoring" anyone. Please save your empty condolences and sarcasm.

Deborah M------
Proud Wife of SSgt. D----- M------, Jr.
KIA on March 25, 2003

And if you haven't lost your lunch yet, not only do these "tombstones" completely eliminate any reference to rank or branch of service, but our Heroes are sharing space on them with Iraqi names, as well.

Some are particularly disturbing - like this one removed from the display. This is how these people saw fit to "honor" a member of the Soldiers' Angels family:

For the record, that's PFC Gunnar Becker, 2nd Platoon "Bandits," Bravo Company 2/63 AR Battalion, US Army

Another picture of the display:

Freedom of expression is one thing. This is...I don't know what this is. Wrong, is all I can come up with. Wrong, wrong, wrong. This kind of thing needs to be addressed. The Respect for Fallen Heroes Act is a start - more information on that below.

The two pictures above come from Jan's album of photos of the display and some of the stones they've been able to remove:

The display does come down on Thursday March 30, 2006 at 3:30 after Taps is played...

Here's some background:
It appears that the tombstone display actually is borrowed from this group: http://www.insteadofwar.org There is a picture of the display at a previous event.

Here is their contact info:

St. Louis Instead of War Coalition
438 N. Skinker Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63130
(314) 725-5303
staff@insteadofwar.org

So at this point I think everyone needs to email the group and also email their Senator and Congressman regarding the pending legislation regarding the upcoming Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act to have these such displays be added to that legislation. Below is a copy of what I have been sending, plus the link to sign the petition.

Petitions can be signed at www.mikerogers.house.gov/fallenheroes.aspx

I encourage you to forward this site to your friends and family and ask them to help protect military families.

Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act is upcoming legislation, I do not feel this bill goes far enough. I believe that it should also include the use of our Fallen's names on crosses and tombstone in protest against the war without the family’s written permission. The visual impact would be the same if they put up 2400+ cross/tombstones without the names. Our men and women have died to protect the right of free speech but they have not given them the right to assume those who have died agree with their protest. The use of the names of our fallen give the impression they would have supported the protest.

The anti-war crowd, unfortunately, never ceases to sicken me with the complete lack of respect they show our Heroes and their families. Just one more reason I don't buy the "I'm anti-war, not anti-troop" line.

Here is further information on the Respect for Fallen Heroes Act (forwarded by Sara of Soldiers' Angels:

Rogers Proposes the Respect for Fallen Heroes Act
While attending the funeral of a Michigan soldier who died of combat wounds suffered in Iraq, protestors attempted to disrupt the funeral by shouting vile and harassing slogans at the family and other mourners. Military families mourning the loss of a loved one killed in the defense of our nation deserve the right to say their final goodbyes in peace. America honors and respects our soldiers, and none more than those who die defending freedom and our nation.

Next week, I will be introducing federal legislation to protect grieving military families by banning protestors from military funerals. This legislation, the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act, will prohibit demonstrating one hour before and one hour after the service for a fallen solider and keep the protesters 500 feet from the grieving family. No family burying a son or daughter, a husband or wife, a brother or sister, should be faced with the insults, verbal attacks, and intimidation that these protestors were screaming or displaying on signs. This common sense legislation will help to protect military families in their most difficult hour and is narrowly tailored to fit within the time and place restrictions consistently upheld by the Supreme Court.

Giving citizens an opportunity to participate in the process and support the legislation, I launched an on-line petition. The petition will allow citizens to express honor and respect for our American soldiers who make the ultimate sacrifice for the nation, as well as support for the people they love and leave behind. The petition and comments from citizens will be presented to the House Veterans Affairs Committee at an April 6 hearing in Washington. Petitions can be signed at www.mikerogers.house.gov/fallenheroes.aspx

I encourage you to forward this site to your friends and family and ask them to help protect military families.

Comments (Page 1)

Moderateman

on Mar 30, 2006

I am so disgusted by those idiots that continue to protest the war in the manner they do today.

I never thought I would live long enough to see this crap all over again, it's a nastier replay of vietnam.

Dr Guy

on Mar 30, 2006

it's a nastier replay of vietnam.

It is nastier, because now they are spitting on the graves of the fallen. They are too cowardly to spit on the living.

Rightwinger

on Mar 30, 2006

Though I readily and firmly agree that the display is disgusting and "honors" only the peace weenies who set it up, I don't agree that we need a "Respect for Fallen Heroes Act" to make sure we don't so much as shake our finger at them or their memory.
While any military service, in my mind, deserves respect, recognition and honor, they didn't put on those uniforms and fight to the death to defend their government's right to tell people what they can and can't do.
They fought, rather, to protect the PEOPLE's right to be self-righteous assholes and disrespectful peace weenies.

Jewbu

on Mar 30, 2006

Hello All,

Just what is the fuss about? Tombstones? Protest? Why is it that people so supportive of democracy and freedom work so hard to find ways to curtail freedoms of expression within a democracy? I do not find tombstones as a marker letting people have some way of visualizing the unnecessary deaths of soldiers offensive. I do see support of war as offensive.

As to the reference to the protests regarding Vietnam being sickening, what is really sickening is that President Johnson in 1965 was on tape saying he really wanted an end to that war but was unwilling to be the first president in US history to quit a war. So, just to keep this man's image, we allowed most of the deaths and injuries occuring in that war to happen. And the result? Absolutely nothing. There's Vietnam today, communist, with a booming tourist economy, and we have a wall with a ton of names on it.

Peace is always a difficult choice. War is rarely a good choice. Why vilify those who wish killing to stop?

Be well,
Sodaiho

on Mar 30, 2006

I do support protesting the war, but not in this matter. I don't like using other people's names, especially if the names is from people who decided to die on line of duty, no matter if I agreed to this war or not.

JillUser

on Mar 31, 2006

Why vilify those who wish killing to stop?

I don't think anyone is vilifying anyone who wants peace. Our problem is with people who show no respect for those who lost their lives in order for you to protest. Harrassing people at a funeral is absolutely unacceptable. I also think that anyone who needs to see cardboard tombstones in order to grasp what is going on doesn't have the mental capacity to be making decisions like whether or not we should be doing what we're doing.

I don't agree that we need a "Respect for Fallen Heroes Act" to make sure we don't so much as shake our finger at them or their memory.

RW, you missed the part of the act to protect families from being disturbed during military funerals. It is sad that we need any sort of action to force people to show respect during a funeral but I have heard many cases of such harrassment and something needs to be done.

DJBandit

on Mar 31, 2006

#4 by Sodaiho
Thursday, March 30, 2006

You make a good point, but like XX said, they should not use names of people without their permission or of the families permission cause it's unfair to remind some people who may not want to be reminded and may not think the way they do and using the name makes it sound like those who died were against the war when these protestors don't know that for a fact.

I would never want my name to be used in such a way unless I requested it before I died. Mass tombs is not honoring those who gave their lives so we can enjoy our freedom, this is an insult to many, an annoyance to others. I know they have the right to protest, but hows about doing it without offending some people, specially the families of the dead soldiers.

Isolationismisouronlyhope

on Mar 31, 2006

As a Marine who served in both Operations Enduring and Iraqi freedom in Theatre, I WISH some protestor(s) would have shown up to the funeral. It would be well worth the NJP to beat the snot out of as many as I could take out.

Jewbu

on Mar 31, 2006

Hello All,

Agreed, protesting at funerals such as those done by antigay activists are awful and should be dealt with. This particular protest was not that. As to Isolation man, You live in a deeply interconnected world. Isolate and you will die. No food, no clothes, no gasoline, no plastics, no communication, no nothing. Not my idea of freedom. I am a disabled Vietnam vet and am thankful there are people sane enough to want to end armed conflict. Thank you for your service. Be well.

Diane

on Apr 03, 2006

I am in agreement that this was distasteful. However, it is not at a college. It is in Forest Park in St Louis. A public park. I do not believe that there would be a Dean of Students to write to in regards to this. As you stated it is organized by the group, St. Louis Instead of War Coalition. I would suggest writing them and letting them know how you feel.

Rightwinger

on Apr 03, 2006

---JillU

No, I got that; it's not appropriate, but it IS their right to protest if they want. It's also MY right to beat the living hell out of them for being so disrespectful.

Now, if the cemetary, which are usually privately owned, would want to deny them somehow, that's THEIR right.
But I still say that curtailing the right to protest, for any reason, is running against the grain of why the they fought and died in the first place.

JillUser

on Apr 03, 2006

It's also MY right to beat the living hell out of them for being so disrespectful.

Actually it isn't. You could be arrested for assault and battery. It should be your right to beat the living hell out of them for being disrespectful but they have more rights than you under the current laws. That is why something needs to be done.

Rightwinger

on Apr 03, 2006

Actually it isn't. You could be arrested for assault and battery

You know what I mean.

leery

on Apr 03, 2006

"Actually it isn't. You could be arrested for assault and battery. It should be your right to beat the living hell out of them for being disrespectful but they have more rights than you under the current laws. That is why something needs to be done."

Actually it shouldn't be your right to beat the living hell out of em'. They weren't even a threat as large as that. It can't even be justified as a pre-emptive attack no?

stutefish

on Apr 03, 2006

I'm not yet convinced that they're right.

I think they'll have to sink even lower to get me to see things their way.

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