RNC, DNC, Presidential debates. Maced, beaten, arrested, tortured, abused, beaten, threatened, harrased. Illegal search and seizures. Peaceful demonstators met by riot police then charged with terrorism.
Endless wars. Obscene bailouts for the obscenely super rich, while the VA goes underfunded and understaffed.
There are people who stand up to make this a better country. Many have died. Been imprisioned. Many give up everything they have to fight an unjust system with no reward but an FBI file. While many others watch 'I Love Lucy' and complain about the weather.
Why won't the people stand up to protect their leaders. Are you waiting for us to be killed before you riot. What is it going to take before you say enough is enough. I'm going to stop writing now because I'm too f'n pissed. Not at the police, but at YOU!
Here's the report I've just recieved from Afghanistan war veteran Matthis Chiroux:
Wednesday, Oct. 15th, 2008, members of Iraq Veterans Against the War
and supporters gathered near the Hempstead, N.Y., train station to march
on the final presidential debate at Hofstra University.
Our intent was made clear in a letter to Bob Schieffer, the debate
moderator, one week prior. We wanted two members of our organization inside
the debate where they would ask one question of Obama and one of
McCain. If CBS and the candidates failed to meet our demands, we would march
on Hofstra at 7 p.m. in a peaceful attempt to enter the debate to have
our voices heard.
Non-violence was stressed in every stage leading up to this action. It
was stressed by me and Kris to Det. Thomas J. Calvert and Det. Robert
Annese of the Nassau County Police Department the day before the action.
Calvert and Annese were in charge of security for the debate, and they
assured us they would instruct their officers to respect the
non-violent spirit of the action by using restraint towards peaceful veterans
and demonstrators.
We were at Hofstra to force the issue that veterans and servicemembers
are not being cared for or heard from by our government, and the
candidates, CBS and the Nassau County Police Department couldn't have
proved us more correct.
So at seven p.m. when we'd heard nothing from the moderators, IVAW
made good on its promise to the candidates and Det. Calvert. We marched
to the front gate of Hofstra, and read our questions peacefully.
Because these candidates cared more to hear from Joe the Plumber
than veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, ten veterans went to jail and
five civilian supporters joined us.
One officer, when I brought up the prospect of speaking to a lawyer,
threatened to, put me in the back of the jail, where, the big boys
will pop your cherry! When I asked this officer if he had just
threatened an honorably discharged veteran of Afghanistan with prison rape and
told him I wanted his name and rank, he refused and told me to look it
up on the police report which the Nassau County Police Department has
refused to provide us a copy of.
While detained, the three females who were arrested with us, including
Marine Reserve Capt. Marlisa Grogan, were sexually harassed by the
police who went so far as to hold Ids next to the chained women's faces
and make comments like, you look like you came out of a S & M
magazine.
All night, they didn't stop. You're cowards, you're idiots,
they said. The hostility was thick and unwarranted.
This non-violent protest stuff is retarded, they said (as if
they'd prefer the alternative). See how it got your friend's face
fucked up?
Literally, they said this when they brought Nick in and chained him to
the bench. The harassment only increased from there.
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