Now I'm pissed

Gonz

Gonz

molṑn labé
Staff member
Give peace a chance. Can't we all get along? This is how they handle themselves in reality.

Antiwar protesters trash 9/11 memorial
American flags burned and slashed
By Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell, Staff Writer

LA HABRA, CA -- Antiwar protesters burned and ripped up flags, flowers and patriotic signs at a Sept. 11 memorial that residents erected on a fence along Whittier Boulevard days after the terrorist attacks in 2001 and have maintained ever since.

However, 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.

Rees said in order for police to take any action, the owner of the fence would have to file a complaint.

Jeff Collison, owner of The RV Center in La Habra, who has allowed residents to add patriotic symbols to the fence on his property, said he just might do that.

"Their free speech stops at destruction of private property. If they are allowed to come on my property and burn flags, does that mean I can go to City Hall or the police station and light their flags on fire because that is freedom of speech? To me, this is vandalism,' Collison said.

Some residents Monday hung signs criticizing those who destroyed the display.

Tracey Chandler, a Whittier mother of four who has maintained the spontaneous memorial since it was created by other area residents soon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, said she was shocked by the destruction.

"They trashed 87 flags, ripped 11 memorial tiles made by myself and my children out of the ground and glued the Bob Dylan song to a sign that said, 'America, land of the brave, home of the free,' ' she said.

The Bob Dylan song she referred to is "With God on Our Side,' an antiwar anthem of the 1960s.

"It's unbelievable, because there were absolutely no political messages on this fence. It was all about supporting our troops, which could mean bringing them home, and about remembering 9-11.'

Les Howard, a sociology professor at Whittier College, said the incident might be an indication of some confusion among people trying to stop a possible war against Iraq but uncertain how to express their sentiments. However, he said he does not condone the destruction of symbols important to those who erect them.

"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.'

Chandler said she plans to rebuild the Sept. 11 memorial.

"We are going to rebuild this memorial, and it will be brighter, bigger and better than ever,' Chandler said.

Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell can be reached at (562) 698-0955, Ext. 3028, or by e- mail at [email protected]
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However, 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.
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you gotta be kidding :eek: that's insane.
 
That's what happens when you treat the common sheep like intelligent beings. I told you the revolution was a mistake.
 
I'm really not surprised. In the sixties, SDS bombed stuff for peace, and these were supposed intellectuals. Shadowfax, they haven't killed anyone YET.
in a related story a guy I know in the 101st Airborne was at McDonalds in his uniform a couple weeks ago and some dumb bitch walked up to him and said he should be ashamed to be a warmonger (is that one word?). I'm against the war, but I try not to be an asshole (except under the right circumstances).
 
LA HABRA -- A 19-year-old Orange County woman is free today after La Habra police arrested her for allegedly assaulting a woman who maintains a patriotic display on a fence here.

"She walked through the crowd saying 'They can't arrest me, they won't do (expletive) to me,' said Chandler. "To do that, to walk through a crowd of angry people, well she must be one hamburger short of a Happy Meal.'
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:rofl2:
WhittierDailyNews
 
Perhaps there needs to be a law against being offensively stupid. I don't know, though. Whose definition would we use??( ?( ?(
 
From the sounds of that, I'd bet there was a hidden camera waiting to record police misconduct and/or brutality. She probably was trying to scam a lawsuit.
 
chcr said:
Perhaps there needs to be a law against being offensively stupid. I don't know, though. Whose definition would we use??( ?( ?(
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There once was a Governor who said "You can't legislate stupidity".

That was the only thing Jesse Ventura was an expert on, stupidity.

I'm all for Free Speech, but defacing a memorial?

This went over the line.
 
What is wrong with ppl! I'm for the War but even if I wasn't to see what ppl did to that fence makes me ashamed that we have ppl that stupid in this country. I mean to have a point of view and express it is one thing but to have someone wrecking a memorial to some family memeber who died on Sept 11 or one saying god bless my husband "such and such" in part of the army. I could go on and on with this especially when a cop witnessed it and did not do anything about it (a total other subject) it all makes my blood boil :cuss:

We all have our own opinions of things and as these forums show we have the right to say them. Good thing we all agree to disagree once in awhile and if someone doesn't get the point we just ban them! :brow:
 
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