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| Anti-War Protests Target Wounded at Army Hospital |
| 2005-08-25 |
| The Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the current home of hundreds of wounded veterans from the war in Iraq, has been the target of weekly anti-war demonstrations since March. The protesters hold signs that read "Maimed for Lies" and "Enlist here and die for Halliburton." The anti-war demonstrators, who obtain their protest permits from the Washington, D.C., police department, position themselves directly in front of the main entrance to the Army Medical Center, which is located in northwest D.C., about five miles from the White House. Among the props used by the protesters are mock caskets, lined up on the sidewalk to represent the death toll in Iraq. Code Pink Women for Peace, one of the groups backing anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan's vigil outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford Texas, organizes the protests at Walter Reed as well. Some conservative supporters of the war call the protests, which have been ignored by the establishment media, "shameless" and have taken to conducting counter-demonstrations at Walter Reed. "[The anti-war protesters] should not be demonstrating at a hospital. A hospital is not a suitable location for an anti-war demonstration," said Bill Floyd of the D.C. chapter of FreeRepublic.com, who stood across the street from the anti-war demonstrators on Aug. 19. "I believe they are tormenting our wounded soldiers and they should just leave them alone," Floyd added. According to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, nearly 4,000 individuals involved in the Iraq war were treated at the facility as of March of this year, 1,050 of whom were wounded in battle. One anti-war protester, who would only identify himself as "Luke," told Cybercast News Service that "the price of George Bush's foreign policy can be seen right here at Walter Reed -- young men who returned from Iraq with their bodies shattered after George Bush sent them to war for a lie." Luke accused President Bush of "exploiting American soldiers" while "oppressing the other nations of earth." The president "has killed far too many people," he added. On Aug. 19, as the anti-war protesters chanted slogans such as "George Bush kills American soldiers," Cybercast News Service observed several wounded war veterans entering and departing the gates of Walter Reed, some with prosthetic limbs. Most of the demonstrations have been held on Friday evenings, a popular time for the family members of wounded soldiers to visit the hospital. But the anti-war activists were unapologetic when asked whether they considered such signs as "Maimed for Lies" offensive to wounded war veterans and their families. "I am more offended by the fact that many were maimed for life. I am more offended by the fact that they (wounded veterans) have been kept out of the news," said Kevin McCarron, a member of the anti-war group Veterans for Peace. |
| Posted by:Captain America |
| #19 Is there some way that we can send our support to the soldiers that are in Walter Reed Hospital? I would love to someway let these guys know how much we dislike these yawhoos outside the hospital. Maybe internet options? |
| Posted by: Jan 2005-08-25 23:15 |
| #18 This is most shameful. |
| Posted by: John Q. Citizen 2005-08-25 21:49 |
| #17 Yes, a.k.a. a 'clean-up operation'. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-08-25 18:46 |
| #16 I think chistka is the Russian term for purge. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-08-25 15:38 |
| #15 These people are sick self-serving assholes. They are beneath contempt and I am sure are hated by the soldiers and Marines in Walter Reed. I was at Camp Pendelton doing a demo for the last two days. Yesterday there were four Marines (two lance cpls, one staff sgt and a captain) in full combat gear training to get ready to return to Iraq. These young men were warriors in every sense of the word. You could tell that they had been in the thick of things before and were not hesitant about going back. I was in awe. And so proud of them I could pop. The protesters shold not be able to breath the same air as the heroes I met yesterday. |
| Posted by: remoteman 2005-08-25 13:36 |
| #14 chistka Definition, please, dushan? Thanks!!! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-08-25 12:36 |
| #13 I'm beginning to think that before we can really deal with our foreign enemies, we will need a..."sorting out" of our domestic ones. A downright chistka may be in order. |
| Posted by: dushan 2005-08-25 11:37 |
| #12 Will they move on to funerals next? I believe the Lt Gov. of Pennsylvania has already done just that. |
| Posted by: Laurence of the Rats 2005-08-25 10:53 |
| #11 But remember, they support the troops. /obvious sarcasm |
| Posted by: Raj 2005-08-25 10:49 |
| #10 I haven't killed anyone in a while. Looks like the drought may be over. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-08-25 10:45 |
| #9 Spoiled little s**theads - apparently it hurts them more than it hurts the wounded! I havn't struck another human being since the sixth grade, but if I was visiting someone I loved there.... There all just DISPICABLE SCUM |
| Posted by: Bobby 2005-08-25 10:35 |
| #8 Hopefully, they'll get a dumbell thrown at them from the PT room. |
| Posted by: Poison Reverse 2005-08-25 09:46 |
| #7 Location Location Location The difference between Sheehan and the protesters outside Walter Reed is just that, location. To force/subject the families of wounded soldiers to have to walk through or past their group really dishonors them to no end. I'm sure these families have plenty on their minds dealing with all that the injury entails, and these protesters are forcing them to deal with their agenda by putting it on their plate or in their face so to speak. Unbelievable how uncaring they are to these families. Will they move on to funerals next? A new low has been struck. |
| Posted by: Jan 2005-08-25 09:45 |
| #6 Again: "It'll be another Vietnam" is a THREAT, not a prediction. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-08-25 09:42 |
| #5 I think it's time to take the commie lovin' benjimin and ALL associated w/ and run them to Cuba or the Viet Nam they love so much.This short of SHOOTING them!! |
| Posted by: ARMYGUY 2005-08-25 09:36 |
| #4 It will get worse and as it does the activists will ratchet up the ugly tactics and continue to wonder why the majority of normal hardworking people increasingly resent them, what they espouse, and what they do. I've noticed the increasingly nasty and nihilistic tone of the dribble my local rag allows to be printed from these kind folks. Hope they have the common sense not to come knocking on my door bringing their BS to my home at election time. Living in a largely liberal democratic neighborhood the usual suspects inflict themselves upon you on a fairly regular basis that grows into a frenzy approaching elections. Everything from nasty and sleazy ward captains and minions for the corrupt local democratic machine to the various obnoxious young college advocacy zombies who can't understand what "please leave now" means. Given last year's parade of door to door activist clowns I'm seriously considering buying a can of mace or at least keeping the digicam on hand to help document names, affiliations, and the behavior for later use. The have a hart trap is only good for smaller rodents. |
| Posted by: MunkarKat 2005-08-25 09:09 |
| #3 Time for some Royal ass whhippin,who the hell do these people think they are.Right of assembly is totally out of place here. |
| Posted by: raptor 2005-08-25 08:56 |
| #2 disgusting. Force the MSM to acknowledge these assholes and then tie them in to Sheehan and the Whacko wing of the Donks. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-08-25 08:34 |
| #1 I guess it is Viet Nam (at least on this side of the ocean). When will they start spitting on returning troops again? Prepare yourselves for more ugliness. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2005-08-25 08:32 |