A SOLDIER'S PERSPECTIVE
THE WEB'S LEADING MILITARY BLOG SINCE 2004
Updated May 3, 2008 – Anger Management Classes for Moonbats and an admission they were wrong! (via NYGOE) Update below!
For those that missed the O’Reilly piece the other day (like me), here are the videos of the attack. The first video is actually from the “Peace Thugs” own footage. It clearly shows the first violent attacks from the side of the “peace”. Granted, the “pro-troop” side was on “their” side of the street, but that’s what police are for – not taking the law into your own hands. Not once did the Swartouts physically touch, take, destroy, or alter any of their displays. It all starts with the theft of Jason’s sign. He goes to get it back and the “peace thug” gets violent. To protect her husband from having to hit a girl (something I don’t have a problem with if the first punch is thrown by her), Carrie attempts to get between them. Then, all hell breaks loose. Some things to note:
1. The wheelchair man bumping his chair into the leg of the veteran.
2. The lady in white grabbing the veteran’s sign and throwing it into the street.
3. The lady in white then standing on the sign in an attempt to prevent the veteran from recovering it.
4. The veteran’s wife interjecting herself between the veteran and the lady in white to defuse the situation.
5. The lady in green charging over with her red sign and pushing the veteran’s wife with her right hand.
6. The veteran’s wife pushing the lady in green away from her.
7. The lady in green and the lady in white attacking the veteran’s wife.
8. The veteran grabbing the lady in green to restrain her from attacking his wife.
9. The man in yellow and man in blue shirts pushing the veteran to the ground while he is restraining the lady in green. (Partially obscured by signs).
10. The lady in white kicking the veteran’s wife in the head.
11. The veteran’s son rushing over to pull the lady in white away from his mother.
12. The lady in white kicks the veteran twive while he is restrained.
13. The lady in green attacking the veteran’s son.
14. The lady in white attacking the veteran’s son.
HERE is a link to the Swartouts’ own video. I can’t access the code right now, but I’ll put the actual video up later.
Edinboro police have allegedly charged four individuals in the fight, but it’s not clear who those four individuals are yet.
Update – 3 May 08:
EDINBORO – A peace group that meets in Edinboro will receive training in nonviolent conflict resolution — a result of two members being charged for their parts in an April 22 brawl.
Two members of the group — Alyssa Stelmack, 21, and her sister, Andria Stelmack, 23, both of Erie — were charged with harassment after they fought with a Townville couple that crossed the street to challenge their anti-war rhetoric.
The Townville couple — Jason Swartout, 33, and his wife, Carrie Swartout, 30 — also were charged with harassment, a summary offense. They have not responded to requests for comment.
Interestingly, no one was charged with assault. It’s good to know that in Pennsylvania I can walk up to someone I don’t agree with, commence to beating and kicking them, and only be charged with “harrassment”. As you can see in BOTH videos above, the first blows were dealt by the “peace thugs” and they should be charged with assault accordingly. Hopefully, these people will learn something from their conflict resolution classes.
Naturally, the article makes it look as if the peaceniks were simply victims in all this and that it all started with Jason Swartout intimidating a man in a wheelchair. One could easily question that if not for the overwhelming evidence above.
“They were wrong,” said Richard McVay, a Penn Action activist who met with the sisters after the fight. “They were wrong to react violently to a violent provocation. But I can see how it could happen.”
There was nothing violent about a 14-year old filming the displays the “peace thugs” obviously wanted people to see. However, THEY turned it into a violent confrontation. It doesn’t surprise me that Richard McVay, socialist moron, would be quoted that way.
(43) Readers Comments
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![[UPDATE] The “Face” of Military Dating Scams – The Wall of Shame](http://militarygear.com/asp/wp-content/themes/LondonLive/thumb.php?src=http://militarygear.com/asp/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/2.jpg&w=53&h=41&zc=1&q=100)
Anatomy of a Military Dating Scam
@Jc great job scammers NEVER seem to get their lies right glad you sme
l_67adf48d1a7f4cfb5ad16cbc7155d263
@ No Name dont you think you can find something better to do besides a
Anatomy of a Military Dating Scam
OK how about Clement Rogers, US Army? he sent me a long email after me
SSgtJ
From what I saw on O’Reilly, it looks like the DA in Edinboro is anti-military and wants to hang the pro-troop people. He strongly suggested that Carrie get a good attorney.
Don’t we have some legal types on here somewhere? Seems like we might want to send some support of some type …
Esoterik
From what I can see, its just more typical behavior from the unhinged liberal right who seem to believe that their %u201Crighteous indignation%u201D should justify anything. %u201CLet%u2019s have peace at all costs, even if I have to kick you in the head because your opinion is different then mine!!%u201D Hmmmm%u2026.. who would have thought they have so much in common with the extremist we are at war with?
sue
HA!! CF is supposed to be one!! lol
missCassandra
‘peace thug’ … it’s so true. God help us.
Paul Couturier - OIF VET
CJ,
Would you agree with me that the boots on the bitch in white could rip the skin off an elephant????
David
Disgusting. The police should have done their job.
I will mention here that these are not Liberals. They are idiots and then some. Don’t forget that Liberals wanted us involved in WWII. To wit:
Liberals don’t equal Leftist
Liberals don’t equal Military Haters
Liberals aren’t always peaceful
They just want to change things. Sometimes its a good thing, sometimes its not. We don’t drive volvos, drink lattes and live in SF.
Sorry to stray, but I felt the lesson in order.
David
CJ
Paul,
I would agree wholeheartedly!!
Pingback: *UPDATE* - Why “Peace” Thugs Attack « AmeriCAN-DO Attitude
Rich
Yeah< I bet they respect our soldiers…
jensad
As my father used to tell me as a young man, “what is good for the goose,is also good for the gander”, or as my teacher used to say, “the shoe is on the other foot so wear it”.
Good luck to all and stay safe.
jensad
Andria's boyfriend in Afghanistan
Andria (girl in the white dress) is the largest supporter of the troops I have ever met! She has been there beside me during times that you could never imagine. Andria has put together packages and notebooks full of uplifting words for soldiers she has never met. Things got carried away on both sides. She told me she wish she could turn back time. This situation should not be looked at as a anti-war protest fight, because Andria is not anti-war she just wants me home with her. This situation should be looked at as a bad misunderstanding that got carried away. I have been in the military my entire adult life. Andria has been with me through all my duty stations, deployments and all of my R&Rs. I love Andria and she loves me. So it hurts me to hear people that don’t know, the true, Andria talking down on her and turning her into a monster. No one loves me and the men that serve with me more than Andria!
SSgtJ
If ‘Andria’ actually supports the troops, why is she hanging around people that hate the troops and the USA?
Certainly, they can’t think these ‘protest’ are in the best interest of the troops!
AZ Angel
To Andria’s boyfriend in Afghanistan, I am so sorry you have gotten involved in this mess. Thank you for serving me and my country and making it possible to be safe at home. Unfortunately it seems Andrea lost her temper with a teenage boy. Not the way to achieve peace at home or away. I hope she feels it was a big mistake but what she did was criminal. I’m sorry.
David
Sorry SSgtJ, but Andria’s crime isn’t that she protests the war or hangs out with people that do. People that protest the war don’t hate the troops or the US. Her crime was in how she chose to deal with people who disagree with her and make it into a physical contest. For that matter, yes, those boots could make a serious dent.
To Andria’s boyfriend, I also thank you for your service and may suggest you recommend to your girlfriend to switch to decaff and wear moccasins before she protests.
David
Paul Couturier - OIF Veteran
Hey boyfriend, have you dumped that broad yet?
If she really loved you, she wouldn’t be ASSAULTING Real Patriotic Americans and beating the shite out of them with big-ass boots that could kick the skin off an elephant!!!!!
If I were you, I’d dump her!! If she really loves you, then clinton NEVER cheated on hillary!!
Andria's boyfriend in Afghanistan
To AZ Angel and David, Thank you. That is the point I am trying to get across and yes she knows she let her temper get the best of her. To SSgtJ, I agree that the majority of people she was hanging around that day have twisted ideas. It is those ideas that make it easy for people to get carried away. Andria, however, does not share those same ideas. She is a very excited person and did not behave with self control. She knows that. To Morton, I am proud to serve my country in Afghanistan as I was in Iraq. I do not take pleasure in some of the things my job has me do. Unfortunately being a grunt means that I am in the worst of situations all the time. Our job as fighting solders(combat MOSs) Is not only to eliminate the insurgents. Our primary goal is to secure the population. What you don’t hear about back home is all the good we do for the people. It is because of s that the people feel safe enough to vote. Because of us the people have jobs. because of us the people are regaining the freedoms they had many years ago. When we win the population they will not allow insurgents to live among them. I cant blame you for being uneducated about what goes on in war. The media twists stories to make it more exciting. This is what happened to Andria. A fight between two parties suddenly becomes an anti-war / peace protest assault case. I am Army to the bone so obviously I have been in lots of fights with Marines. Does this mean that I hate America. NO! It means nothing. If you put together two groups of people with opposing points of view and get them all fired up something will happen. I am not condoning what happened. It was taken to the extreme. It was inappropriate. I just believe that this situation was labeled wrong. I recently spoke to Mr. Swartout on the phone. He agrees that things got carried away. Without pointing fingers, at ether party, I ask that this situation be looked at in a different light. To Paul Couturier – OIF Veteran, I suffer from PTSD along with other physical injuries. Andria has stood by me with and been my rock through some very hard times. It cant be easy to love a guy like me. I can put up with almost any mistake Andria makes. I do not appreciate you speaking of her in that manner. Your opinions of her are drafted from a video clip. I’m sure that if we shot certain clips of your life it would not make you out to be the best person. All I ask is for you not to fuel the fire.
SSgtJ
Okay Morton, you win. I admit it, all of us veterans are war mongering, hateful killers. We kill babies and rape little girls for breakfast. The ‘peace’ protestor that spit in my face in 1968 actually loves me and did it to help me. They trashed the city of Kent and burned the ROTC building down because they loved the military. The anti-war crowd is made up of the only true americans and the rest of us are all liars and demons. There isn’t a military hating person in the lot. The communist party shuns those people. The democratic president LBJ was actually an early neo-con who secretly wanted to get all of that oil out of Vietnam for himself. The peace protestors in 1968 shortened the vietnam war by years. Heck, I am surprised that the North Vietnamese didn’t jump up and sign a peace treaty the day I was spit on.
Just look how well it is working today, Al Sadr laid down his arms and agreed to work peacefully with the Sunni and the Kurds to build a better Iraq for his people living in the slums of Badhdad.
SSgtJ
For those who don’t know already, that was sarcasm.
I don’t think there is anyone on the planet that hates war more than those who have had to fight it.
CJ
Morton, if you really want to know who we are, The Sniper spills all our secrets. Hurry before he takes the post down. You need all the ammo you can get since your arguments are getting tiring and repetitive.
JessDawn
Morton,
It warms my heart that you live in a country that allows you to voice your opinion. (no matter how offensive) The worst consequence you have to face is if CJ will Censor your curse words.
What warms my heart even more is that my father had to remind me over and over that I fought for your freedoms. Not for mine, because as a soldier, it is better that you can speak freely then I be coddled.
So, you should be thanking God for all of the “killers” that stand and fight for your rights.
JessDawn
Andria’s boyfriend in Afghanistan -
I too, thank you for your service. However, I would like you to think about this situation in reverse. What would you be thinking if your girl-friend was attacked while she was trying to protect you from a physical altercation like the one on the video?
David
Is it me, or was there an idiot just squeaking…
David
CJ
Okay, I know that a lot of people asked that I not ban Morton but he’s not adding anything to the discussion. He says the same thing every time he puts his fat-ass digits on the keyboard. I’m not allowing this filth to permeate my site any longer.
Morton, that was your last comment. Go back to OneUtah where you’re accepted.
Andria's boyfriend in Afghanistan
JessDawn,
I am not condoning what Andria did. The proper response for both parties should have been to walk away. I have seen a different video that tells another tale. I will post the link as soon as I dig it up again. The only argument I have been pushing is the way this incident is being looked at. The whole thing is being seen as a “baby killer” spit on the troops situation it should be simplified. The incident was, merely, a loss of self control and poor judgment.
Morton,
If you could gather a little intestinal fortitude and come over to the life I live every day you would have a different point of view. I’m guessing, by the way you talk that you have never served this nation. How can you sit behind your computer and slam on the military. If we were not bringing the fight to the insurgents in their neck of the woods they would be bringing it to you. I don’t suppose you would mind another 9/11. Next time you sit down to write a blog I want you to think about a few people for me. SSG Fritche – My best friend for 3 years who took a 50cal dishka round in the face sou you can sleep in peace tonight. Sgt Hike. We played football every other day. He was blown up by an IED along with Spc Rivera who has to go the rest of his life with burns covering his entire body. They did this so you can type your blog. Cpt Bostic was the best commander I have ever met. looked out for his soldiers until he took an RPG to the chest. These are just a few, of many, friends that have lost their lives for you. My company. has a 1 in 6 casualty rate. It was even worse this past fighting season. Imagine loosing 1 out of every 6 of your friends. The next time you have to scrape one of your friends off the ground in the middle of a 14 hour firefight. You might see thing differently. You stated earlier that we all love war. I don’t love war, but it is a privilege to serve my country. To put a twist on something you said… My Flag means..everything, MY GOD means everything. WE ARE THE ENEMY, because people like you divide us and don’t appreciate the freedoms they love to practice.
Isaac
Morton,
You asked if they fought for freedom? I guess me freely typing on my computer is not enough freedom for you? You say the same things the terrorist say and yet claim you do not support them
CJ,
NNNOOOO!!! MORTON IS FUNNY, I KNOW HE IS GETTING A BIT OLD, BUT SEE IF YOU CAN FIND FRESH STUFF FOR HIM!! LOL.
Beth
Might be interested to know that days after this inccident, Andria, continued to harrase this family including the younger children via their myspace pages. This is no “misunderstanding”. These messages were saved as evidence.
Andria’s Boyfriend you knew about this and are choosing to not tell the whole story in the effort to save face for your girl. i’m sorry you got drug into this but nothing will be accomplished by making excuses for her bad behavior.
the_favorite
Morton is an idiot.
The framework of this situation, as if the Swartouts were innocent victims of a “peace thug attack,” is totally untrue.
The Swartouts have a proven record of stalking peace keepers (many groups have had to change locations weekly in hopes of evading them.) Calling veterans like Bob Johnson and John Hutto terrorists, traitors, serving al quadea, etc. They love to instigate and this day was no different.
If you had a friend in a wheel chair, and a man stood in his way, refusing to move, and said
“if you bump into me, I have the right to defend myself.”
what would you do? Ask him kindly for the 100th time to leave us alone? Might you loose your temper?
After Andria took his sign, watch Jason bow up to her, trying to intimidate her. Andria refused to back down and probably would have mopped the floor with him.
So he walks away, the Andria’s sister came in to intervene, and Carrie Swartout escalated the situation FIRST with a two hand shove.
You cant tell per se who threw the first punch, but the whole situation was instigated, antagonized, and escalated by the Swartouts, who always claim victim.
She is lucky she rolled out of the way of that kick, or she would have been KO’ed. That didnt stop her from claiming the kick connected (anyone with eyes can se it did not) and fabricating a tale that you saw on O’rielly factor. Read her nonsense on the Gathering of the Eagles site, watch the video, and see if the story matches up.
Dan Maloney
the_favorite said:
=====================================
“If you had a friend in a wheel chair, and a man stood in his way, refusing to move, and said “if you bump into me, I have the right to defend myself.”"
=====================================
If you look at the Swartout video, not just the ‘peace’ protester one, you will see what leads up to the incident you describe. Brad, the guy in the wheelchair, continually bumps into Jason Swartout and then says “What are you going to do about it?”
Jason moves away from him, steps off the path, and Brad pursues him. That is when the second video begins. Brad was not some poor invalid who happened to get caught up in the altercation, he helped escalate the situation.
the_favorite also says:
=====================================
So he walks away, the Andria’s sister came in to intervene, and Carrie Swartout escalated the situation FIRST with a two hand shove.
=====================================
Heh, back to the videotape!
This time the relevant scene is on the peace protester tape.
Andria’s sister rushes over with her red sign and the first contact is clearly her pushing Carrie Swartout with her right hand. Carrie then pushes her away and the red sign strikes Andria. That is the beginning of the physical assault, the pushing of Carrie Swartout.
Watch that scene carefully and step through it frame by frame if it isn’t clear the first time.
If you are not going to do your homework and actually study the videos then don’t start making false allegations about what happened.
Dan Maloney
NY State Coordinator
Gathering of Eagles
Dan Maloney
To Andria’s boyfriend in Afghanistan
Thank you for your service sir.
Like everyone else here I wish this situation had not happened. Unfortunately it did and we are left to pick up the pieces and resolve it in as equitable a manner as possible.
Emotions were running high following this event and little was done to quench them by the authorities or by anyone else.
I am not sure what could resolve it at this point now that the authorities have chosen to file harassment charges against both sides.
It has become increasingly frequent that ‘peace’ protesters vent their frustration by attacking those who oppose them. This is not an isolated incident. We have had numerous situations in the NY/NJ/PA area where women on our side have been attacked or assaulted, sometimes by women, other times by men.
In addition, our frequent charges that participation in, and media coverage of, ‘peace’ protests encourages the enemy, have been borne out in the recent Harvard study on the Emboldenment effect. That study showed a positive relationship between the number of attacks on US forces and “anti-war” news coming from US media, with increased deaths and injuries as a result.
We value each and every one of you too much to allow domestic insurgents to increase the danger level for you all in Iraq and Afghanistan. Therefore we are going to continue to oppose ‘peace’ demonstrations wherever we can.
It may be, as you say, that Andria’s involvement in a ‘peace’ protest was misguided. In that case I would suggest that she think twice about taking part in activities that would increase the danger to you.
Everyone wants our troops to come home safe and sound, but we also understand you have a mission to complete. Failing that mission will lead to more days like September 11th where almost three thousand in a single day never came home to their families and loved ones.
Thank you again for serving your country.
Dan Maloney
NY State Coordinator
Gathering of Eagles
NewYork.GatheringOfEagles.org
Isaac
Morton,
Nice, you started to phrase his nonsense differently, I did not think you had it in you. Stay here and keep commenting please.
Andria’s boyfriend in Afghanistan,
Firstly, thank you for your service and for helping to let us know more about what happened.
I am sure she meant no ill when she accompanied her friends, but things slipped out of control and she just decided to join in, the way I see it. I have similar problems myself, but I am sure if she chooses her friends better, this would not happen again, she already has great strength, standing by you in everything.
This was just a slip of judgement, you know her best, and I don’t think anyone has the right to tell you to leave her.
Andria's boyfriend in Afghanistan
Thank you Isaac!
Dan Maloney,
I am not one to slam a particular side. You go on about the bad things that the peace protesters are doing, but fail to mention the number of incidents, I am pulling up on the web, about the Gathering of Eagles. If you truly desire to help the troops, then stop giving us a bad name. A real hero is a silent hero. If you publicize your actions to the degree your organization does, its not informative, its arrogance. I don’t need to go around instigating the opposition to get my point across. I fight this war because I believe in it. You know what my guys could use more than hateful people “fighting for us”… socks! I am having difficulty writing this note. It is not my style to bash so, please, don’t take it that way. Think of it as corrective criticism.
You talked a lot about who hit who first. If a little girl like Andria or her sister came swinging at me. It would not be hard for me to get away without an incident. If a man in a wheel chair started bumping into me I would not find it hard to escape without a word said. Every thing that happened in the two videos could have been avoided with a little maturity and self control by BOTH parties.
Another issue I want to bring up is the youngest Swartout. I don’t have children, but I do have soldiers. I cant believe that allowing/sending your kid to cross the street to harass a bunch of big, bad, angry, peace protesters is the best call. I believe that teaching a kid to hate is morally wrong.
Next issue. I am a strong Christian and was informed that The Gathering of Eagles has a Christian foundation. “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.” Leviticus 19:18. Keep that in mind.
CJ
I think Andria got off easy. Here’s my mindset: I’ll never hit a girl/woman/Code Pinko (since they fit into neither label). However, if a female is man enough to through a punch, she’s man enough to take one too! I’ll never throw down on a woman, but I will not allow myself to be assaulted either. After the first punch, it’s on!
Andria's boyfriend in Afghanistan
Very manley. I could never do that.
the_favorite
Dan,
I appreciate the civil discourse.
“Brad was not some poor invalid who happened to get caught up in the altercation, he helped escalate the situation.”
He may have instigated, but he did not escalate; escalation of the physical nature was first committed by Jason, when he put his hands on Andria, after she grabbed the sign he had set on the ground.
Escalation was continued with the two-hand shove by Mrs. Swartout.
“Andria’s sister rushes over with her red sign and the first contact is clearly her pushing Carrie Swartout with her right hand. Carrie then pushes her away and the red sign strikes Andria. That is the beginning of the physical assault, the pushing of Carrie Swartout.
Watch that scene carefully and step through it frame by frame if it isn’t clear the first time.
If you are not going to do your homework and actually study the videos then don’t start making false allegations about what happened.”
Dan, I have watched the video 100 times and 2 things are clear: Jason first initiates physical contact, and Carrie further escalates the situation with a two-hand shove..
This page was full of false assumptions and i find it laughable that some here suggest it is EVER OK TO HIT A WOMAN, or that Andria’s bf should leave her. (thanks for serving, btw)
You say Andria instigated Jason by grabbing the sign. Well what do you call Jason and his family, whose entire lives are based around stalking peace vigils and antagonizing ?
There were regrettable actions on both sides but the entire situation could have been avoided if the Swartouts would simply respect the efforts of those with another opinion.
Beth
So how come the “peace” protesters could not respect the efforts of Andrew trying to video tape the display for a school project?
Mrs Swartout stepped in to seperate Andria from Jason. Her sister ran up to her and laid hands on her. Don’t forget Mrs. Swartout is in a cast recovering from major foot surgery. If she could have turned and ran away from the girls she would have. In fact the video shows her turning and Alyssa grabs her shirt and pulls her back around.
If someone is trying to pull you into a fight would you not push them off of you?
You all are hypocrites!
Andria’s boyfriend is merely regurgitating the same talking points these local anti war protesters have been saying about the Swartout’s for months. They simply are trying to demonize them. Fact is the Swartouts have participated in about 5 counter protests in the past 6 months. hehehe Now does that sound like stalking to you. They have better spent their time holding 2 pro troop rallies a week and gathering donations for the troops. Lets not forget the Poker Run their group is organizing to benefit Operation Helping Hands at Walter Reed.
Let’s stick with the facts and not hearsay about the Swartout’s character. Cause I can guarantee you that their critics could not compare!
Dan Maloney
Andria’s boyfriend in Afghanistan,
I’m sorry you are upset by whatever incidents you are reading about. Perhaps if you provided links I could look into them.
The one incident that every lefty likes to point to is the Carlos Redondo incident on September 15th in Washington. Every lefty accuses our members of attacking Carlos. That is not what happened. One of our members DID take the photograph of Carlos’ son off the casket that Carlos was dragging around. That member did not know who Carlos was and it was wrong for him to do that, but it was not an attack.
What happened next was that Carlos saw him walking away with the picture, ran after him and tackled him from behind. Other members pulled him off and held him until the police could arrive, which was only a minute or two.
That was the sum total of what happened. No one was kicked, contrary to some air head’s claims, and the worst injuries were bites when Carlos bite one of our members. Our member who was attacked refused to press charges when he was told of Carlos’ status as a Gold Star father.
My personal experience, and in the last year I have racked up quite a bit, has been that every single instance of violence has been initiated by individuals from the ‘peace’ groups. I have had women from my New York group assaulted, I personally have received threats from so-called “Veterans for Peace”. One of our members was assaulted in New Jersey and his camera stolen. The Armed Forces Recruiting Station in Times Square was bombed with an IED. A young airman in New Jersey, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, was shot in the heart but managed to survive.
Have you read anything like that being perpetrated by the Gathering of Eagles?
You say “A real hero is a silent hero.”
Well, we tried that once before 35 years or so ago. It got 3 million southeast asians killed. Just search for any current references to the Montagnard Tribes of Vietnam or anything on the Killing Fields of Cambodia in the seventies. There is a lot of atonement that should be required for what happened in Vietnam, but very little of that is from what our troops did while over there. A whole lot is needed for the lack of an effective response and pushback against those who ‘cut and run’ and then denied any material assistance to our ally.
The media loves to publicize anti-war demonstrations because it fits right in with their mindset. They couldn’t give a rat’s a$$ if it gets more of you guys attacked over there. But they hate to publicize us because we are the antithesis to their thinking. We believe in America, we believe in our troops, we believe in their mission.
The end result is that if we are present the media tends to not cover the anti-war event. That way they won’t have to be even handed and interview us as well. If you think there is no media bias just look at the reporting on our first event on March 17, 2007. Every single media outlet went to the anti-war side, none came to us even though we outnumbered them three to one.
There was much discussion about the ‘silent’ strategy vs. the noisy strategy. In the end the noisy strategy won, not because we like to be loud and in anyone’s face, but because it works to get us in the news and steal some of that airtime from the opposition. (That doesn’t mean we can’t be quiet and respectful when appropriate. Many of our members are also members of the Patriot Guard riders and other organizations that do ‘silent and respectful’ all the time.)
We need to do this because if the anti-war crowd gets its way:
1. The bloodbath in Afghanistan and Iraq when the terrorists wreak their revenge on anyone who placed their faith in us will exceed anything we saw in SE Asia.
2. The reputation of the United States and the faith our allies place in us will be severely damaged. Who will side with us the next time? Who will stand up to the terrorists knowing that no one has their back?
3. The one hope of shuffling the cards in the middle east by injecting democracy into the mix will be irretrievably lost. The radical theocracies will have won the day and will continue their efforts to dominate the world through whatever means are at hand.
Now if you want to talk about a group that is trying to give you a bad name look at Veterans for Peace (VFP, formerly VVAW, Vietnam Veterans Against the War) and their new stepchild Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). Those people tried to pull off a remake of the original WInter Soldiers debacle that slandered and defamed every Vietnam Veteran and painted them with a stigma that lasts to this day.
They promised riveting stories of atrocities and war crimes being committed by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have been unsuccessful to date because we and individuals like us have been fact checking everything they say, and exposing the frauds among them that have been claiming to be veterans.
That’s all I’m going to write tonight, more than I probably should have, but those were all things that had to be said.
Thank you again for your service.
Dan Maloney
NY State Coordinator
Gathering of Eagles
Dan Maloney
By the_favorite
On the contrary, you are splitting hairs by saying that Brad did not escalate the “physical” situation. In fact he did that too. It is plain to see that he is taunting Jason Swartout by pushing his wheelchair into him and then asking “What are you going to do about it?” He is using his medical condition as a shield.
Jason, wisely, steps away from him off the path, and Brad pursues him. That all amounts to escalation.
You then say that Jason’s attempts to recover his sign are an escalation. Let me ask you this. If a pickpocket grabs your wallet are you allowed to grab the pickpocket in an attempt to regain your property? The sign was clearly Jason Swartout’s property. It was taken from him. He attempted to recover it in a non-violent fashion. He did not punch the thief even when provoked to do just that.
Finally you say that the two handed shove was a continuation of the escalation, glibely ignoring the fact that the video clearly shows that the woman in green struck Mrs. Swartout first with her right hand into Mrs. Swartout’s left breast area.
The two things that are clear to me are that you are viewing the video with preconceived notions and that you think that no one should have the right to publicly voice their opinion about the opinions you freely express.
Dan Maloney
NY State Coordinator
Gathering of Eagles
Andria's boyfriend in Afghanistan
Dan Maloney,
Thank you for being, as always, mature and well thought out in your messages. I do have something to say about a comment you made. “In the end the noisy strategy won, not because we like to be loud and in anyone’s face, but because it works to get us in the news and steal some of that airtime from the opposition.” If you antagonize the opposition you should expect some sort of rebuttal. The one thing that messes soldiers up more than anything is problems on the home front. And It seems like your making more war than peace.
I took your advice and looked up some of the other organizations you mentioned. It makes me sick that someone could serve their country and through it out the window. I also ran across some information about someone who sued a nun for, barley nudging one of your members in the butt. Don’t you think thats a bit over the top. Have you ever considered leaving the courts out of your incidents? I understand that you need the public eye, but is there any way to reach a compromise. There must be many ways to grab the peoples interest outside of court cases and fights. Even if you didn’t start them. You instigated them. It takes two to tango.
CJ
ABIA,
I have to beg to differ. I’ve been antagonized and instigated into throwing punches many times. When I returned from Iraq, I was stationed in the DC area and took part in many GOE and personal events to counter the anti-war psychos. I did it through talking about my experiences and trying to educate them. You may be surprised about what I was called and how in my face they were. They WANTED me to throw the first punch, but I’m a better person than they are. I could see a few times where it was backfiring and THEY wanted to throw the first punch because they weren’t getting to me.
They’re just words. I grew up with the whole “stick and stones” thought process. Hell yeah, I was angry at some of the things they said about me, my fellow Soldiers, and our fallen comrades, but I kept my cool. Fortunately, none of them initiated contact on me or tried to steal my signs. That’s when the beatdown would have proceeded. Andria could stand to have the same self-control.
As a fellow Soldier, I can tell you that Congress instigates me every day, but I won’t start hitting a 14-year boy for it!!
Dan Maloney
Andria’s boyfriend in Afghanistan,
I can only say, which coincides with CJ’s post above, that you have to see the ‘peace’ people in action to get an appreciation of what we face.
Keep in mind that the Gathering of Eagles formed because of the incidents that happened in Washington, DC, on January 27, 2007. On that day they held a march to the Capitol. Along the way they defaced the Navy Memorial, spit on an Iraq Veteran amputee, and spray painted their slogans on the Capitol steps. The Washington, DC, and Capitol Police did nothing.
Yes, there were many prior incidents, but this one was the catalyst.
When they announced that their next demonstration (a march on the pentagon) would begin with a rally at the Vietnam War Memorial on March 17, 2007, that was too much for many Vietnam Veterans to bear. The Vietnam Veterans had the most experience with this type of radical activism slandering and defaming them. The overwhelming majority of them had served honorably and well in Vietnam, yet were branded ‘baby killers’ when they came home.
Those men and women were appalled that another generation of American soldiers was being put through the same treatment they received. They were incensed that the police refused to maintain order in January. They were infuriated that their memorial, which honored 58,000 of their brothers and sisters who never made it home, could be defaced. When it was announced that Jane Fonda was going to be present that was the icing on the cake.
In the intervening years from the sixties and seventies a technological revolution had swept the U.S. and the world. Where before such individuals would have stewed by themselves and punched their TVs or yelled at their radios, now they actually had a means of finding and communicating with others who felt the same way. Internet groups and blogs had appeared on the scene which allowed interactive communications. Many of the veterans groups had established such forums and the combinations that I cited above lit up the channels like a brushfire on the prairie.
Non-military groups and individuals picked up on the chatter and passed the information along to their readers. Eventually almost every website that supported the troops and that was at all current on events had a reference to the March 17th date.
There was a general consensus that the time had come to act. That the ‘see no evil’ attitude of the police was going to encourage worse acts of violence and desecration than had taken place yet. That we had to sacrifice to protect our memorials and our men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan from the lunacy at home.
So we came. In ones and twos, a group here, an individual there. In weather that was atrocious if not life threatening. Braving a blizzard that blanketed the northeast, many drove through the dark night to be there. No one knew how many would arrive, few had posted their intentions on the web, but still they came. When dawn broke in Washington on March 17th, a coating of ice covered the ground as veterans and patriots alike began to gather on the mall. A stiff icy wind blew across the Potomac, but it failed to chill our resolve. Like buds flowering in the spring, flags began to sprout on the grounds of the rally site, all around the Vietnam Memorial and on the grounds of the Lincoln Monument.
It was a moment like none of us had ever witnessed, thousands had come from all across the country to stand guard over our memorials and prevent the excesses of the anarchists.
The ‘peace’ groups rallied directly across from the Lincoln Monument and for several hours we had to listen to their ranting and raving about the ‘evil’ United States, and how ‘peaceful’ the enemy is. The profanity they used and the hatred they exuded for this country was palpable to anyone within a quarter mile. Witnessing them in action was all the validation any of us needed for our determination and sacrifice in getting there.
For most of us it was a ‘Never Again’ moment. A resolve was reached that never again would we allow these people to go unopposed in their attempts to gain political gain by flagrant acts of violence, desecration and abuse. Never again would we allow such people to do unto our veterans today what they were able to do to our veterans in the past. Never again would one generation of veterans abandon another.
That is why we do what we do.
Just as I would not presume to offer advice or admonition about what you need to do in Afghanistan, because you are the guys on site with the knowledge of the terrain and opposition, I would ask that you grant us some credit for being intelligent and discerning enough to wage an effective war against the domestic insurgency without resorting to violence. Will there be incidents that get out of hand? Probably, any time you get two groups in direct opposition the potential for violence exists, but the violence will not be of our doing if I can help it.
Dan Maloney
NY State Coordinator
Gathering of Eagles
Steve
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Voice of Reason
What got the two Stripperware chicks amped up was the BS they were fed by the VFP “lawyer”. The one who lost the case with the violent Grandma. How do you lose a case like that even though she was violent?
He sold these a crock about people need your written permission to be recorded in public. And he misquoted a “wiretapping” statute to do so.
Notice that’s what got them hot and bothered.
Those two may want to hire a lawyer and sue the VFP “lawyer”. In good faith, they acted on what he told them.
kris
She took his sign, he grabs her arm…handbags at dawn.
let’s all make believe that in the end we’ll all grow up.