Some people don’t get it
The NY Times is carrying an article about a man who has erected a protest site, filled with crosses, which doubles as a memorial to those killed in Iraq. The following excerpt from Homemade Memorial Is Stirring Passions on Iraq sums up the situation:
LAFAYETTE, Calif., Nov. 30 —” The tranquil suburb of Lafayette hardly seems the most likely place in the Bay Area for a battle over the First Amendment and the war in Iraq. Liberal Berkeley is just over the hill, after all, and nearby San Francisco is always spoiling for a fight.
But over the last few weeks, it is Lafayette —” an affluent bedroom community 20 miles east of downtown San Francisco —” that has become the scene of a passionate debate over the place of political speech in suburbia.
At issue is a hillside memorial, made up of some 450 small white crosses and a 5-by-16-foot sign that reads: —In Memory of 2,867 U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq.— The memorial was created by Jeff Heaton, a building contractor and antiwar activist, who said it was meant —to get people involved on a local level— and talking about Iraq.
Sure enough, people here have become involved, including more than 200 people and a half-dozen television news crews and reporters who crammed into the usually sparsely attended City Council meeting last week to voice their opinions about the memorial. And while many there said they found the crosses deeply moving, others called the memorial unpatriotic, disrespectful or just plain ugly.
That camp included Jean Bonadio, a former Marine sergeant who said she was so offended that she stopped her car and climbed the hill to dismantle the sign, which sits with the crosses on private property of a fellow advocate just north of Highway 24, a major Bay Area thoroughfare, and the Lafayette light-rail station.
—My first reaction was, ‘What a disgrace to those who have sacrificed,’ — said Ms. Bonadio, 53, a dog trainer. —I had no tools with me, so I removed it with my bare hands and feet.—
So, free speech, and protecting the rights of all United States citizens (the alleged motivation of every soldier, and the alleged justification for every foreign venture) becomes exhibit A in the land of irony. Former Marine sergeant Jean Bonadio invades private property, destroys private property, and denies a fellow citizen his free speech rights, because he has no right to say it. Semper Fi Sgt. Bonadio, Semper Fi.
The retired sergeant qualified for the ‘Some people just don’t get it award.’
This is Jean Bonadio, the proud former Marine.
First of all, no left/biased media have published the facts of my actions on Nov. 14th, 2006.
First of all, I had no knowledge of this anti-war/military atrocity until I passed by it on Nov. 14th, 2006. It was broad daylight, on a hillside with no homes, structures, adjacent to a City street and across the street from a Bart Station. There were no ‘Private Property’ signs posted anywhere. I did meet a Contra Costa Times photographer who was taking photos of this disgrace from across the street. He was the one who told me the sign/crosses appeared Sunday morning–so it was erected in the dead of night on, of all days, Veteran’s Day. Only those who have served in the military, in particular the Marine Corps would know what it is like to be a Marine. Having just celebrated the Marine Corps Birthday on the 10th of November, along with the dedication of the Marine Corps Museum/Memorial in Quantico, VA, followed by the attendence of a very moving Veteran’s Day Memorial service. I had in my possession a photo taken on Veteran’s Day of a Marine in his dress blues, injured in Iraq, missing a hand and eye, holding a Pearl Harbor survivor and entitled: ‘GENERATIONS OF VALOR’ with the caption “ONLY TWO DEFINING FORCES HAVE EVER OFFERED TO DIE FOR YOU, JESUS CHRIST AND THE AMERICAN SOLDIER. ONE DIED FOR YOUR SOUL, THE OTHER FOR YOUR FREEDOM”. It says it all.
My thoughts were to act in defense of the millions of such defenders of our Country, their families, and those currently putting their lives on the line for all of US, even those who would show such appalling disrespect and disregard–such as the left fascist media and their cronie followers, who hate the military, as was recently posted.
This is NO “memorial” as it has recently been labeled from the original “anti-war” terminology, but a statement of the far left’s political agenda. These groups could care less about the welfare of the troops fighting for us, and all those who have served this Country know it, in additon to the majority who truly support our troops with real deeds of caring and support–too numerous to list.
To me, as with most Americans, this was as horrendous as that so called religious sect who hate homosexuals so they disrupt funerals of our fallen heroes.
I can go on and on, but another factor is this type of ‘display’ gives aide and comfort to the enemy–in case anyone has forgotten, we were attacked and our citizens of all faiths, color, age and gender were murdered in the most barbaric manner. These murderers are here living among us waiting to strike again–and they are laughing at these fascist organizations, media and those who, at least for now and we are attacked again, will never ‘get it’.
To continue, the reporter for this left, biased newspaper referenced above, who was not present, never talked to me, chose to fabricate a story to cause the reaction they were looking for on behalf of these groups they so blatantly support, as do all left media and like minded individuals–as the one who wrote the, putting it mildly, ignorant comment on this site. I can assume he is from the area–as these groups monitor such sites, but would not identify himself or herself.
The left media have attempted to manipulate the public through the selected, censored articles and editorials they have choosen to publish. There is nothing Fair and Balanced about them. Thankfully, the majority have been in support. but one would never know this due to the media’s unfair/unbalanced reporting
The photographer asked if I was in the military, as I have Marine Corps items on my vehicle. I told him I was a former Marine. He asked what rank I had been, I told him Sgt. He asked if he could take a photo of the shirt I was wearing, which was of of photo of the 3 fireman erecting the AMERICAN flag at ground zero where the Twin Towers once stood. I agreed. He asked my name, I gave it to him. I did not have tools to remove the sign, again, feeling this was on public or City property, so used my legs to remove it from what it’s frame. I did not damage the sign, did not remove the sign. The photographer even made the statement the City would probably remove the sign and the rest of it–thinking he knew nothing about it’s ‘background’ aslo. I left.
The next day I was shocked to see a so called reporter had translated the above to me being an active duty Marine, that I tore the sign to pieces, and trespassed.
She also choose to further inflame, not the shirt previously described taken by the photographer, but a photo of me dislodging the sign. She even went to the unethical extent of describing, via the photographer’s description apparently, the vehicle I was driving, to include my dogs in it. Impartial, accurate reporting?
And if I knew about this atrocity before driving by it, I would NOT have entered the property. Has anyone even wonder why someone who knew anything about this, do what I did in broad daylight, then give my name to a newspaper photographer who I learned was taking photos from the Bart Station across the street?
I was later to learn the entire facts of this anti-war display from those living in the area, who read about it or saw it on local television. I get all my news from the FOX news channel. I learned the individual who erected the sign did so against City code, was fined and told to cover it–it was never covered. By the way, the sign was simply nailed back in place. The owner of the property has also asked those who would like to ‘express themselves’ to freely do so. Really???
And thanks again, left media and fascists organizations, for all the ‘free speech’ I and all others who disagree with your political garbage have been given. Apparently it only applies if YOU agree with it.