| Written by a Facebook friend of Deacon Blues as his personal witness to the events described. |
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE WWII memorial today: First of all I did not see any violence. I did see an ex seal named Stevie block a very mouthy angry black man from the crowd and pushed him back (with his gigantic chest) away so that he would shut up and stop inciting people. Many times during the event when tempers flared... there was always a chorus of voices saying, "peaceful demonstration!" or "civil disobedience not violence". It was so refreshing to know that those around me would express themselves with passion and deadly seriousness but not cross the line.
After I arrived there was a lot of conversation. People meeting people with BIG smiles. It was clear that there were many like me that do not seek out the company of other veterans and don't usually show it off. Today I wore normal stuff with my BDU Rain coat and my Master Sergeant insignia displayed on the zipper guard. It's subtle but other vets would notice it. I saw a few people I served with but they did not recognize me. There were a few people who grabbed the mic to talk and one guy read a poem he wrote. I thought it was a bit overly defiant and threatening but most of the folks there lent an ear to whatever was being said.
We were there to share our disdain for the way American's are being treated and the loss of liberties that we all "fought" for. No question we were always told that this is what we were serving for and we all believed it. Some became jaded like myself but still deep inside the ideal of freedom and liberty without oppression or fear of military domination is at our core. I only heard that said but once today, but I think I know it to be true from the way people behaved and the mood and response to the speakers. There were some who demanded certain congressmen resign and that Obama be impeached and AHA be trashed, etc, etc, etc. But, by-in-large, this day was about abuses against Americans by this administration. The issues for me was closing the parks, weakening the US Constitution and more than anything, the four slaughtered men in Benghazi. I always seem to imagine them and their terror in the last minutes of their life. sigh. It plagues my dreams sometimes. |