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talkpolitics"Once a Marine, always a Marine", the members of the world famous US Marine Corps will tell you.
When one US Marine saw what was happening on the OWS protests, with the US Police using mace on unarmed female protesters, it got too much for the man who had been up at the sharp end defending his country's feedom and it's citizens rights.
He organised, he spoke out and gave interviews on tape, saying why he and fellow marines organised to protect the protester from police brutality.
See it here.
http://www.care2.com/causes/u-s-marines-protect-occupy-wall-street-protesters-video.html
I think this is great. Politicians,media hacks and others who say that protesters are just a bunch of hippies need to take note of what is going on here.
When one US Marine saw what was happening on the OWS protests, with the US Police using mace on unarmed female protesters, it got too much for the man who had been up at the sharp end defending his country's feedom and it's citizens rights.
He organised, he spoke out and gave interviews on tape, saying why he and fellow marines organised to protect the protester from police brutality.
See it here.
http://www.care2.com/causes/u-s-marines-protect-occupy-wall-street-protesters-video.html
I think this is great. Politicians,media hacks and others who say that protesters are just a bunch of hippies need to take note of what is going on here.
(no subject)
Date: 25/10/11 11:40 (UTC)Hippies can't also be former marines?
Hippies can't also be former marines?
Date: 25/10/11 12:08 (UTC)Re: Hippies can't also be former marines?
Date: 25/10/11 12:24 (UTC)Re: Hippies can't also be former marines?
Date: 25/10/11 20:29 (UTC)Re: Hippies can't also be former marines?
Date: 25/10/11 20:39 (UTC)Re: Hippies can't also be former marines?
Date: 25/10/11 20:41 (UTC)Re: Hippies can't also be former marines?
Date: 25/10/11 20:45 (UTC)But oh well, what the hell.
Re: Hippies can't also be former marines?
Date: 25/10/11 18:48 (UTC)(Considering the wars are a topic brought up by Occupy protesters...)
(no subject)
Date: 25/10/11 18:44 (UTC)You know, define them as someone you're opposed to, or someone "less" than you, or someone whose opinion you can easily ignore.
Indeed - the US Marine Sergeant who began berating the police has said that he is not on any political side - just believes that freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest is what he fought for, and he wants to see it upheld.
I think people know my stance on OWS - stand by for a rather long OP if anyone posts to say " sorry, haven't a clue ;)
But, I have to say that I am really moved by this man's actions. A lot of politicians on the left go big on the idea of ' the right to free speech', and here we see someone actually confronting police brutality and calling the cops out for their thuggery.
And while he happens to be black, he is not some gangsta rapper wearing a hoodie - he is a decorated war veteran of an elite fighting unit. Pointing out that he has fought for freedom , and faced a riot himself on foreign soil - and saying that US marines, faced with far worse than these cops were facing in New York, behaved with a lot more restraint.
American society, the American establishment, and especially the cops in New York City, has been called on it's behaviour by someone who has all the credentials, an unimpeachable source.
Never mind the argument about the corporations. This guy has slam dunked the system. "There is no honour in attacking unarmed civilians. This is not a war zone."
Ouch!
Date: 25/10/11 17:21 (UTC)Re: Ouch!
Date: 25/10/11 18:51 (UTC)Do you mean me, in the OP, or the marine in the video?
Seriously. Every American who watched that has every reason to be deeply embarrassed by the way their cops were behaving. They are every bit as bad as the cops in London , and that is going some.
I just wish that someone from our Royal Marines would stand up for Free Speech, Democracy and non violent protest the same way as this American guy did.
Yes, he was angry - 'mad' in the sense that Americans mean when they use the phrase "I'm mad as hell". But the Marine had a lot to be angry about. I think he deserves another medal for this public service, frankly.
Re: Ouch!
Date: 26/10/11 15:24 (UTC)Re: Ouch!
Date: 27/10/11 13:39 (UTC)These cops were not the ones committing abuses? Really? Ok, they were not hitting anyone while this guy was around, but what happened earlier to spark this kind of reaction from the marine?
Maybe it wasn't ~these~ cops, but someone wearing the uniform of the NYPD was. And like he said "There is no honour in this".
Here was a man who had faced gunfire, talking to cops who were beating up women. It was not OK to go treat Iraqi civilians the way these cops were treating Americans. that was his argument. And yes, there is a feeling that the military will always be a tool of the State, well, American Servicemen are coming forward to criticise the Government and the way that Society treats war veterans. And Ii applaud them for doing so.
Re: Ouch!
Date: 25/10/11 23:09 (UTC)One problem with that:
Date: 25/10/11 19:22 (UTC)^Obama already has a lot of the military vote as he did in 2008. Dunno what precisely that would look like now but just serving in the military is not something that would mandate conservatism in and of itself.
Re: One problem with that:
Date: 25/10/11 20:55 (UTC)Re: One problem with that:
Date: 26/10/11 15:26 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 26/10/11 05:17 (UTC)send em all to Iraq for a year; see if that fixes them any >:[
How about Afghanistan instead?
Date: 26/10/11 15:30 (UTC)Perhaps an even better experience would be for them to serve in Mogadishu.