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October 16, 2008 at 19:55:35
Promoted to Headline (H2) on 10/16/08: by Cheryl Biren-Wright Page 1 of 1 page(s) |
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Meet Nick Morgan This is Nick's fractured face after being trampled by mounted police at Wednesday's peaceful protest. After receiving this picture from friend, Bill Perry, a Vietnam vet and service officer who gives his time helping veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, I did a quick news search to find out more. 
Iraq War Vet Nick Morgan (photo by Bill Perry)
Democracy Now! was on it as were several Indy and alternative news sites including OpEdNews. Associated Press put out a brief release with the "one person may have received a minor injury" line, but then again their job is to make other news orgs aware of a story and in turn they can do the follow-up. Apparently, it was of little interest to most mainstream media that 10 of the 15 arrested were veterans most of whom served at least one tour in Iraq. Every one of them repeated the "may have received a minor injury" statement making no effort to report the facts.
There were some media outlets that reported the arrests of protesters at the debate, but few were inclined to mention that they were veterans. At most, they said the protesters "identified themselves as Iraq war veterans." A rather dismissive remark and certainly not a hard thing for a veteran journalist to confirm.
How might the public have responded if the headlines read "10 Iraq Veterans Arrested Outside Obama - McCain Debate." With great interest, I am sure. What if those "journalists" explained why these veterans were protesting? If they asked they might have received a response like this:
"Neither of the candidates has shown real support for service members and veterans. We came here to try and have serious questions answered, questions that we as veterans of the Iraq war have a right to ask, but instead we were arrested. We will continue to ask these questions no matter who is elected. We believe that the time has come to end this war and bring our troops home, and we will be pushing for that no matter what happens in this election." said Jason Lemieux, a former Sergeant in the US Marine Corps who served three tours in Iraq, and member of IVAW.
What if the American people learned from the mainstream media that there is a growing movement of Iraq veterans who are angry about the poor services they are receiving after risking life and limb in an illegal war?
What if this morning Americans pulled up to that kitchen table that the candidates love to talk about and unfolded their paper to find this image on the front page?
Nick Morgan wounded outside presidential debate (photo by Bill Perry)
This is Nick being tended to by fellow vet, Jabbar Magruder, after literally having his face broken because he wants the world and the candidates to know the Iraq war needs to end now. Because he wants them to know that veterans are not receiving the necessary care that they deserve and were promised. Because he wants to know what the candidates are going to do about it.
I have faith in the American people. I believe that a lot of those people sitting at their kitchen table would have reached for the phone to ask their members of Congress why they were looking at an image of a wounded soldier bleeding on a sidewalk in Hempstead, New York in a picture that looks like it came from the streets of Baghdad, Iraq.
The politicians and pundits love to praise our veterans for protecting our way of life and ensuring our liberties. This week Nick and his fellow Iraq veterans sought to exercise those rights. They paid the price. As usual, the mainstream media looked the other way.
Ten veterans were arrested during the action, including Matthis Chiroux (Army Sergeant), Kristofer Goldsmith (Army Sergeant), Adam Kokesh (Marine Sergeant), Mike Spinato, Geoff Millard (Army Sergeant), Marlisa Grogan (Marine Captain), Nathan Peld (Navy, 1998-2004), Nick Morgan (Army Sergeant), James Gilligan (Marine Corps, 6 years) and Jose Vasquez (Army & Army Reserves, 1992-2007).
Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) was founded in July of 2004 to allow servicemen and women from all branches of the military a chance to come together and speak out against an illegal, unjust and unwinnable occupation. IVAW currently has over 1,300 members in 49 states, Canada and on military bases in the United States and overseas. To learn more about IVAW you can visit their website at http://ivaw.org/.
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| 20 comments |
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Thanks for headlining this, Rob.
The "debate" was also outside. by GLloyd Rowsey (104 articles, 65 quicklinks, 60 diaries, 828 comments [4 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 8:22:36 PM  (0+)
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Reply: I hope this young man has a phalanx of lawyers.
He will need them to prosecute those who caused these injuries to him. by Stephen Fox (96 articles, 3 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 802 comments [33 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Friday, Oct 17, 2008 at 4:44:20 PM (0+)
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Reply: first things first
he has to defend himself in court. they dragged him half-conscious in cuffs to go to jail. fellow IVAW members told police he couldn't even speak and needed to go to the hospital. they said well, he has to tell us that he needs medical attention. otherwise, he goes to jail. can you believe it! finally his buddies were able to get nick to verbalize that he needed help. they took him to the hospital where he was treated and then spent 5 hours in jail before he got out. court date is on november 10. - one day before veteran's day. adam kokesh who was kept in jail until 7 pm the next day has a court day this monday, the 20th. will update with another article later. good news is bill perry who took the pictures above also has very good footage of the incident and it fits the statements i've seen. more later... by Cheryl Biren-Wright (30 articles, 41 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 485 comments [8 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Friday, Oct 17, 2008 at 5:10:06 PM (0+)
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The blue shield of terror
OUR TABLE is broken, the Constitution tossed on the corrupted dirty floor of Pelosi's office, congress impotent, the courts gagged, but a brutal police state is well in place to protect those in power against their own citizenery, and fascism has taken deep root in America, as presented by the best selling author Naomi Wolf, "The End of America", click here POLICE STATE USA-The Blue Shield of Justice, when dissent is treason, no right to resist, no right to freedom of speech, go to jail for any reason, smart mouth a cop and see what he'll do, BRUTAL POLICE FORCES ON HORSE BACK MOWING DOWN OUR VETERANS ON OUR STREETS, and the utter silence of our Democratic and Republican candidates for president, Obama and McCain, comfortable and safe inside, is a betrayal of America, a failure of our democracy, Click Here, click here by Gene Cappa (43 articles, 28 quicklinks, 113 diaries, 347 comments [33 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 9:44:07 PM (0+)
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Freedom of Speech
This picture screams for a caption repeating that often repeated phrase about - fighting over there so we can have freedom of speech here. Free to speak and get kicked in the head by a police horse for speaking freely. Corporate America and their paramilitary defenders have been out of line for so long and just getting more brazen. This fallen soldier deserves a peace metal of some sort for fighting above and beyond in defence of our Constitution and the rights of his fellow soldiers. by spakitty (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 20 comments) on Thursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 10:36:52 PM (0+)
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RMeet the 'Protestor' Who 'May Have Received a Minor Injury'
by Munich (1 articles, 86 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 1125 comments [86 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Thursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 10:42:25 PM (0+)
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Reply: pissed?
I'm guessing you know Bill, Munich, being from the area. Put it this way, the voice mail I got from Bill this morning had more F-bombs dropped than I've ever heard him use in the three years I've known him. Of course he was quick to laugh when I called him back and F'd my way through the conversation just to tease him a bit. Bill also got a lot of good video footage that he's hoping to get edited soon. Says it's better than anything posted so far. Will post when it's up. by Cheryl Biren-Wright (30 articles, 41 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 485 comments [8 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Thursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 11:05:54 PM (0+)
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Reply: Re: pissed?"
Roger that Cheryl. F' bombs and then some. Dam! We can only hope that our troops in Iraq get to see the treatment their fellow Vets are receiving back home. So dam sad. I still can't get over the photo of Nick Morgans face. He could have lost his eye! I spoke with Bill Perry briefly last December during the John Nirenberg March in My Name rally at Independence Mall. You were there reporting and taking some excellent photos. It was a cold day, but well worth it. John Nirenberg is a real gentleman as is Bill. I later emailed Bill some of the photos I took which he enjoyed. It's just too bad we haven't yet done Impeachment ya know? Our country is so upside down. by Munich (1 articles, 86 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 1125 comments [86 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Friday, Oct 17, 2008 at 12:14:47 AM (0+)
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Thank You Cheryl
I have a cable show in Minnesota, called Lies and Ommissions of Corporate Media. I will find a way to get this image and central idea on the show. What I heard was that a protester "threw himself' at a police horse. Gosh, the corporate media lies? Who'da thunk? Folks, this is becoming regular, ingrained behavior at peace and justice rallies. they are institutionalizing brutality at us who practice our right to assemble peacefully and petition the government. I refuse to say our government because they aren't. Thanks again Cheryl. by Michael Cavlan (15 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 538 comments [131 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Thursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 11:30:09 PM (0+)
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SHOCKING... and despicable
thanks for this report, Cheryl. We have got to keep hammering out these news articles. The brutality of the capitalist regime is unending... not only do their economics fail, but their social policies, to boot. jeez... I often wonder about the cops who act this way. Were they raised in the Congo? Zimbabwe? China? How can they sleep at night? by Rady Ananda (182 articles, 374 quicklinks, 49 diaries, 1718 comments [201 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Thursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 11:49:31 PM (0+)
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To Hell with "Joe the Plumber" ....
... these guys are the real story. by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Friday, Oct 17, 2008 at 12:18:45 AM (0+)
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Thanks, Cheryl, great job on this
You are doing the job that the major media should be doing. by Meryl Ann Butler (70 articles, 82 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 721 comments [29 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Oct 17, 2008 at 2:16:27 AM (0+)
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So much for "Support the Troops"
Use this slogan to get us into the war, to spend more and more money on the war, to keep us in the war, to sound patriotic, to put on your bumper sticker....but don't actually think for a minute that anybody means what it says, especially not the Chicken Hawks. Hey look, how do you expect this country to fight more wars (for peace) if our soldiers get educated? Of course we must keep them in the dark. Respect them, yes. But actually educate them? Tend to their wounds? Who's gonna pay for all that? Just because they put their lives on the line for us? I don't think so. Who will do our fighting for us, the politicians? Dick Cheney? Rush Limbaugh? We need more tough, young soldiers, preferably uneducated and poor, willing to kill for us and willing to be killed, to fight our battles all around the world, to force wire-tapped democracy on other nations so our money grabbing corporations can be protected and more profitable so they can continue to grow forever so there will be more "trickle down." But I'm not bitter nor cynical. Do I sound bitter or cynical, Mr. President, great leader of the bully nation and "free" people? by Nick van Nes (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 596 comments [150 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Friday, Oct 17, 2008 at 9:28:32 AM (0+)
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THIS is why...
I just told the Obama campaign I'd probably vote for them, BUT my money goes to FreeSpeechTV for reporting this outrage! by Bia Winter (6 articles, 2 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 756 comments [119 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Oct 17, 2008 at 9:51:47 AM (0+)
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Reply: ..And OpEdNews, of course!
Just contributed, Rob....Thanks for OpEd and all you folks DO! by Bia Winter (6 articles, 2 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 756 comments [119 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Oct 17, 2008 at 9:53:36 AM (0+)
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I interviewed Geoff Millard last year--
--at a DC anti-war protest at length and spoke to several IVAW members. I was struck by their incredible military bearing. They were conducting themselves then with the strict self discipline and focus that is the best part of the training one receives in the military. Last night on Democray Now i watched footage of MATTHIS CHIROUX explaining the purpose of the protest and again i was stuck by the way these brave men continue to uphold the finest aspects of the military even as they challenge the rectituce of this war. Their honor and character should be the story for the mainstream media. It adds both urgency and credibility to their message. Just broadcasting one even handed interview with an IVAW member could affect millions of Americans image of the war and the anti-war movement ... so i guess that means that will never happen--sigh-- -yzur- by mikel weisser (49 articles, 3 quicklinks, 15 diaries, 87 comments [3 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Oct 17, 2008 at 12:36:28 PM (0+)
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This was also on CNN's I-Report
This was on the webpage anyway - I didn't see it on CNN but I don't watch it that often. Here's the link: by Cheryl Abraham (13 articles, 2 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 207 comments) on Friday, Oct 17, 2008 at 5:08:41 PM (0+)
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POST THIS PICTURE WIDELY
A suggestion. Print Nick Morgan's injured face on a poster with a brief explanation of who he is and how he was brutalized by the police and post it in bus shelters, on light posts and anywhere else you can think of. The color picture has the most impact but black and white will do if you can't afford color. And leaflet size will do if you can't afford to print posters. Caption it: "THIS IS HOW THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION TREATS WAR VETERANS!" Robert Halfhill by rhalfhill (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 325 comments) on Saturday, Oct 18, 2008 at 3:01:54 AM (0+)
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failure of MSM
the only way I even knew of this incident was by reading Cheryl Biren-Wright's OEN article and pix. Too bad the mainstream media are so inept at finding the stories and thenm reporting the news. walt brasch by Brasch (87 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 70 comments) on Saturday, Oct 18, 2008 at 4:16:57 AM (0+)
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Reply: State of the 4th estate
Oh, they are not inept. They are corrupt accomplices of a corrupt government. by Linda Carraway (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 7 comments) on Saturday, Oct 18, 2008 at 11:09:15 AM (0+)
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