Vets throw their Medals back at NATO summit

What happens when the people who guard your empire realize that the "honor" you told them about was a way to trick them into dying for your bottom line?

Leah Bolger on Thomas Hartmann Show

via Thomas Hartmann


Navy Commander Leah Bolger, Veterans for Peace, joins Thom Hartmann. Last year - a courageous war veteran gave a dose of reality and common sense to the infamous Congressional Supercommittee - and she was arrested for her actions. We'll talk to her about her activism - her upcoming trial - and how to get this country back on track.

Leah Bolger Pleads Guilty to Telling the Truth

More: In 45 Seconds Leah Bolger Did More to Represent the Views of Americans then the Supercommittee Ever Did: Now She Faces Jail

20-Year Veteran to Face Jail Time for Act of Civil Disobedience

The Guards of State must reconsider their position

This is a message to the Police, to the military, to the TSA, to Homeland Security and to members of every other enforcement arm of the government.

via StormCloudsGathering
h/t to Kevin Zeese

This is more relevant today than ever

This is exactly what the Occupy movement is about.

The Smithsonian pepperspray incident

Here is footage of the spraying as it happened from OpEdNews.com

h/t @CodePinkAlert

And here are a few mainstream media stories that need correction:

Fox News reports that "At least one" person was pepper sprayed. Not the case. 12-15 people were sprayed.

This article from the Washington Post takes the Smithsonian at their word that protesters were told that they could not enter carrying banners. That is false.

The protesters were not told anything. I was inside the museum when this happened. After the first three people entered the vestibule, the security guards rushed the doors, started shoving people, and the use of pepper spray was almost immediate. The protesters were told NOTHING. They were simply met with force, and sprayed with mace.

I also recieved word that the New York Times article on this story first took the Smithsonian's word that "only one" protester was sprayed. We talked with them, and it was later changed to "12-15". Since last night, they've dropped any mention of pepperspray from the article altogether. The New York Times is doing a lot of story changing-- about the kettling on the Brooklyn Bridge, and now about this incident with the pepper spray at the smithsonian air and space museum.

So This Is America...

I just learned through friend, former colleague, and current head of New Hampshire Peace Action, Will Hopkins, that 71 year old former CIA intelligence analyst Ray McGovern was arrested and brutalized for wearing a Veterans For Peace t-shirt at a speech by Hillary Clinton.

The irony is, of course, that her speech is on the subject of oppressive governments who beat and shoot protesters.

Now, you're probably thinking, "well shit, he must have been screaming and yelling like a Code Pink lady to get hauled out, right?"

No.

By the account over on JusticeOnline.org he did nothing but wear a t-shirt.

So this is America:



Said Will Hopkins, "[I] just watched the video of two cops roughing up Ray McGovern at a Hilary Clinton event. Made me ill. [I] don't even want to admit that the administration I helped get elected is so callous and brutal. It's Ray McGovern, he's 71 and devoted his whole life to this country. A more honest and true patriot there has never been, and for standing and turning his back quietly on the brutality of our nation, he was beaten and thrown in jail."


According to JusticeOnline.org's report, he was then roughed up by police. The guy is 71 years old for fuck's sake. Is it really nessecary to rough up an old man? According to McGovern's attorneys he was left bruised and bleeding in his jail cell.



So this is America.


In order to export Democracy and Freedom overseas, does that require us to disassemble it here at home first?

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UPDATE:

A more full account of the events from VotersForPeace.org is here:
http://votersforpeace.us/press/index.php?itemid=4666

Jim Chappelow :: Veterans for Peace 25th Annual Convention

Jim Chappelow served in Iraq, and is now a member of IVAW and Veterans for Peace.

CODE PINK :: Lisa Savage :: Veterans For Peace 25th annual convention

CODE PINK's Lisa Savage speaks at the rally culminating the Veterans For Peace 25th annual convention.

Emma's Revolution :: VFP march and rally

Emma's Revolution: emmasrevolution.com/
Veterans for Peace: veteransforpeace.org

IVAW's Geoff Millard - Veterans For Peace 25th annual Nat'l Convention

Geoff Millard is the Chair of the Board of Directors of Iraq Veterans Against the War which you can find at IVAW.org

Please donate, buy the Winter Soldier book, educate yourself with the plethora of educational materials they have, and support their good work.

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The Punk Patriot:

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Doug Rawlings - Founding member of Veterans For Peace

Doug Rawlings is one of the 6 founding members of Veterans For Peace.
http://www.veteransforpeace.org


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Ann Wright addresses the Veterans for Peace 25th Annual Convention Banquet

Col Ann Wright was a diplomat that resigned from the Bush administration in 2003 in protest of the Iraq war. Since then she has been active doing antiwar work, as well as involved in finding peace between Israel and Palestine. She is running a humanitarian aid mission to Gaza, which you can help out with here: http://www.ustogaza.org

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TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/punkpatriot
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Col Ann Wright - Veterans For Peace 25th Annual Nat'l Conference

Col Ann Wright is a former diplomat, and a personal hero to me, who resigned from the Bush administration in protest of the Iraq War back when it first started. Since then she has been active in the anti-war movement, she was at Camp Casey with Cindy Sheehan, and she was on the recent humanitarian aid mission to Gaza.

She is currently working on sending a US-only humanitarian aid mission to Gaza, which you can help with here:
http://ustogaza.org/

Dennis Lane, Executive Director of Veterans For Peace

Please support this organization, and the great work they do:
http://www.veteransforpeace.org

Ethan McCord at the 25th Annual Veterans For Peace Nat'l Convention

You can see a much more serious video of him recounting his experience here:



You can read a blog post he wrote about the experience over on Michael Moore's website: click here

And please support Iraq Veterans Against the War

Veterans For Peace 25th Annual Convention - George Williams

George Williams of VFP Chapter 95 of North Hampton, MA

The Punk Patriot interviews Will Hopkins, Exec Director of NH Peace Action

NHpeaceaction.org