Last year pics
Posted on 05/30/2007 7:27:04 AM PDT by StarCMC
Memorial Day weekend has throughout our history been a time of reflection, remembering our honored service people who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our freedom. In locales around the country, protesters and anti-military organizations that have 364 other days of the year, are not happy with that and also want to use Memorial Day and myriad celebrations across the country to push their "peace" at any price agenda. Instead of "honoring" our service members, active and veterans, by thanks and remembrance, they choose an "in your face" approach of political activism and leafleting. That, sadly was true once again in Columbia Missouri in 2007.
The local Veteran's Air Show has been ordered by a federal court to not only allow pamphleting, but to allow protesters into the show to carry their protest signs. However, the protesters forgot that freedom of speech and freedom to protest also includes the right for others to express themselves. Operation Simply Shreds has been validated by the same federal court on just that basis, that the "cure" for speech that offends is more speech.. So, for the third year in a row our diverse group came together for another round of shredding anti-military propaganda at the Air Show.
Immediately upon setting up camp we were approached by protesters who wanted to know why we were threatened by their exercise of free speech. We assured them that we were not threatened. And anyway, I guess suing to be allowed to insult veterans and military personnel isn't threatening or offensive? Oh well. In addition, the protesters spent a lot of time telling us to get a life, that they were offended, or calling us names insisting we didn't have a right to interfere with their protest. The irony is that unlike the chief organizer of the protest, we have other jobs (he doesn't-he is a "professional" activist) and has never had one of us plead guilty to assaulting another person at a protest. (He has.)
With battery powered shredders in hand, and blue recycling bags dangling from belts, our crew went to work. The idea is to intercept the brightly colored flyers the peaceniks handout before they are thrown into the trash. The recipient often mistakes the flyers as programs and once they see what is contained in the literature, many want to discard it (the protesters make sure that there are no immediately identifying headlines on the leaflet to telegraph its content). We offer a free, polite, and immediate shredding service for anyone who would like to dispose of political literature in a fun manner. This way, attendees get a little free speech of their own, and it's environmentally friendly besides.
Peace groups have interviewed with the media and say OSS shredders are Nazis, reminiscent of Nuremburg book burnings, and call us despicable. The newspapers are usually happy to print the charges. We're always amazed that professional protesters who have spent years perfecting the art of insult and dramatic antics that they call free speech immediately scream "Nazi" when they no longer have control of the situation.
Many veterans were glad to see us, and the military men and women who work so hard to put on the show were happy to see signs of support. This year the show had a display called Virtual Army Experience. This was the display the peaceniks decided was trying to make a game out of war. I imagine every enlisted, veteran, and interested bystander understands war is hell. That is why we are all so grateful to our troops who make the sacrifice of their time, or of their lives to insure we have freedom. Peace is good; freedom is better; peace without freedom is bondage.
Unannounced as is our custom, the shredders took positions near the entrances of the Air Show. The peaceniks tried flanking us, cornering us, and out witting us, but there was no way to escape the impact of citizens who wanted to shred a flyer while the pamphleteer looked on. The citizen would smile as they enjoyed the sound of the little machine chomping little green flyers into pieces just the right size for kitty litter.
The highlight of the Memorial Day Air Show is usually the parade on Monday. On cue, the peaceniks arrived to hand out their materials and we were there with shredders drawn to offer free shredding to anyone who would like to be rid of the flyer. One shredder was stunned when the ground captain of the parachute team awaiting his team to land on the parade route, requested a flyer so he could shred it. The paratrooper stood with the shredder in the middle of the street (ground zero for the jump) in front of everyone and shredded the flyer to applause and laughs.
The shredders usually take up a position at the end of the parade route to display the collected bags of shreds, to wave to our heroes, and hold signs thanking our veterans and enlisted. The veterans always smile and wave back, and this year the parachuting team marched by, they left the street and each one shook our hands. Later, after a Memorial Day Service at the court house, a Two Star Marine General grabbed and hugged one of the male shredders after he'd heard what shredding was all about. And yes, it is OK to cry while wearing the Operation Simply Shred T-shirt.
We heard stories of service the finest men and women among us have unselfishly given us. Many have repeatedly enlisted to keep us secure. The team of Operation Simply Shred is proud we have found a small way to say "Thank You" and we sincerely hope others copy the technique. There is no way to explain how much fun it is to make a peacenik sputter when they hear the whine of a little shredding device wielded by citizens who want just one day of respect for our troops and veterans, unmolested, with no pickets, flyers, cardboard caskets or upside-down flags. We hope Operation Simply Shred provided the cure for the insult and anger many would have otherwise felt. God bless our troops. Thank you veterans.
-The OSS Team
I love this! What a clever response to their dispicable behavior. If I lived anywhere near Columbia, I would have been there, shredder in hand.
Oops.....dEspicable behavior. (Spell check only works when we use it. LOL)
Great work! I would love to see pictures of the moonbats faces as they watch their propaganda turn into kitty litter—did anyone take pictures?
We’re working on a slide show, but you can download a power point presentation here: http://starcmc.com/OSS/
Especially of Dog and the paratrooper! LoL
Last year pics
But, but...this is recycling at it's best...taking care of the environment, too...what is the matter with these people? (Yuk yuk)
Fantastic! Is this slide show on YouTube for the world to see? Great job!!
Howdy. I’m one of the Kansas City Dawn Patrol guys too. Next year, you and your dad are welcome to use our circle of planes as your “home base” at the air show. Thanks for the kind words about our planes. We do have a ball with them.
dawnpatrolguytwo
We hope you all felt welcomed.
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