Posted on 09/09/2004 6:38:26 PM PDT by freedumb2003
DALLAS -- A candlelight vigil took place Wednesday night to remember U.S. war dead in Iraq during the week of the 1,000th casualty. One North Texas family, whose relative -- Chad Drake -- was killed outside Baghdad Monday, was among the mourners at Dallas City Hall Plaza.
The vigil, though, turned abrasive toward the family members, according to a family friend. The friend sent an e-mail message to NBC 5 News that described the treatment some vigil attendees directed at the family.
Drake's mother was "harassed and yelled at, booed and hissed, told her son died for nothing," the message read.
Drake's mother reportedly left the event in tears.
The family attended the vigil because they thought it was meant to honor U.S. casualties. The event was organized by the Dallas Peace Center, which opposes the war.
The Drake family was upset about the antiwar tenor of the assembled crowd. The director of the Dallas Peace Center said the event was not intended to be an antiwar rally, but said e-mail notifications of the vigil were sent to a broad audience. Because the venue is a public place, he said, a variety of people with various views on the war in Iraq attended.
He also said the event was planned to include political overtones, but the Drake family should have been informed.
The center, however, did issue an apology to the Drake family.
"I want to be clear in issuing an apology to the mother of the recent victim of that war," Lon Burnam, of the Dallas Peace Center, said. "I can certainly understand why she would not feel comfortable in that particular venue with that particular group of people."
Peace Center officials said they believe the Drake family left before the scheduled events started, and the family might not have seen the planned ceremony.
Drake's sister told NBC 5 News that the family thought some of the crowd was hostile, so the family departed the vigil.
Hell has a special place for these scumbags.
hypocrites at work! sheesh... will the imature idiots ever learn?
So goes the myth that certain people are "supporting the troops."
John Kerry's legacy lives on.
There should be legal punishment for interrupting ceremonial activities. You would think that even the worst of the pinkos would have enough decency.
The Kerry legasy live on..........
God rest the soul of their couragous son, and God bless them in their sorrow and for their sacrifice.
ping -- need I say anything?
Yep - its starting. Its the same stuff they pulled in the late '60's, but this time around, there's enough of us willing to set them straight. If I witness this kind of attack, I'm going to get just a little nasty with the leftists. In my presence, this will not go unanswered.
where were some construction workers to whip some arses?
ping
Here's to expediting their journey.
My heart goes out to the family. But, I am not surprised, knowing how our local peaceniks operate. May that family know that America is in support of them. We do appreciate the sacrifice of their relative! May God bless them and console them.
People just dont know the depth of what the liberal soul is really capable of until they are confronted up front with it.
These poor little people go down for a vigil, and get abused by a bunch of maggot-infested, dope-smokers.
But, this is Dallas, home of the city council which turned down the Dallas Cowboys, and home of Laura Miller, Mayor "No."
thanks -- my military ping list (kept in my aging brain, so...) is a little short (although I always ping KathyInAlaska)
Hell might even turn them away.
That's a shame. Too bad they didn't check up on the group before attending.
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