Posted on 09/13/2004 6:21:04 PM PDT by atomic conspiracy
Family Of Killed Soldier: Vigil Crowd Threatening
POSTED: 5:48 pm CDT September 9, 2004 UPDATED: 11:02 am CDT September 10, 2004
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 on Monday, was among the mourners at Dallas City Hall Plaza.
A family friend said the vigil turned abrasive toward the family members. The friend sent an e-mail message to NBC 5 News that described the alleged treatment some vigil attendees directed at the family.
The family friend's message alleges Drake's mother was "harassed and yelled at, booed and hissed, told her son died for nothing."
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 says they were 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. Copyright 2004 by nbc5i.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
!?!
But we support the troops!
Those bastards have no heart.
You are right, of course. Peace demonstrators have little real concern for military personel, and use their deaths as an excuse to protest war.
I'm so sorry the family of this fallen soldier made the mistake of assuming they were attending a patriotic event.
Was John Kerry in the crowd?
And these Leftists have the nerve to say we're a "hate group."
Hypocrisy, thy name is Democrat.
Yeah those peace marchers are such a friendly lot.. sheesh
These animals are deeply abhorrent.
Nothing changes with the Rats; almost the same playbook used back in 1968. If JFK wins it will become open season on all things honorable.
I had some libs in another forum jumping on me today, with the "you can support the troops, but not support the war". This is exactly why I don't believe them.
SEND THIS TO DRUDGE!!
Hey NTX freepers, we need to do something for this family to make up for what those 'peacefreaks' did to this grieving family.
They need to know that we DO support them, and our troops! They need to know WE know their son died for FREEDOM!
They are such filth. Last Friday there were some protestors (probably left over from the convention) in Times Square screaming "Bush Lies" and carrying their hateful anti-Bush, anti-war signs right outside the military recruiting station. I wanted to spit on them.
I would suggest to my Democrat friends that instead of fighting the troops, they enlist and fight with the troops.
Democrats are fast becoming a party of cowards, if not already.
Zell Miller.... okay.... not totally yet... but Zell isn't part of the left wing kooks running the extreme left wing wacko crowd.
Harry Truman and Sam Rayburn must be spinning in their graves at this disgusting spectacle.
Those "Peace" things are dangerous
Was John Kerry in the crowd?
Anytime those maggots crawl out of the sewers they live in, John Kerry is with them.
Any time you have an organization with "Peace" a prominent part of the title, you know you're within stinking distance of the fascist sewer.
These scum love it when American troops are killed, and if we weren't killing bad guys in return, they would be heralding the war as if it were an artistic act of "justice."
While there may be somewhere an actual "peace" oriented group, you knwo with certainty this isn't one of them...how? its mouthpiece is a liberal preacher.
Yeah, shades of the late 60's early 70's. I can never forget how our guys were treated by mainstream media and society in general. Prayers to the people who have lost their loved ones.
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