Veteran's account called into question (Joshua Sparling)

Fayetteville Observer Online ^ | Thursday, February 08, 2007 | Myron Pitts

[cf_river_rat]

Looky here what showed up in the local fish-wrapper today.

Comments?

[Txsleuth]

PING

[Admin Moderator]

The Activism topic sidebar is for activism, protests, news and business of Free Republic Chapters only.

Thanks.

[cripplecreek]

who went out of his way to provoke anti-war protestors.

It shouldn't matter. He wouldn't have been able to provoke them if they're as peacefull as they claim.

[eyespysomething]

Yeah, and they never spit of returning Vietnam soldiers either.

I hate some people. And that's not a term I use lightly.

[cf_river_rat]

The Activism topic sidebar is for activism, protests, news and business of Free Republic Chapters only.

Sorry AM, sure figured this would qualify.

[tgslTakoma]

The Activism topic sidebar is for activism, protests, news and business of Free Republic Chapters only.

Thanks.

I guess where cf_river_rat got hung up was that this story is about what happened during an FR chapter "activism/protest event."

Should he put it in the NEWS sidebar instead?

Thanks.

[tgslTakoma]

I saw this earlier today, and sent the writer an email regarding the one-sided investigation he did. I also gave him the links to the video I shot, with a short explanation of the things that are on the video which back up Josh's story (as well as the way the other vets and wounded soldiers were treated by the crowd).

No email reply from the fellow yet; but it's only been 9 hours.

:-)

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Howdy!

Where can I view that vid/links?

Thanks!

-happi

[tgslTakoma]

The thing is, they are saying that Josh "provoked" them. He was telling them what he saw, what he had done in Iraq, and he was asking them if they didn't agree that the people of Iraq deserved freedom and the right to not be dragged out of their home and murdered on the whim of a dictator.

If there was any provocation, it was a provocation to think, not spit and curse and threaten him.

But apparently, in their small and intolerant minds, any "speech" which does not agree with their political position is provocative.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

We, the counterdemonstrators and pro-American group who razzed Code Pinko and Jihad Jane were not "disruptive". We were vibrant, somewhat loud (the police asked that the bullhorns volume be lowered so that the Pinkos would not be disrupted, and the volume was lowered). However, our signs and voice power were certainly heard and seen, by hundreds of passerbys who honked their horns and waved.
Sparling was with us for a while and he was polite and gave interviews.
His missing leg was REAL. So was his 82nd Airborne t shirt.

Our group included two Vietnam war POWs, Mike Benge and Larry Stark. Both know something about Hanoi Jane, and Mike and I, as well as Col. Bud Day and Dolf Droge made a documentary about her communist background (in 1988 - "The Unofficial Autobiography of Jane Fonda").

This communist bitch and her red friends will never get a pass from us.

Max Friedman, Vietnam correspondent, Human Events, 1970.

[tgslTakoma]

Here's the links for YouTube version:
Vietnam Redux (Pt 1)
Vietnam Redux (Pt 2)
Vietnam Redux (Pt 3)

For those who want to watch it on Google, here's those links:
Vietnam Redux (Pt 1)
Vietnam Redux (Pt 2)
Vietnam Redux (Pt 3)

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Thanks! I'll check those out!

[MEGoody]

It is a picture of a seasoned political activist, maybe even a conservative plant, who went out of his way to provoke anti-war protestors.

So what? These 'peace-nuts' are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites. They want everyone else to do what they are unwilling to do - swallow it when someone provokes them.

[Kickass Conservative]

Now wait a second. Sparling is a war hero. Is he being "swift boated" by the anti-war / pro Kerry crowd?

Of course the difference is, the swift boat vets were telling the truth.

[basil]

I finally got to see the films. For whatever reason, I wasn't able to access them until now.

Thanks for all your hard work and perserverance. You are a real trooper!

[pfflier]

All together, they paint a different picture of Sparling: It is a picture of a seasoned political activist, maybe even a conservative plant, who went out of his way to provoke anti-war protestors.

He has all the hallmarks of a conservative plant. Military service, missing limbs due to combat and a purple heart.

His counterparts have a lilly liver, yellow streak and reap the benefits of never serving, like exercising their right to free speech as defended by "conservative plants".

[JoyjoyfromNJ]

If this columnist won't respond to tglstakoma's offer to view the footage, maybe a telephone call to him and/or his boss? A letter to the editor with the video address? Failing that, what would be the cost of a small (business card size or maybe a little bigger) ad with the info?

[Doctor Raoul]

This guy has so much wrong, I don't know where to start.