Posted on 03/15/2003 4:38:19 PM PST by CoolGuyVic
By Elma Barrera
ABC13 Eyewitness News
(3/14/03) — Talk of war with Iraq has sparked an atmosphere of tension and anxiety. And it may be to blame for a brawl that broke out at the rodeo Thursday night.
ABC-13 report
With some 15,000 to 20,000 folks at the rodeo drinking beer and having fun, things can get a little out of hand at times. It happened when a tape of Lee Greenwood's song Proud To Be An American was playing. Some rodeo fans were standing and others were sitting down. Felix Fanaselle and his buddies chose to remain seated.
"This guy behind us starts yelling at us (because) we're not standing up," said Fanaselle. "He starts cussing at us, telling us to go back to Iraq."
The 16-year-old said the man seated behind him started spitting at him and spilling his beer on him and his friends.
"By the end of the song, he pulled my ear. I got up. He pushed me. I pushed him," said Felix. "He punched me in my face. I got him off me."
When the dust settled, Fanaselle had been handcuffed and released. He and John McCambridge were cited for "mutual combat" and fighting in public. That's a $200 fine. Fanaselle's lawyer says you don't have to stand for a country and western song.
"I guess next time, he'll think maybe we need to stand for the Okie From Muscogee," said attorney Clayton Rawlings. "This is phony patriotism. This man needs to be ashamed of himself for what he did."
Rawlings says he and the Fanaselle family will give McCambridge a chance to make this right without going to court. The family says the biggest insult was McCambridge telling Fanaselle to go back to Iraq. Fanaselle is half Hispanic and half Italian.
"He was born in this country and who is this clown to tell him to go back where he came from? He came from Houston, Texas, so he is where he came from," said Rawlings.
Rawlings says if the citation isn't dismissed after witnesses testify, they'll be going to court with accusations of assault and battery, mental anguish and lawyer's fees. Eyewitness news tried to contact John McCambridge in Austin for his side of the story, but so far there's been no response.
When he grows up, he'll vote Republican, but if he just gets older without growing up, he'll vote Dimocrat.
Rats ass.
I stand for the National Anthem, Dixie, "The Caisson Song", Taps, prayers, and the Pledge of Allegiance. I don’t stand for country western songs, the Pledge to the Texas Flag (family has been here since 1832 but I pledge to only ONE flag), the Marine Hymn, liberal politicians, or most performances that are just ok, even if every dumb a$$ in the place jumps up. BTW if some a$$ poured a beer on me he would need his jaw wired shut for a couple of months.
I suppose we are supposed to support kickin' the ass of Jehovah's Witnesses because they wont stand for the pledge either. Morons.
I wont bother to suggest they read the Constitution. If they could read it, they certainly wouldn't understand it.
Yew accuzin' me uh lawyer's fees, punk? Dem's fightin' words!
Stay Safe !
He was lucky several people didn't kick his ass.
The 16-year-old kid was the ear-pulling aggressor. The article doesn't say how he ended up with a beer, nor does it give the age of the victim.
So, what you're saying is that he should've known he was going to be around a bunch of people who are so stupid that they can't control their emotions?
Thanks for the tip. I'll be sure to keep my kids away from future rodeos.
IMO, the exact opposite is true. It takes a little bit of seasoning to mature.
Likely you know nothing about rodeo, or those who participate or attend.
Rodeo is one of America's oldest sports, and I'm proud to have participated as a contestant (in high school) and as an announcer recently.
What's your problem with this American institution?
Sounds like Felix got his a$$ kicked and this is the best way that he could present it.
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