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October 24, 2004
A SOLDIER'S STORY
If you're an American, it's important that you read this story. It's critical, in fact. You need to know the kind of person who's asking for your vote, and the kind of people who are backing him. You need to know the lack of regard they have for your rights, for your opinion, and for the soldiers they send to the war they started in Iraq. And you need to know that the crowds you see cheering Bush at his rallies are little more than extras in carefully managed political theater worthy of Leni Rifenstahl.
George W. Bush was in Pennsylvania on Friday. Like dozens of other stories this year, once again the stormtroopers allowed only hypnotized automatons into crowd around him. Once again, people were denied their constitutional right to free assembly. But this time, the one whose rights were spat upon was an active member of the US Army -- who is shipping out to Iraq in two weeks.
A 27-year-old registered Republican and member of the U.S. Army, along with three other people around him, was forced to leave the arena before getting inside. The Wyoming Valley man who did not want to be identified by name because of his loyalty to his service members is being deployed to Iraq in two weeks. His Army service and status were verified. He explained that he was attending the event in hopes of finding the right candidate to vote for on Nov. 2.
It gets better, kids. What happenes next is the real George W. Bush -- what the man really stands for.
While waiting in line, he noticed a stranger standing alone and invited the person to stand with him. "I didn't think that would be a problem," he said. It turned out to be.
Individuals from the Bush campaign spotted the individual with the soldier and identified the person as a Democratic supporter. The spotters, and eventually police, asked the Democratic supporter to remove a jacket, a sweater and some other articles of clothing in what was described as basically a police search. The soldier said the Democratic supporter did what was asked without any complaint. The person also provided a ticket to the event.
The soldier said that when he asked why the person was being hassled, the spotters said the Democrat's name wasn't on their 'master list.' "So I asked if we could see the master list? They said they didn't have it," he said.
Hmm... so there's a "master list" for a campaign rally -- one that no one actually has with them? What, they all have Ken Jennings memories and just look at the list once and then know everyone on the list by both name and face? Unless everyone working for Bush has a photographic memory, I'm at a loss to know how they could have pulled this one off without having the list with them.
The soldier said he stood up for the supporter, but was in no way hostile, because he was there to see the president and hoped to justify voting for him. Not long after showing his own ticket and being told he wasn't part of the "master list" either, the police asked the soldier to leave. He was told the event was for Bush supporters or undecided voters only.
Okay, first of all, the guy was an undecided voter. Secondly, here's your proof of how deeply Bush's appearances are managed and hand-selected. A Democrat with a ticket was not allowed in. An Army soldier -- one Bush is sending to Iraq in two weeks to fight the war he started -- doesn't qualify for Bush's master list. Only if you're one of Bush's Stepford Voters are you allowed to be anywhere near him.
But how gutless -- and how revealing of this candidate's character and his party's true colors -- is it that a member of our armed services is not allowed in to see the commander in chief... for the "crime" of associating with the wrong people? Good grief, isn't this America? Wait... it's George W. Bush's America. This kind of thing happens all the time.
The way this man and his party behave is truly embarassing -- a shameful splotch on America's good name and traditions of freedom and democracy. George W. Bush will send a man to war, possibly to die... but his people won't let the same man in the building if he doesn't think the right way or associate with the right people. That's the kind of man Bush is. That's the kind of people who want you to vote for him. Do not forget that.
Until Friday when he left the arena, the soldier was an undecided voter. Now he's voting for Sen. Kerry and volunteering for the Kerry-Edwards campaign.
"I thought seeing Bush would be enough to sway my opinion one way or the other. After today, it definitely has swayed," he said.
