Big Hat Tip to Lew from Right in a Left World for bringing these stories to our attention.
Orcas Island Washington has honored John Edwards request to protest on Memorial Day, they even got a days head start by burning American flags at veterans' graves and replacing them with swastikas.
ORCAS ISLAND, Wash. -- Vandals burned dozens of small American flags that decorated veterans' graves for Memorial Day and replaced many of them with hand-drawn swastikas, authorities said Monday.
Charred flag tatters were found still attached to 33 small flag standards at Woodlawn Cemetery, while 46 of the standards were found empty Sunday, authorities said.
Sheets of paper bearing swastikas drawn with what appeared to be red and black felt-tipped pens had been taped to 14 of the vandalized flag standards, Sheriff Bill Cumming said.
Members of the American Legion on this island off Washington's northwest coast replaced the burned flags with new ones Sunday afternoon.
The vandals repeated the stunt on Memorial Day after a guard left at dawn, replacing 33 of the small flags with more hand-drawn swastikas, the sheriff's office said.
Investigators believe there's more than one culprit, based on the number of flags that were vandalized, but they have no leads on any possible suspects, Cumming said in a telephone interview.
The sheriff said deputies were trying to lift fingerprints off what little physical evidence they were able to recover and were asking people on this bucolic island to contact the sheriff's office.
"We don't view this as free speech," Cumming said. "We view this as a hate crime, and it's being investigated as such."
So if this is being viewed as a hate crime, what happens to Edwards for inciting this crime?
Nothing, of course and if he DARES try to backtrack and claim this isn't what he wanted, he is even more ignorant than I assumed to begin with.
If he has watched the news, seen the pictures, witnessed what the anti-war protesters did to the capital building when they spray painted it, then he was FULLY aware of how unhinged these people are and by inciting them to protest on the one day of the year that is meant to honor our fallen heroes, and he deliberately incited them to these actions.
That isn't the only act of vandalism that Edwards encouraged either, he also must accept his part in this act of taking a woman's flag, from her yard and burning it so she awoke to a pile of ashes.
Police in Oakdale are searching for a vandal who burned an American flag in a woman's front yard.
Betty Soban said she feels threatened intimidated after someone burned her American Flag Monday morning.
Neighbors have reported other acts of vandalism over the years, but said burning a flag on Memorial Day should come with a harsh punishment.
Go to that last link and watch the video news report.
As Lew says from Right in a Left World:
I’m sure Edwards will issue the obligatory condemnation, no matter how hollow, that he doesn’t support these acts, but Edwards did ask people to make their statements known today and to send him photos to display of their acts.
Now, I wonder if Edwards will display the fruits of his call for protest photos that he asked to be sent to him?
Yes, I wonder if Edwards will publish those photos too.
So, Johnny Boy, happy now? You got your protests and your name will now be forever associated with burning flags and swastikas placed on our brave veterans' graves.
Good show!!
(Golf Clap)
[Update] I just sent John Edwards this link as well as a special "thank you" for his brilliant idea for supporting our troops.
Mr. Edwards,
Your encouragement for these protests has been noted and we will be voting accordingly in 2008. Thank you SOOOOOO much for your ideas, especially the protests on memorial Day.... I think they went well and you will get ALL the credit.
My blog as well as dozens of others, so far, will be reminding everyone how you encouraged these protests to "support our troops".
Spree @ Wake up America
I doubt he will be printing these photos but I can guarantee, no one will be allowed to forget his speacial Memorial Day idea that brought about acts such as those listed above.
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