Reuters: Crosses vandalized at antiwar mom's Texas camp site (by Waco man)

[DeepModem Mom]

(Thanks to Sabra, who I think posted this first in GD -- many threads there.)

Crosses vandalized at antiwar mom's Texas camp site
Tue Aug 16, 2005 11:56 AM ET


CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - A pickup truck ran over wooden crosses erected at anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan's campsite on Monday night, in the latest sign of tension over the peace vigil outside vacationing President George W. Bush's Texas ranch.

Larry Northern, 46, of nearby Waco, Texas, was arrested and charged with criminal mischief in connection with the incident, Crawford Police Chief Donnie Tidmore said.

Sheehan has pitched a tent on Prairie Chapel Road, which leads to Bush's ranch, and calls her site "Camp Casey," after her 24-year-old son, who was killed in combat in Iraq in April 2004.

The small, white wooden crosses erected at the site are hand-painted with the names of soldiers killed in Iraq....

***

Michelle Mulkey, a spokeswoman for Sheehan, said protesters were still awake on Monday night when a truck dragging a pipe and chains drove over a portion of the area where the crosses were standing...


http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-08-16T155556Z_01_SCH657034_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-BUSH-PROTESTER-DC.XML

[VegasWolf]

1. Here come the rednecked mohawks showing their love for Bush! nt

[skeeterintexas]

2. We don't call it

Wackey Waco for nuthin...

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[merwin]

6. He's listed? Woo! I'm sure he'll be getting a lot of calls

[guruoo]

64. Most people don't realize that they

can opt out of the google phonebook

[charlie]

4. Larry should've listened to Larry

Baylor parent and Woodway resident Larry Northern said he decided to support Lynch because he was 'honest, straight-shooting and moral.' Northern said Lynch's favorite saying was, 'Don't do crime because you're going to do the time.'

http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=15803

[barbaraann]

5. What would a Christian Social Worker tell Larry to do?

n/t

[melnjones]

9. Um...

not sure what you mean by that, or if, as a Christian social worker, I should be taking offense, but alright.

[TroglodyteScholar]

7. What an absolute creep...

Has the right wing shown any outrage at this person's reckless defacement of the Christian cross, even if they don't recognize its legitimacy as a war memorial? Or does party come before God, too, now?

[RaleighNCDUer]

17. they burn crosses...

why shouldn't they run them over?

[Blue_Roses]

33. good point

nt

[Vogon_Glory]

8. I Wonder If He'd Been In The Military Or If He's A Chickenhawk

I wonder if Larry had served in the military or if he was a garden-variety chickenhawk. He's certainly at that interesting age--too young for the draft, too old to enlist.

So Larry's pickup was dragging a pipe and chains? I doubt that even the most bass-ackwards rustics in the jury would fall for a defending attorney's tale of ol' Larry just swerving off the road.

[melnjones]

10. Dude, how many people are named Larry?! nt

[KyndCulture]

11. why are the threads with this guys name disappearing? nt

[DeepModem Mom]

12. It's his personal information (phone no., etc.) being deleted --

I think that's against DU rules. Also, there could be a slight chance it's the wrong guy.

[KyndCulture]

13. ah ok... makes sense.

[Lautremont]

14. Two Larrys now?

Does that mean there are four Darryls waiting on the sidelines?

[wellstone dem]

15. Lots of info about him on google

http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=16467

Owner of Northern Realtors, Larry Northern said, 'I don't see a frenzy there, the price may appreciate just due to appreciation.'

(regarding values of property in Crawford after Bush selection)



edited to provide context

[GOPFighter]

16. "criminal mischief "?

I wonder what he'll get for this? Can you imagine what would happen if an anti-war protester did this to a pro-Bush gathering??? :scared:

It will be interesting to hear how the Republicans will respond to this.

[Roland99]

47. At least it's a felony. And, btw, the guy is 59 years old, not 46.

[meganmonkey]

18. Note to all - Please don't post his personal info

aside from what is available in the article or the mods will delete it:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4367065

[zbdent]

19. I was wondering what would Jesus do in this case

and then I realized that Jesus probably would not have wanted to be near a cross ever again . . . weird concept.

I remember some comedian saying that, if Jesus was put to death today, you'd see people with a little electric chair dangling from their necks instead of a cross . . .

[dchill]

24. Or perhaps...

a little hypodermic needle.

[kath]

26. I believe that was Lenny Bruce (electric-chair-around-neck thing)

[yellerpup]

32. George Carlin eom

[DoYouEverWonder]

70. The comedian Bill Hicks has a great bit

about people wearing the cross around their neck. What would Jesus think if he ever came back and saw everyone was wearing these crosses? It would be like going to see Jackie Kennedy wearing a little gold rifle around your neck.

[Mari333]

20. Let them keep this sort of behaviour up

they will show their true faces to the world. assholes.

[Akoto]

21. How is it that ...

The pro-Bush, pro-war Republicans can so adamantly claim to be taking the moral path?

Citizens like Cindy Sheehan exercise their right to peacefully protest, and you get this petty asshat driving his gas-guzzling pickup over the names of the fallen soldiers. He probably makes empty claims of wholeheartedly supporting them when he's not vandalizing things under the cover of night, too.

They hate, they're petty, they're scheming and they're violent. What was that about being Christian again?

[orleans]

22. HEY! THEY SUPPORT THE TROOPS!!!

apparently only the live ones.......

[dchill]

25. Only the live Republicans...

who don't question authority.

[0007]

23. Another hate incident from the right wing assholes.

[rocktivity]

27. His truck dragged a pipe and chains behind it?

That indicates premeditated criminal intent--unless, of course, he'd just gotten married.

:headbang:
rocknation

[seriousstan]

28. He was in the news before.......voting for sheriff

http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=15803

"Baylor parent and Woodway resident Larry Northern said he decided to support Lynch because he was 'honest, straight-shooting and moral.' Northern said Lynch's favorite saying was, 'Don't do crime because you're going to do the time.'"

[wakeme2008]

29. picture here

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/1686471.html

Larry Northern, 59, of McLennan County, was charged Tuesday with Criminal Mischief Over $1,500 and under $20,000 after a pickup truck tore through a row of white crosses erected by anti-war protesters gathered near the President’s ranch in Crawford.

Bail was set at $3,000.

..more at link..

[Mari333]

35. angry disgruntled chickenhawk. let them have enough rope

let their hatred show, the whole world gets to see it.

the freepers like the idea it seems.they get a kick out of destroying crosses with the names of our troops on them.They think the death of our soldiers is funny.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1464472/posts

[saigon68]

71. looks like an angry rustic redneck

I wonder if he has a hood and a sheet?

[jahyarain]

30. Jesus must be proud

fucking inbreeder

[Vinca]

31. Can't he be charged with desecrating the American flag in

addition to the "criminal mischief" charge? It seems like the authorities didn't take this too seriously.

[Kickin_Donkey]

68. Destroying a flag is not against the law.

And it shouldn't be.

It's a constitionally protected form of free speech.

It's the other side that wants to outlaw flag destruction with a constitutional amendment.

[colonel odis]

34. can you imagine what they'd have done if it'd been a liberal

running over crosses near the campsite of a bunch of right-wingers?

same as that asshole shooting his shotgun yesterday. if the allegiances were reversed, both those guys would have been arrested, probably under some trumped up patriot act bullshit, and that would be the last we'd hear of them.

but since they were for bush and against -- well, against anything that's not for bush -- they won't even get a slap on the wrist.

[jahyarain]

36. check this ignorance out

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/1686626.html

[guruoo]

65. Crawford Anti-War Demonstrators To Move

Linked on that same page:
http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/1687821.html

[Galley_Queen]

37. This Photo Should Be Printed in Every Single Newspaper/Site

Doh: Edit


This story was on Buzzflash and if you follow their link, you get this:
ERROR: The URL cannot be retrieved. But if you ignore and follow the link, the photo appears.

[stanwyck]

40. Make Larry the Face of the Republican Party

ugly, ignorant, cowardly, and proud of it.
Lee Atwater hung Dukakis with Willie Horton.
Let's hang the redneck republicans with Larry.
Mowing down the crosses of slain servicemen.
How low can you go?

[Mari333]

38. Many more pics..the asshole also knocked over flags

I guess the whole world gets to see what the reich wing really thinks of the dead soldiers, crosses, and the us flag

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/15/233811/409

[rodeodance]

39. Has any predominant RW'er (or Left for that matter)--condemmned this

action?

[Mari333]

41. No, they like to bully moms of dead soldiers.

thats their modus operandi.

[TankLV]

46. Nope - but I'm sure dicky durbin has an apology TO the repukes all set

to go!

He's probably chafing at the bit as I write this!

"Dear repukes: We whiney vichy (d)emocrats apologize for upsetting you on your glorious quest for world war. Sincerely, dicky durbin".

[guruoo]

66. I wouldn't be surprised

[neuvocat]

42. Guilt is a bitch.

I guess the people that supported the war just don't want to deal with the fact that their support helped to get people killed.

[FlemingsGhost]

43. Vandalised, not "desecrated." (n/t)

Flem.

[truthisfreedom]

44. Larry Northern drew a heck of a lot more attention to Camp Casey for

the rest of the week. He's done their cause a great favor... thanks, Larry! nice job, idiot! you can bet the wingers like having you as a posterchild for their position on this thing... you've managed to shut a whole heck of a lot of them up in a hurry. i hope they slap you with some nice public service work, Larry, maybe cleaning up after Camp Casey pulls out of town?

[killbotfactory]

45. why don't they just get it over with and burn a nice big cross

show the protesters some southern hospitality.

[DeepModem Mom]

48. Why didn't some of the rest of us make that connection?

You're right, kilbot -- same type of person here, I would guess.

[Barkley]

50. ... and strap a black man to the back of the truck

a la Jaspers, Tx style

[Buns_of_Fire]

49. They're big on dragging things behind trucks out there in the sticks

AUSTIN—Three white men, two of whom are former cellmates sporting white supremacist tattoos, were charged Tuesday with chaining a disabled black man to the back of their pickup and dragging him to his death along a rough dirt road in the wooded flatlands of eastern Texas.

The torn and battered body of James Byrd, Jr., 49, was discovered Sunday morning in a wooded area of Jasper County about 100 miles northeast of Houston; his head and right arm were missing. Those body parts, apparently severed as Byrd was dragged along a two-mile stretch of the isolated road were found a mile away, Jasper Sheriff Billy Rowles said.

http://www.yale.edu/glc/archive/990.htm

(Good ol') boys will be (good ol') boys. Besides, these are just fraternity pranks, right? :sarcasm:

Watch out for each other in Crawford, please.

[bowens43]

51. Arrest In Texas Protest Cross-Up

Waco man allegedly drove pickup through "Camp Casey" memorial

AUGUST 16--Meet Larry Northern. The Texas man, 59, was arrested last night and charged with criminal mischief for allegedly driving his pickup truck over wooden crosses erected near the roadside campsite of Cindy Sheehan, the California woman who has brought her antiwar protest to President George W. Bush's Crawford doorstep.

<snip>

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0816051texas1.html

[Richardo]

52. Just following Savage's orders, I'm sure.

It would be interesting to see if any of the RW hate-mongers actually suggested something like this. Hm?

[MrBenchley]

53. Interesting....

"Northern is a Waco realtor and gun enthusiast who has served as president of a local "shooting sports facility""

[IA_Seth]

56. Beware of the evil metal objects! n/t

[MrBenchley]

61. Gun owners have such NICE playmates....

[Bryn]

57. Ann Coulter's Soulmate

"Northern is a Waco realtor and gun enthusiast who has served as president of a local "shooting sports facility"

Ann is also a gun enthusiast and has been proudly posing with guns. Perfect!!

[MrBenchley]

60. And then there's the other Larry, the drunk "dove hunter"

[rzemanfl]

54. I notice that they said "realtor" not "Realtor" if he is of the "R"

kind we should insist that the National Association of Realtors take out full page adds apologizing for his behavior.

[Janice325]

55. Does that look like a big old scar on the left side of his neck??

Hmmmmmm.

[wakeme2008]

58. Phillip West RIP

Marine Lance Cpl. Phillip G. West

19, of American Canyon, Calif.; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; killed Nov. 19 by enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq.

[OneAngryDemocrat]

59. 24 miles one-way

I just plotted the route from Waco to Crawford, and found out that it was 24 miles, one-way.

This ass drove 24 miles, one-way, just to desecrate those crosses!!!

http://www.mapquest.com/directions/main.adp?go=1&do=nw&rmm=1&un=m&cl=EN&ct=NA&rsres=1&1ahXX=&1y=US&1a=&1c=Waco&1s=Tx&1z=&2ahXX=&2y=US&2a=&2c=Crawford&2s=tx&2z=

[Name removed]

62. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[roguevalley]

63. He is the SPITTING IMAGE of my redneck Uncle Vern. Lordy.

[DeepModem Mom]

67. Adding NYT, "Memorial To Troops Killed in Iraq Vandalized in Texas"

Memorial to Troops Killed in Iraq Is Vandalized in Texas
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
Published: August 16, 2005

CRAWFORD, Tex., Aug. 16 - Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, who has set up a vigil near President Bush's ranch here, said today that she was "very disturbed" that hundreds of small crosses bearing the names of dead American troops had been knocked down, and that her now 10-day protest was "only the beginning" of national movement to bring all American forces home from the war.

In reaction to the growing anger of many local residents over the crowds and disruptions, Ms. Sheehan's supporters said it was likely that she would move "Camp Casey," her roadside encampment named after her son, to a 300-acre piece of property closer to the president's ranch. Ms. Sheehan's supporters said that the owner of the property was sympathetic to their cause, but his identity could not be confirmed and it was unclear if the deal was complete.

In the meantime, a group of Mr. Bush's neighbors appeared before the McLennan County Commission asking that a no-parking zone near the president's ranch be expanded, which would effectively force Camp Casey to move to the town of Crawford, seven miles away. Neighbors have complained of traffic jams and blocked roads, and some told the commissioners that they worried for the safety of their children as schools reopen. On Sunday, a neighbor fired a shotgun twice in the air on his property. No one was hurt and while the police investigated, no charges were filed.

On Monday night, the police arrested a resident who they said had used a truck to mow down about half the 500 small wooden crosses that were hammered into the roadside dirt. The crosses were put back in place by Ms. Sheehan's supporters this morning as flowers, including crates of long-stemmed red roses, continued to arrive from around the country.

"What happened last night is very disturbing to all of us, and it should be really disturbing to America," Ms. Sheehan said in a news conference at Camp Casey. "Because no matter what you think about the war, we should all honor the sacrifice of the ones who have fallen. And to me it's so ironic that I'm accused of dishonoring my son's memory, by doing what I'm doing, by the other side, and then somebody comes and does this."...

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/16/national/16cnd-sheehan.html?hp&ex=1124251200&en=af8e94f8f933baa4&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[barb162]

69. This will just backfire on the anti-Sheehan groups

[ignatius 2]

72. Probaly the same type who wore purple heart band-aids at the RNC,

they all talk big about supporting the troops but think nothing of denigrating or demeaning them if they think they can get a laugh or rile somebody up.

My granny had a name for their type..damned heathens.