Backyard

Received this forward but can't validate it. Anybody know about this?

Here is a letter that a friend of mine here in Emporia is hoping that the local paper, THE EMPORIA GAZETTE, will publish. Please feel free to pass this on to anyone who you think might be interested. Due to security concerns, I will not include his name.

Dear editor: (Due to the nature of my service and as a security issue please withhold my name, if at all possible.)

I am a member of the Kansas Army National Guard. I am a former marine as well. I returned home from 15 month's active duty in Kosovo last January. I am scheduled to re-deploy June 4th of this year for another 18 months and I will be serving in a war zone which I am not at liberty to disclose. I volunteered for this duty as an opportunity to serve my country again.

On Monday, May 1st, I was at the Lyon County Fairgrounds to observe the immigration rally. On my truck I proudly displayed both the American flag and the flag of the United States Marines.

Within minutes of arriving at the parking lot I was approached by no less than 4 law enforcement vehicles and several officers. I was ordered to immediately remove the flags from my vehicle.

When I attempted to ask why, an officer replied, "Shut your mouth and go home". I was told if I didn't comply that I would be arrested without delay for disorderly conduct. There was no opportunity to reason with the police. I was given an ultimatum and was forced to comply or forfeit my freedom.

I'll not go into the obvious implications that this incident raises. I will leave it to you and to your readers to explain how it is that as a citizen and solider I was not allowed to display the flag of the nation that I serve and protect. Meanwhile I stood in a sea of flags from foreign nations, some waived by hand, others attached to vehicles. I was also profanely insulted by one of the demonstrators who himself was flying a Mexican flag from his vehicle.

I would ask that each of you who read this ponder the inference of the actions of the officers in question, what it says about our country at present and the ominous implications of the future.

The immigration issue is not a joke; it is a matter of huge proportion concerning the security of our nation and the safety of our people.

I have seen a lot in my military career and many things have moved me deeply but not until this heartbreaking incident was I literally reduced to tears. The disrespect and outright hatred shown to me by both the demonstrators and by the law enforcement officers of my own hometown was heartrending.

Some might question just exactly what I am serving for. I hope you can find the answer in your own hearts. My conviction to serve still does not waver.

think I would have once again been spending a night in the crossbar hotel.

another ex-marine

According to breakthechain.org, it's bogus. I believe that, because if it were true, the newspapers would jump on it. I found no evidence of any actual reliable news source with any reference to any story like that.

And as you can see at http://www2.ljworld.com/photos/galleries/2006/may/01/immigration_rally/
there were people at that rally waving flags.

mschris wrote:

And as you can see at http://www2.ljworld.com/photos/galleries/2006/may/01/immigration_rally/ there were people at that rally waving flags.

but did they have their green cards?

Couldn't tell you, it didn't say.

Thanks Ms. Chris, I wasn't familiar with break the chain. I checked snopes and could find nothing. I still have to wonder. Those pics you linked are across the nation but the one in particular was in Lawrence, and there were no flags. hhhmmm...still curious.

Tori wrote:

Thanks Ms. Chris, I wasn't familiar with break the chain. I checked snopes and could find nothing. I still have to wonder. Those pics you linked are across the nation but the one in particular was in Lawrence, and there were no flags. hhhmmm...still curious.

No problem. There was one picture about halfway down that said it was from the Lyon County Fairgrounds.

And Snopes is a good one, they may just not have gotten this one yet.