Demand a Ban on Exploitation of Fallen Soldiers

[KBay84]

Remember last year, when RightMarch.com traveled to Crawford, Texas
to confront all of the left-wing loonies led by Cindy Sheehan, who were
there to protest President Bush and the War on Terror?

One of the great men I got to know there was Gary Qualls, the father of
Marine LCPL Louis W. Qualls, who saved the lives of 21 Marines and 37 Iraqi
National Guard troops before falling to insurgent fire in the Battle of
Fallujah. This father of a fallen hero was outraged that Cindy Sheehan's
cohorts had put his son's name on one of their crosses and stuck it in a
ditch to protest the war, at what they called "Camp Casey".

Gary Qualls went to Sheehan's site, yanked up his son's cross, and took it
to his own site. When they put up another one, he yanked that up too, and
another, and another. As a result, parents came from around the country and
followed his example, and all of those crosses were put together at what
came to be called "Fort Qualls". It was a magnificent sight to behold.

But the fact is, none of these parents should have had to go through what
they did. Their fallen heroes should have been protected from that kind of
exploitation by the radical leftists like Cindy Sheehan.

Now, they can be -- with your help.

U.S. Representative Charles W. Boustany, Jr. (R-LA) and U.S. Representative
Geoff Davis (R-KY) have introduced legislation that would ban the
unauthorized use of a deceased soldier's name or image for commercial or
political purpose. The "Military Fallen Heroes Protection Act" (H.R. 5772)
comes in response to recent commercial and political use of names and
images of fallen soldiers without the expressed consent from their
families.

"America's fallen soldiers, and the families they leave behind, deserve to
know that their names and images will be protected from this shameful
exploitation," said Boustany. "While there is no way to ever express in
words the significance of their sacrifice, we have a duty to honor and
protect their memories."

Boustany introduced the measure at the request of several families who have
lost loved ones in Iraq, particularly the mothers of Pfc. David Burridge
(U.S. Marine Corps) and Corporal Joseph Thibodeaux (U.S. Army), both of
Lafayette, LA. Pfc. Burridge and Cpl. Thibodeaux were both killed in Iraq
in September of 2004.

Their families were shocked and appalled to discover that the names of
their sons had been printed on the back of anti-war t-shirts being sold for
profit. They subsequently called on their state and federal lawmakers to
prevent this unauthorized business practice. Similar legislation has been
signed into law in Louisiana which makes the unauthorized use of the
identity of a deceased soldier a crime.

It's about time. We need to PUSH HARD to make sure this bill is quickly
made into law when Congress returns from their recess.

TAKE ACTION: It's unfortunate that the "anti-war" leftists have sunk to a
new low by choosing to use the images of our fallen soldiers for their
political gain. No one who is shameless enough to dishonor the memories of
these brave men and women should ever be allowed to benefit from such an
act, either by commercial or political means.

Click below NOW to send a free message to your Representative, telling him
or her to pass the "Military Fallen Heroes Protection Act":

http://capwiz.com/sicminc/issues/ale...962861&type=CO

NOTE: Be sure to send this Alert to EVERYONE you know who wants to tell
Congress to ban the exploitation of our fallen soldiers. Thank you!

Sincerely,


William Greene, President
RightMarch.com

[odannyboy]

Just out of curiousity, I wonder if there are more families of the fallen who would be for such a bill to be passed, or against it?

I dont think anyone should try and capitalize on the grief of those families who lost sons and daughters in Iraq for a political statement. Howver, I'm certain there are many who's children are represented by crosses planted by "radical leftists" like Sheehan who stand behind and even directly support such an action.

(I also remember the "counter protests" to Sheehan, quite honestly, I remember seeing hardly anyone there)

[KBay84]

Texas town disturbed by Sheehan, protests
By ANGELA K. BROWN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER


Larry Nelson, manager of a store in Crawford, Texas, talks to a reporter about the purchase of land in Crawford for use by war protestor Cindy Sheehan, Friday, July 28, 2006. War protesters will have a new and bigger gathering place when they return in August to President Bush's adopted hometown: a 5-acre lot bought with insurance money Sheehan received after her son was killed in Iraq. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)
CRAWFORD, Texas -- Like many folks in President Bush's adopted hometown, 83-year-old Robert Westerfield isn't exactly rolling out the welcome mat for the town's newest resident: war protester Cindy Sheehan.

"I wish she'd stay away. Crawford's a Republican town, and she's a dumb Democrat," Westerfield, a lifelong Crawford resident, said Friday while sitting on a bench outside a gas station on Main Street.

Sheehan, whose monthlong war protest near Bush's ranch last summer attracted more than 10,000 demonstrators, recently bankrolled the purchase of a 5-acre parcel near downtown to be used for future protests, including one next month.

The protesters group said it outgrew a 1-acre lot about a mile from Bush's ranch that a sympathetic landowner provided. Several hundred demonstrators returned to the lot over Thanksgiving and Easter.

Now many of the town's 700 residents fear the traffic congestion, noise from rallies and odor from portable toilets - complaints from residents near the other campsite - will affect those closer to town.

"When it's here, it affects a different set of people," Teresa Bowdoin said.

Gerry Fonseca, a Vietnam veteran who attended the protests in August and April, returned to Crawford in June to help the group look for property.

Fonseca said he doubts that any Crawford landowner would have sold to Sheehan or other protesters, so he didn't reveal his connection. Fonseca, who lost his Slidell, La., home in Hurricane Katrina, told sellers about that part of his life and that he wanted to build.



He bought the $52,500 lot in mid-July, using insurance money that Sheehan received after her oldest son Casey was killed in Iraq in 2004.

The lot is a tenth of a mile from a small "Welcome to Crawford" billboard featuring a picture of Bush, smiling with his hand in a thumbs-up sign, and his wife.

The land is comprised of pasture and tree groves. Trucks began dumping gravel for a driveway on Friday, and water lines will be installed next week. Fonseca said he is still trying to arrange for electricity to be hooked up.

Although the site is more than 7 miles from Bush's ranch, it will have more space for the group's large activities tent, camping area and parking.

"This is close enough. We're still protesting in the community that he chose to live in," Fonseca said.

Sheehan said when the camp is no longer needed, she plans to donate the land to the city for a park to be named Spc. Casey Sheehan Memorial Peace Park. Sheehan said it would have a playground, because "Casey loved children and peace."

When Sheehan first arrived in Crawford last August, demanding to meet with the president during his monthlong working vacation, she and others set up tents in ditches off the winding, two-lane road leading to the ranch.

But the area became crowded as weekend protests swelled to several thousand people - and spurred counter protests with Bush supporters - so a sympathetic landowner let the group use his parcel that was even closer to the ranch.

Then last fall, county commissioners enacted roadside camping and parking bans to prevent similar protests. Some demonstrators returned to Sheehan's original makeshift campsite during the November and April protests for a civil disobedience action and were arrested. Sheehan was not among them.

In late June, Sheehan and four others sued the county over the ordinances, saying they want to return to what became an "international symbol of protest against the Iraq war."

Tammara Rosenleaf, one of the lawsuit's plaintiffs, said she is glad the group now owns a lot but that some protesters may return to Sheehan's original site because it is considered "the soul of this movement."

Bill Johnson, owner of the Yellow Rose of Texas gift shop, disagrees with Sheehan's views of Bush and the war in Iraq and said he hopes protesters are considerate of their new neighbors. Last summer, the group disrupted the peaceful country life of some rural residents near Bush's ranch, he said.

"I don't want her rights taken away. Her son fought and died for this country," Johnson said. "But on the other hand, she needs to be respectful for what our country stands for."

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/nation..._Mom_Land.html

[m60-gunner]

The only time they should use the names of our fallen brothers and sisters is to memoreolize them with Honor, Dignithty, and respect. People like Sheehan, that so called church of inbreds, and this guy selling anti war shirts ought to be beat. Beat with a hedge club like a baby seal on a ice flow. They are scum. I can't use the words I want but I think most of you know them. It's sad that so many gave all for the rights of these scum.
To me they are all these troops are heros. they should not be disrespected for a person to prove thier opinion. they should be respected for what they beleived in.

[KBay84]

http://www.rightmarch.com/weekendpics.htm

Way too many pics to paste here.

Camp Casey is alive and well.

[Caldric]

The only time they should use the names of our fallen brothers and sisters is to memoreolize them with Honor, Dignithty, and respect.

Absolutely. Unless of course it is the family stating their anger or grief. They have a right to more then any other. Even though I find Sheehan to be a tool, so does the soldiers father and from what I read of the soldier it goes against what he felt, there is not much can be said about it.