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Purveyor

(29,876 posts)
Sat May 28, 2016, 06:03 PM May 2016

Vandals Deface Vietnam War Memorial In Venice, CA

Source: CBSLA

VENICE (CBSLA.com) — Vandals defaced a memorial to Vietnam war veterans in Venice – an awful sight on this Memorial Day weekend.

Stewart Oscars welled up as he looked at the vandalized mural located on Pacific Avenue near Sunset Court. It was covered in graffiti from end to end.

“This knocked me out. So sickening. Just sadness…think of all these people. They’re gone,” Oscars said. “I remember the Vietnam war and how friends went to war, and bodies came back. Somehow, it has to be taught that this is not a good idea. This is actually stupid.”

The memorial was dedicated to service members who were listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War.

Read more: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/05/27/vandals-deface-vietnam-war-memorial-in-venice/



Vandals Strike Anniston Veteran's Memorial For Second Time

ANNISTON, Ala. —For the second time this month, vandals have struck Anniston's Centennial Memorial Park.

Last week, WVTM 13's Marlei Martinez spoke with Ken Rollins after 100 small American flags were vandalized in Anniston.

Rollins, with state's Board of Veterans Affairs, said it happened again.

"This is hallowed ground to me, it always has been," said Rollins, who spent 12 years helping to build the memorial. "It's no different than Arlington Cemetery. The things you wouldn't do to your grandmama's grave, we shouldn't do here."

Rollins was disgusted to find out the small American flags lining the park for Memorial Day were trashed once again.

MORE...

http://www.wvtm13.com/news/vandals-strike-anniston-veterans-memorial-for-second-time/39765058
[H][H]

Purple Heart Plant Bed Vandalized Days Before Memorial Day

Ernie Crediford led the charge three years ago to build a heart-shaped plant bed at the west end of Wye Park in Richland.

Designed to resemble the Purple Heart medal given to wounded military service members, it has a trim of fine gold rock and an inner section that’s a mix of crushed basalt and purple sage.

Or at least it did.

Someone came along in the last few days and ripped out the purple sage plants — about 16 of them.

So now the earthen heart is broken.

“It was a shock. It kind of set me back a bit,” said Crediford, 67, of Richland, part of the Columbia Basin chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society. “It’s a real disappointment right before Memorial Day,” he said.

MORE...

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/purple-heart-plant-bed-vandalized-days-before-memorial-day/
21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Vandals Deface Vietnam War Memorial In Venice, CA (Original Post) Purveyor May 2016 OP
Must be BernieBros! Doctor_J May 2016 #1
Makes me sad. 840high May 2016 #2
Jerks. nt bemildred May 2016 #3
Cowards. romanic May 2016 #4
Message auto-removed Name removed May 2016 #5
Time to fabricate a plexiglass window over the monument. nc4bo May 2016 #6
What possible motive could there be? malthaussen May 2016 #7
Probably just ignorant graffitti zombies sulphurdunn May 2016 #8
It doesn't seem to be political, from the link daleo May 2016 #9
The Real Vandals Redness May 2016 #10
Classy. Throd May 2016 #11
Alerted. Enjoy your short stay. Odin2005 May 2016 #13
Welcome to DU. Jury Results: merrily May 2016 #14
Awful jury results Reter May 2016 #20
I posted the jury results on your post too, I think? merrily May 2016 #21
Why do you call Vietnam vets "at best passive victims of compulsory military service". braddy May 2016 #15
Hence "at best" Redness May 2016 #17
LOL, got it, thanks for enlightening us. braddy May 2016 #18
the war was an American atrocity, but the fact remains that the servicemen.. olddad56 May 2016 #16
Honor the Brainwashed? Redness May 2016 #19
What kind of scum deface a war memorial? Odin2005 May 2016 #12

romanic

(2,841 posts)
4. Cowards.
Sun May 29, 2016, 06:10 AM
May 2016

The assholes that did this would never ever step up to a Veteran or serve in the military, just gutless and useless excuses of human beings.

Response to Purveyor (Original post)

nc4bo

(17,651 posts)
6. Time to fabricate a plexiglass window over the monument.
Sun May 29, 2016, 07:52 AM
May 2016

Folding accordion type window panels on a steel frame so it can slide open or fold open and closed.

Sucks to have to do that but necessary to protect it from assholes.

malthaussen

(17,066 posts)
7. What possible motive could there be?
Sun May 29, 2016, 09:13 AM
May 2016

Yeah, I know assholery needs no reasons, but usually there is some rationale, however foolish, for it.

-- Mal

daleo

(21,317 posts)
9. It doesn't seem to be political, from the link
Sun May 29, 2016, 11:09 AM
May 2016

"People on this street said the memorial was tagged a few days ago. They said the graffiti matches some of the other ones in the neighborhood.

Redness

(18 posts)
10. The Real Vandals
Sun May 29, 2016, 12:32 PM
May 2016

Go to Vietnam and witness the still-lingering effects of the horrific American invasion, and then explain to me why Vietnam veterans, who are at best passive victims of compulsory military service and at worst complicit in the genocide, should be treated as heroes in the first place.

merrily

(45,251 posts)
14. Welcome to DU. Jury Results:
Mon May 30, 2016, 12:03 PM
May 2016

On Mon May 30, 2016, 11:55 AM an alert was sent on the following post:

The Real Vandals
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1469544

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

Insulting vets on Memorial Day? Seriously???

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Mon May 30, 2016, 12:00 PM, and the Jury voted 3-4 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: In general, I strongly disagree with the premise of the post. I don't think it reaches the level for hiding.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Egads !!
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Better for discussion than hiding.
Juror #7 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given

 

Reter

(2,188 posts)
20. Awful jury results
Mon May 30, 2016, 10:56 PM
May 2016

My post gets hidden for calling a picture of a naked father with his naked kid on his lap a "lapdance" (when the OP was asking for OPINIONS!), and this one stays by a newbie with 17 posts. Unreal.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7847664

 

braddy

(3,585 posts)
15. Why do you call Vietnam vets "at best passive victims of compulsory military service".
Mon May 30, 2016, 12:25 PM
May 2016

Vietnam was fought overwhelmingly by volunteers, it was WWII that was fought overwhelmingly by draftees, WWI was mostly draftees, the Korean war was a higher percentage of draftees than Vietnam, Vietnam was the major shift back to volunteers fighting our wars, and the 33 years of a continuous (except 1947) draft was ended during the Vietnam war.

Redness

(18 posts)
17. Hence "at best"
Mon May 30, 2016, 05:54 PM
May 2016

You're quite right, many Vietnam vets have no such excuse. These are the volunteer murderers. Their crimes are of course mitigated by ignorance, age (a young man needs an adventure) and often poverty (in which case "mercenary" is more apt than "volunteer&quot , and their vain sacrifice is in any case punishment enough, so don't read my blasphemy as a wish that the Savior die twice. Indeed, soldiers are no more guilty than those who earn deferments by worshipping them. But I won't honor their service as our banal nationalism commands. Let the master honor the servant, and point me to the memorial for those who died resisting them.

olddad56

(5,732 posts)
16. the war was an American atrocity, but the fact remains that the servicemen..
Mon May 30, 2016, 04:49 PM
May 2016

many of who were drafted, and most duped by the politics of the time, fought and died to serve their country.

I was a kid who joined the Navy right out of high school because I didn't want to be drafted into the Army. In those days there was a term called 'your military obligation', those were very patriotic and proud times. We joined to serve because our parents served in WW2 and and we felt we had a duty to honor our military obligation. For many or most, it wasn't until we came home that we realized that we had been brainwashed.

Our efforts were real and genuine. To disgrace the memory of anyone who died believing they were defending their country deserved to be honored for their sacrifice.

If you don't believe people can be brainwashed, consider what is taking place right now in America as Donald Drum pf is gaining popularity every day.

Redness

(18 posts)
19. Honor the Brainwashed?
Mon May 30, 2016, 08:43 PM
May 2016

I believe people can be brainwashed, I just don't think they should be honored for it. Pitied, perhaps, but not honored. Rank-and-file Jehovah's Witnesses think they're rescuing us from eternal hellfire to eternal bliss, a bigger imaginary favor than even the brainwashed soldier's, and sacrifice much of their life to that effort, often stoically tolerating rude reactions on the part of their ungrateful audiences. Should we honor Jehovah's Witnesses? Would we honor them even if they added suicide to their repertoire? Or, as a white man, am I to honor the Charleston killer for thinking he was serving the white race? I'd rather not encourage delusion by honoring it.

That is the fallacy, as I see it. You treat the brainwashing and the honoring as if they're distinct, the brainwashing coming before the soldiering and the honoring after. No, the honoring is part of the brainwashing. One of the ways you remember your own motives, for example, is that your service honored your parents'. They blindly joined, and you honored them by blindly joining. In return, you yourself are honored, most profusely on days like Memorial Day but also whenever else you don your uniform or your cap. The next generation, jealous of that honor, follows in your footsteps.

As for your personal story, it's a bit confusing. Did you join the Navy selfishly, because thought you'd be safer there than in the branch you'd otherwise be compelled to join; or altruistically, in order to defend your country? If the latter, which altruism I'm supposed to honor, why did you think you'd be a more effective defender in the Navy than in the Army?

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