Gold Star Father Attacked by Chicken Hawks
By Mélida Arredondo
Carlos Arredondo, 47 year old father of two sons, arrived in the nation's capitol on Monday, 09/10/07 to share a memorial he has made to honor for his eldest son, Alex. Carlos has visited thirty of the United States with the traveling memorial to his son Alexander. Lcpl. Alexander S. Arredondo, USMC was killed on 08/25/04. He was 20 years and 20 days old. The memorial consists of a casket, poster- size photographs of Alex when he graduated from boot camp, before his second tour in Iraq, lying in state at his wake, and a photo of Alex with his younger brother Brian.
Saturday, September 15, 2007 consisted of first a rally, a march towards the capitol and then a die-in. Carlos pulled the memorial along the march route approaching the rotunda near the capitol building. Several of the marchers requested for him to speak about the memorial where a crowd gathered around him. After finishing, several people walked with Carlos as he pulled the memorial. Several pictures of Alex dressed in his blues were attached to the display.
As Carlos passed counter protesters, one man ripped a picture of Alex from the memorial. Carlos leaped on the man to retrieve the picture. It was at that point that approximately five others all began to attack Carlos by kicking him in the head, legs, stomach and back.
The Capitol police bicycle patrol then appeared to break up the fight. Several officers including a female officer were engaged in breaking up the fight and were able to stop any further injuries from occurring. Hannah Jones who was walking with Carlos was also assaulted.
A bystander named Ramesh witnessed the whole encounter and also retrieved the picture of Alex for Carlos. He was quite distressed at how he watched the men follow Carlos as he pulled the memorial, purposefully yelling epiphets and eventually taking Alex's photograph. Soon, an ambulance showed up as well as many concerned activists. The paramedics provided first aid to Carlos but he did not seek further medical attention. Carlos sustained bloody cuts on his shins. He also reported bruises all over his torso and head where he was kicked.
I will send updates on Carlos and his work in DC as I am able.
- Login or register to post comments
-
- Email this page
- Printer-friendly version
- Spotlight this page
www.VelvetRevolution.us
Attack on Gold Star father
Thank you. SO sorry this happened! My heart goes out to Carlos and his family. Some people -- the attackers -- are just heartless animals (no, animals are better), that's all.
Please tell Carlos we thank him for his sons' service to this country. May he be comforted by knowing how many people do care.
Carlos' service
Thank you Carlos for your service and for your memorial to your son who was senselessly killed by a war criminal, draft-dodging, chicken hawk president. We feel your pain and are grateful that you are not swallowing the Kool Aide that says your son died for our benefit. I do not thank your son for his service. I morn his death because he was used for greed and destruction. My heart goes out to you and I thank you for your good work. Perhaps your son will go on to save other dads' and moms' sons and daughters through your efforts.
Ignorant Bush boot lickers kick it up a notch
I saw Carlos' sobering memorial to his fallen son up close and personal at the March on the Pentagon in March of this year. The pro-war idiots had plenty to say then (juvenile as it all was), but I didn't witness anyone trying to damage the memorial.
Their desperation is showing. They're at least smart enough to know they represent an ever-dwindling minority in America. Their only hope now is to drag the rest of us into the gutter with them, creating as much violent distraction as they can, to take attention away from their clueless, naked emperor's mountain of crimes.
Fuck you assholes. We see you on the street and we know you're here, skimming these messages without posting, or cleverly disguising yourselves as nameless trolls, always seeking to steer the argument (often in the guise of legitimate discourse) away from the ugly details of Bushco's murderous Middle East rampage.
You want to burn in hell with him? Keep it up.
Video Commentary You'll Never See in the MSM:
johnperryonline.com
NOW PLAYING: Gonzo Update / Democratic Panhandling
AKLCS
pronounced ACK-Lucks
Adml. Fallon calls Gen. Petraeus an Ass Kissing Little Chicken Shit
Idea
I think American's who are against the GWOT, i.e., those who don't feel threatened by radical Islam, should sign a petition and then give it to AQ, which could be found in Pakistan, the PIs, Indonesia, the UK, Canada, Mexico, the US and I could go on. AQ could then use it as a hit list and those of us who support the GWOT will promise not to do anything.
Get a clue, you anonymous coward
No sane American is against fighting terrorism. But ANY sane American who also possesses even a minimum of objectivity and critical thinking skills can tell you that George W. Bush is NOT fighting terror.
He is CREATING it. INTENTIONALLY, with his criminal war mongering and the politics of fear and obfuscation that is standard practice for the soulless neocons that are holding our country hostage.
Let me ask you something, genius. If it is so well known where the terrorists are hiding ("AQ, which could be found in Pakistan, the PIs, Indonesia, the UK, Canada, Mexico, the US and I could go on."), what the hell is taking George so long to go get them and bring them to justice?
Would it be because "apprehending" the "terrorists" would neutralize Bushco's coveted fear factor and reveal their "GWOT" for the hopeless fraud that it really is?
Who needs the "threat" of "radical Islam" when we have the threat of the illegitimate, neoconservative war whores who have left our Constitution hanging by a thread and are systematically destroying everything that's great about our country?
The truth is that even with the exponential growth in the threat of terrorism that George W. Bush has willfully and intentionally fostered, you are FAR more likely to die in a car accident than be killed in a terrorist attack.
America did lose 3000 people in one day on 9/11 (for which, by the way, the world is STILL awaiting an actual independent criminal investigation, SIX YEARS LATER), but we lose over 40,000 people every year in traffic accidents.
Do yourself and your country a favor and stop hitting the snooze bar.
Video Commentary You'll Never See in the MSM:
johnperryonline.com
NOW PLAYING: Gonzo Update / Democratic Panhandling
GWOTERRORISTS, Cheney, HW and their puppy AQ
How convenient to render GWOTERRORISTS so innocuous when AQ did not even exist without HW's and Cheney's CIA/DOD Funding... and yes, they did install AQ in the countries you mention and, don't forget the WH itself, hosting ISI Chief on the morning of everyone's favorite False Flag. High Treason at its finest hour!
Morons like you, mr. anonymous, that stole all sanity from the post cold-war US Peace-Dividend are already being targeted by the sane among us. We're making our own GWOTTERRORIST List, and you fear-mongers will get your own day in the sunshine when the substance of your "ideas" can face you: It's already haunting your sleep, and you know it, your patsies, your scapegoats, your professionally cooked lies, your self-deception, and the blood on your hands... yes, we're making a list, checking it twice, and gonna find out who.
ixoxi
Female police officer
Why was important to say that one of the officer's was female?
Carlos has captured a lot of hearts
He is a dedicated Dad and a great man.
Re: The pro-war protester attack
Carlos,
If you are reading this, I just wanted to say that I hope you are ok and I very much look forward to protesting with you again. I met you at a previous protest and appreciate what you are doing.
Curt
I think they knew he would follow the 'ripoff' to their mob
i was walking with carlos when this happened (last name johns, not jones as above) and he had been taunted vilely by these so-called gathering of eagles. one of the head guys of goe was there and could have easily called off the beating, but didn't. i have recorded my story at http://williamscraig.com/WilliamsCraig/Brandon/ go down the right side to find and play it, about 7 minutes, i recorded on sunday while still fresh in my mind. there was another woman who tried to intervene over where he was lured by this act. they didn't want the photo, they wanted carlos, and they wanted him to abandon his memorial, as soon after he leapt into their trap, one came over and tried to wrest the flag from me. big tall guy against old hippie me....please listen to my story.
We Care
We honor you for your actions. We care.
18,000 Americans die every year for lack of health care
It may be a little difficult to reduce the number of deaths from car accidents, though we should be trying harder. But what of the 18,000 dead each year who couldn't afford healthcare that they needed? The money spent on the war in Iraq would have more than paid for their care. And the tens of thousands who die because of handguns? For those who say "people kill, not guns.." I would ask whether one person could kill several dozen in a few hours (remember VA?) with a knife or a bow and arrow. And are people aware that approximately 450,000 Americans die each year because of tobacco? Some of them don't even smoke, like the children who die in fires because someone in their apartment building fell asleep with a lit cigarette, which kept burning because of a chemical that the tobacco companies add. These deaths are easily preventable. If Bush truly cared about the sanctity of life he would attack these problems, not Iraq.
It was a set-up.
I was there. It was my mom who intervened to help Carlos. I was walking past him returning to my mom and friends after using the port-a-potties when he went after his picture. They lured him over to where they were all gathered and held him down and beat him. My mom and a friend happened to be sitting there, resting, while they waited for the rest of our group to pee. They were accosted just for sitting around near the thugs. Obviously they didn't want any witnesses from the peace side, but my mom wouldn't move. She's 60 and not in the best health and needed to rest. And she's stubborn and does what she wants to. LOL She took some pictures (all too blurry to see anything) then realized the man on the bottom wasn't fighting back, was being held down and needed help. She put her arm around him and tried to walk him out of it, but those thugs blocked her path, called her names and went back to kicking him. One of them pulled her out just to get a better aim at Carlos. I just kept yelling for the police. It seemed to take forever for them to show up and the fight pretty much subsided before they even got there. There were several of GOE thugs there accusing Carlos of starting it all and saying he was hurting them! And there weren't many peace activists around to set the story straight. My mom did give a statement to the police that they held him down to beat him, but the cops didn't arrest anyone. Their behavior disgusts me. I hope Carlos wasn't hurt too badly. My mom only had a bruise on her nose and I had a sore back from getting shoved around. I can't imagine how sore Carlos has been this last week.