October 17, 2011 06:02 PM
Sgt. Shamar Thomas Discusses His Experience Confronting the NYPD in Times Square
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Countdown's Keith Olbermann talked to former Marine Sgt. Shamar Thomas about his experience confronting the police in Times Square during the #OWS protests where he defended the occupiers right to assemble and march peacefully.
Thomas explained he became inspired to get more involved in the protests after seeing some of the police brutality during the first week in October.
How come this post isn't on the front page before Squirrel Head and Squirrel Brain talking birther bullshit?
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
I particularly like that he had a chance to say that in Iraqi riots, even when the protestors were throwing rocks, US soldiers didn't lay beatings on the crowds. That the cops here are acting as if it's a battle, and it's no battle.
me-oww!
Actually, that raises the hair on my skin, it's such a perfect reprimand. The police did indeed look uncomfortable, perhaps understanding that these people on the sidewalk were supporting their rights, too, and all they were doing was chanting. The police should be there to protect the protest, not to beat the protesters.
Hopefully most of the guys and gals serving overseas have attitudes like his.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
I watched the reactions of the police officers on the street in that video. All but two of them, one a White Shirt of course, looked as if they felt ashamed. I was heartened to see that, actually.
I'm quite proud of Mr. Thomas. He would make a fine president!
Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit atrocities.
I'd be more heartened to see some of them refuse to carry out illegal orders.
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
It looked to me that the police were reluctant to 'face off' with him because he's enormous, but once they started hearing what he was saying, I think there was a definite sense of shame as well.
I'd also like to point out that it says something about this man's character that he realizes that his sense of honor as an American doesn't end when he leaves the battlefield.
What a great guy.
More like this, please.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
Just wow!
the militarization of the police, specifically - in this case, NYPD.
Remember Dragnet (old TV show)? Compare with today.
far left loon >.<
Only today Barney Fife is in charge with the associated consequences.....
Excitable, fearful, bigoted and abusive - with Sheriff Taylor he functioned, without competent leadership he was perceived as a buffoon and a bully - without respect or honor.
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it's true, US troops don't beat protesters in Iraq, they just fucking shoot them.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-18523...
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0429-...
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/29/internation...
US soldiers burn Quran then have fun shooting live rounds at reacting prisoners
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8Q3dOWomVI
may as well mention the mercs
U.S. Mercenaries Kill 9 Iraqi Civilians
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/arti...
it simply amazes me how easily the supposed left falls into the jingoistic "defending our freedom" meme put out by the corporate media.
now, i was treated nothing but fairly by the GI's i served with, any one of them is a better man than me, but every soldier is responsible for his own actions, this was established at Nuremberg; nor do i care one little bit whether or not korans get burned, or bibles, or torahs, put them all in a big pile and let's have a barbecue. what i do care about is the careless way the subject of life and death is discussed.
we never had the courtesy to declare war in iraq, if we had? things might be different.
We're all aware that US soldiers shoot and kill Iraqis w/o reason.
me-oww!
after 100 years of misuse of the US military, at what point do we say enough is enough? if we had stayed out of the first world war, would there have been a second?
but i digress, we have seen conflict after conflict, undeclared wars. i know people damaged beyond repair from my generations war, i do have the greatest respect for their sacrifice, but i have seen this for 50 years now, since as long as i can remember, so i have a question.
how much does singling out a soldier's point of view feed into the whole military ethos and mind-set? how much subtle indoctrination of the public is going on here?
yes, this is a good looking guy, fairly articulate, but how does respecting his opinion more than others differ from respecting petraeus? at what point are members of the military responsible for executing the policy of our country?
it is from reading posters on this very same blog that i have come to question some of my assumptions. i remember Chicago and the trial of the seven, i have no illusions about the mind-set of the police, their mmpi most closely resembles that of convicted criminals, they are attracted to power and have aggressive personalities. i have been in the hands of the police, they don't care, very self-righteous.
how much does singling out vets feed into the very ethos that feeds empire?
so good for this guy, telling off the police, really, good for him.
since he truly believes he is fighting for the right of his countrymen to speak freely, when it's pretty obvious to me that freedom of speech was not the root of many, if any, of the conflicts this country has gotten into. I'm glad to see a guy they'd call 'theirs' speaking out against this. These assholes worship soldiers and uniforms so much, I have hope that if they follow chicken hawks like Drugbo, they'll be dazzled by a real fighting man who tells them to 'listen up, the protesters are right, because I fought for them to do it.' And since cops buy that line, they believe what he has to say. He has the power to change their minds.
me-oww!
The point is that cops, their bad training and poor leadership are abusing citizens who are using one of the last options to present a message to the leaders of a government they elected. The option to protesting is to revolt.....
The wars were unnecessary the product of bad Republican policies and poor judgment.
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This is about a Marine standing up for the Peaceful Protesters and making the Cowards that they are.
It's my opinion that a large percentage of Cops are Thugs in a Uniform.
I think they are completely overwhelmed by their own little smug Authoritarian posturing. They act like a Gang of mindless cutthroat sociopathic xenophobes… (I guess that's redundant). Most of them never went through Boot Camp or had to defend this Country on some Foreign Land, but they get to play with Military Weapons and beat up people and shoot them.
~albabe (The Writer/Artist Formally Known As Al Gordon)
http://www.comicon.com/gordon/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gordon
I'll bet if that piece of shit bitch Tony Baloney would have been there he would have maced Sgt. Thomas as long as all the other cops had their guns drawn. He would have shown him.
In response to Miss-Kitty above (respectfully) SGT Thomas served in Fallujah, the blood bath of the Iraq war!
I agree with derekthered above, the hypocrisy of Keith Olbermann's interview and the comments above stink to high heaven! Liberals are better than this?
where ever it was, we have no right being there, I hope he and other vets keep stand up and saying stuff like this. The people who need to hear it respect military people.
me-oww!
SGT Thomas was lying through his teeth; Iraqis are killed by US Soldiers for sport with very little concern for their humanity.
Please point out what Mr. Thomas said which was false. Demonstrate with some proof please
that it was false.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
You should be ashamed of saying such nonsense, yes, there have been isolated incidents as you describe but to accuse all US service men and women doing so is ridiculous and shows you have very little regard for the truth. You should be thanking the Sgt. for his service and shutting your pie hole.
And I'm a "liberal" can't imagine what the war hawks think of your comment, but that was the point, huh? you shocked! wow.
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I say Kudos!
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Lately it would seem that people claiming to be "liberals" take great pleasure in worshiping at the alter of the "cult of the military" (something Jefferson warned against).
"You should be thanking the Sgt. for his service and shutting your pie hole."
Have you lost your "weak" little mind?
I once saw a bumper sticker that said, "Like your freedom, thank a Vet". First of all I would never thank SGT. Thomas for his service: he servers BP and EXXON Mobile! Killing those people in the Middle East has nothing to do with my freedom or safety; as a mater of fact, their actions make us less safe!
The mission is as follows:
1.) Take the oil fields.
2.) Place a Business friendly puppet government or Dictator in charge.
3.) Hand around long enough to guard the loot (oil) for BP and EXXON whil US tax payers pickup the tab.
The sad part of all this is that so-called pro-war liberals like yourself are suckered into footing the bill for the oil companies and BP and EXXON won't even cut America a special for the dammed oil ; they sell it on the global market to the highest bidder! So, thank him for his service, "have you lost you mind!"
The military remains a method to improve an individuals life, get out of bad life situations, obtain an education and discipline. There is risk, but also benefits....
As a citizen one should focus on the jerks that misused the tool, the military. Focus on the chicken hawks / blood profiteers who saw an opportunity to bully their way into war profits. Blame can also go to those that looked the other way, a problem endemic to this society.
The oil companies had their buddies, that they infected our government with, into using taxpayer assets to stand up puppet governments and leverage the societies. What better way to get more profit than to have someone else do the heavy lifting. Of course those corporations supporting the military industrial complex hopped on the band wagon...
Do not blame the warrior who hoped to do some good, that is like blaming a homeless person for the state of our economy.
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You got to be kidding me! Yes, I agree with all you have named above as being guilty as sin; but to let the ones who pull the trigger and take the lives off Scott free is BS to "Nth" degree!
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