Man Rips Name Of Son From Anti-War Display
Mind you, this post is up EXACTLY as it was printed in the Army Times….
Doesn’t sound like he ripped it off at all.
I have to say I am very happy at the outcome of this entire attempt to politicize fallen troops…
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jun 3, 2008 9:39:46 EDT
CORNISH, N.H. — The father of a fallen New Hampshire soldier says a peace group in Cornish disrespected his son’s memory by using his name in a display.
The group Cornish Women for Peace labeled about two dozen pairs of boots with the names of soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then displayed them in town. One of the boots bore the name of 22-year-old Justin Rollins, who was killed in Iraq last year.
The group said it was honoring the soldiers’ memory and trying to get people to think about their loss. But Rollins’ father, Skip, says the boots were a disgrace.
“I’ve been stressed out for a week, not sleeping at night, knowing the names are on the boots, disrespecting these kids,” Rollins said. “This is not about politics; this is about respect. I believe everyone has the right to demonstrate and protest, but they have no right to use our son’s name on their anti-war display.”
During the past two weeks, the collection of more than a dozen pairs of boots has been displayed in the Cornish town offices as part of a nationwide awareness project dubbed “Eyes Wide Open.” For their last day in town, Cornish Women for Peace planned to display the boots at the annual Memorial ceremony, but did not, after Skip Rollins spoke up.
Rollins said that in the past few days he had been contacted by families of six other fallen New Hampshire soldiers who objected to the boots display.
Selectmen in Cornish asked the group to drop their protest plans.
“Our intent was to honor those who died in conflict,” Selectboard Chairman John Hammond said. “It was not a political statement. We don’t want Memorial Day to become a political issue. There’s always controversy in war, and we didn’t feel it was appropriate to create a controversy here.”
Cornish Women for Peace, composed of about 10 area residents, agreed to shelve the display out of respect for Rollins, group member Ginny Wood said.
After the ceremony, state Rep. Carla Skinder brought Rollins to the boots, which were stored in her car. He removed the labels that bore the names of his son and six other New Hampshire soldiers whose families he had spoken with.
Skinder, who backed the bill to name a bridge for Rollins and spoke at the dedication ceremony earlier in the week, agreed the boots should not have been displayed, out of deference to the Rollins family.
“If someone who newly lost their son finds it offensive, that’s their right,” Skinder said. “We have to respect that. People have a right to demonstrate, but sometimes there’s a time and place for everything and if something causes so much hurt, sometimes we say no.”
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
Nobody has a right to those names but the families.
As much as I disagree with Cindy Sheehan (and I doubt Casey would agree with what his mother has doen in his name and memory … and her own glory) she has the right to his name.
These ass-backward antiwar groups are NOT thinking about the fallen, or their wounded families …
They only think of the shock value provided to their agenda.
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:02 pmAgreed. Shameless bastards.
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:04 pmDamn. I’m from NH. But I don’t even know where Cornish is. Never heard of it.
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:11 pmHahahaha T Bagg. Im from Derry and I’ve never heard of Cornish! This is a good example of someone who can air their anti war opinion without disrespect. The group found out that family members of fallen soldiers were offended, so they changed the display. That’s cool with me.
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:49 pmJust show the boots, but not the names.
June 4th, 2008 at 2:18 amI have a Son who just got back from Iraq and thank God he come back in one piece! But God forbid if my Son was killed and some stupid corrupt Anti War group did something like what happen in this article I would have done more then took there stupid display down! That all I got to say about it!
June 4th, 2008 at 4:17 amLet the protestors go over and get killed, and then someone can use their names in a display that does not honor the ultimate sacrifice of our MILITARY HEROES.
June 4th, 2008 at 6:23 amI wish a speedy trip to the front for all of our shithead protestors.
If you choose not to sincerely stand behind our troops feel free to stand in front of them!!!
Semper Fi!
June 4th, 2008 at 7:32 amI am glad the wrong-minded “protesters” at least did the right thing and saw the error of their ways. Poor man, being tormented by these people.
June 4th, 2008 at 8:06 am