Protester assaulted by mob of bush supporters

Bush arrival prompts heated exchange between protester, Bush fans

SUN STAFF REPORT
May 18, 2006, 12:14 pm

Heated words were exchanged at the Yuma County Fairgrounds this morning when a protester held up an anti-President Bush sign as the president was arriving in Yuma.

The sign held up by Yuma resident Ed Snook read: "Save America, Impeach Bush; 2,455 U.S. Dead Because You Misled."

Yuma police officer talks with Bush protester Ed Snook after incident. Sun Photo/Diana Suarez
People gathered in the fairgrounds parking lot, hoping to see Bush's arrival at Yuma International Airport aboard Air Force One, began heckling Snook as he walked along 32nd Street, sign in hand.

"Get rid of that sign," said one person.

Snook, responding to hecklers, said he had a right to walk along the street in protest.

One man eventually pulled the sign out of Snook's hand and destroyed it.

The exchange occurred moments after Air Force One landed. Bush exited the airplane, shook hands with local officials and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano and then joined a motorcade that took him to San Luis, Ariz., for a tour of the border.

Bush planned to tour the border to see the problem of illegal immigration first-hand.

http://sun.yumasun.com/artman/publish/articles/story_24303.php

:: THE ARMBANDS HAVE ARRIVED::

I have the armbands in stock now. They will be going out in the mail tomorrow and Friday.

They look REALLY fantastic. The letters are very clear and people will be able to read them from far away.

:: Army Recinds Enlistment of Autistic Teen ::

UPDATE!

Army rescinds enlistment of autistic teen
Military officials announced today that they will release an 18-year-old autistic man from his enlistment obligation.

Last month, Jared Guinther, diagnosed with autism at age 3, came home with papers showing that he not only had enlisted in the U.S. Army, but also had signed up for its most dangerous job: cavalry scout.

Guinther was scheduled to leave for basic training Aug. 16, but Army officials launched an investigation into potential recruiting violations after The Oregonian began reporting on his story last week.

Officials are examining whether recruiters at the U.S. Army Recruiting Station in Southeast Portland improperly concealed Jared's disability, which should have made him ineligible for service.

The investigation will continue, but Guinther will be released from his enlistment, said Gary Stauffer, a civilian spokesman for the Army recruiting battalion in Portland.

Jared's parents, Paul and Brenda Guinther, told the newspaper last week that they asked recruiting officials to review Jared's medical records before making a final decision on his enlistment.

The Guinthers said their offer was declined. They were not immediately available for comment today.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., wrote today to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld calling for "a full investigation" into Jared's case "and into military recruitment practices that have led to a record number of reported abuses and improprieties in the recruitment process."

Recruiters nationwide are under pressure to hit ambitious enlistment targets this year. Tracking by the Pentagon shows that complaints about recruiting improprieties are on pace to approach record highs set in 2003 and 2004.

Last year, the active Army and the Army Reserve each missed enlistment targets for the first time since 1999. This year, they have a combined recruiting goal of 105,500 soldiers.

The Portland recruiters under scrutiny, Sgt. Alejandro Velasco and Cpl. Ronan Ansley, will continue to work during the Army's investigation, which could take until the end of May to complete, Stauffer said.

-- Michelle Roberts

http://www.oregonlive.com/newslogs/oregoni..._05.html#139388

:: Help Jared - An Autistic 18 yr old that was recruited ::

An Army of one wrong recruit
The signing of a disabled Portland man despite warnings reflects problems nationally for military enlistment
Sunday, May 07, 2006
MICHELLE ROBERTS
The Oregonian

Jared Guinther is 18. Tall and lanky, he will graduate from Marshall High School in June. Girls think he's cute, until they try to talk to him and he stammers or just stands there -- silent.

Diagnosed with autism at age 3, Jared is polite but won't talk to people unless they address him first. It's hard for him to make friends. He lives in his own private world.

Jared didn't know there was a war raging in Iraq until his parents told him last fall -- shortly after a military recruiter stopped him outside a Southeast Portland strip mall and complimented him on his black Converse All Stars.

"When Jared first started talking about joining the Army, I thought, 'Well, that isn't going to happen,' " said Paul Guinther, Jared's father. "I told my wife not to worry about it. They're not going to take anybody in the service who's autistic."

But they did. Last month, Jared came home with papers showing that he not only had enlisted, but also had signed up for the Army's most dangerous job: cavalry scout. He is scheduled to leave for basic training Aug. 16.

http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news/1146882329307730.xml&coll=7

What you can do right now:

Write an email to:
Douglas Smith - US Army Recruiting Command National Spokesman
S.Douglas.Smith@usarec.army.mil
Make your subject line: Jared Guinther

He's moderately to severely autistic and is a possible danger to himself and to anyone he serves with. Write this email and try to include these three things:

1. That you want Jared Guinther to be released from any commitment to the U.S. military.
2. That he should receive the funds fraudulently promised him for signing that contract. $4,000 for education.
3. That disciplinary action be taken against Cpl. Ronald Ansley and Sgt. Alejandro Velasco in Portland Oregon for their disservice to a disabled young man still in high school, for their disservice to our country and for wasting taxpayer dollars.

:: US Marines not getting enough to eat in Iraq ::

Marines Go Hungry in Iraq
Michelle Pilecki

[Cpl. Nick Andoscia] told his mother that he and the men in his unit [the 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Marines] were all about 10 pounds lighter in their first few weeks in Iraq. They were pulling 22-hour patrol shifts. They were getting two meals a day and they were not meals to remember.

"He told me the two meals just weren't cutting it. He said the Iraqi food was usually better. They were going to the Iraqis and basically saying 'feed me.' "

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nellie-b/marines-go-hungry-in-iraq_b_20425.html

:: Every Party Needs a Pooper::

The murderer's reaction to the Colbert speech.

:: Have an extra dollar or 2? Buy an armband for someone::

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IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MESSAGE!!!

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Don't be afraid, it's ALL ABOUT THE MESSAGE! So email me today! I can help!

::Weekend Anti War Protest Round Up::

There were 2 major protests this weekend.

The first on Friday when high school and college students in Minneapolis walked out of the class rooms, marched to a recruiting station where several brave kids threw red paint on the building. Six kids were arrested for vandalism.


Then on Saturday hundreds of thousands marching in NYC for peace. Cindy Sheehan, Al Sharpton and Susan Sarandon were all in attendance. And amazingly there were NO arrests. We can always count on NYC to support PEACE!