The Sad Tale of Sergeant Chad Drake

[Guest Cerebus]

Link:

 

Vigil Turns Hostile Toward Family Of Killed Soldier

 

POSTED: 5:48 pm CDT September 9, 2004

UPDATED: 6:47 pm CDT September 9, 2004

 

DALLAS -- A candlelight vigil took place Wednesday night to remember U.S. war dead in Iraq during the week of the 1,000th casualty. One North Texas family, whose relative -- Chad Drake -- was killed outside Baghdad Monday, was among the mourners at Dallas City Hall Plaza.

 

The vigil, though, turned abrasive toward the family members, according to a family friend. The friend sent an e-mail message to NBC 5 News that described the treatment some vigil attendees directed at the family.

 

Drake's mother was "harassed and yelled at, booed and hissed, told her son died for nothing," the message read.

 

Drake's mother reportedly left the event in tears.

 

The family attended the vigil because they thought it was meant to honor U.S. casualties. The event was organized by the Dallas Peace Center, which opposes the war.

 

The Drake family was upset about the antiwar tenor of the assembled crowd. The director of the Dallas Peace Center said the event was not intended to be an antiwar rally, but said e-mail notifications of the vigil were sent to a broad audience. Because the venue is a public place, he said, a variety of people with various views on the war in Iraq attended.

 

He also said the event was planned to include political overtones, but the Drake family should have been informed.

 

The center, however, did issue an apology to the Drake family.

 

"I want to be clear in issuing an apology to the mother of the recent victim of that war," Lon Burnam, of the Dallas Peace Center, said. "I can certainly understand why she would not feel comfortable in that particular venue with that particular group of people."

 

Peace Center officials said they believe the Drake family left before the scheduled events started, and the family might not have seen the planned ceremony.

 

Drake's sister told NBC 5 News that the family thought some of the crowd was hostile, so the family departed the vigil.

 

Note right now, I'm not posting this to "prove" lefties are this or that or to make a political point. The suffering of Sgt. Drake's family is beyond such stupid comments.

 

The reason I'm posting this is to remind you that everytime you walk outside to protest this or that conceringing war, remember it affects people. A lot.

 

But its rarely the people you want affected (the "inside the beltway" people). Instead you're usually affecting the men and women of our armed forces. I'm not going to speak for all servicemen and women (I can't and I won't pretend I can) but remember, everytime you say that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines died for nothing or that there are always "casualties of war," remember you're talking about people you went to high school with, saw in the mall, the grocery store, maybe even got drunk with at a bar.

 

With that said, I'm going to let you guys rip into me and into each other.

[Highland 0]

Drake's mother was "harassed and yelled at, booed and hissed, told her son died for nothing," the message read.

 

Tasteless.

[Slayer 0]

Boo!

 

Those servicemen died for our right to boo the families of servicemen!

 

Boo!

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Note right now, I'm not posting this to "prove" lefties are this or that or to make a political point. The suffering of Sgt. Drake's family is beyond such stupid comments.

 

The reason I'm posting this is to remind you that everytime you walk outside to protest this or that conceringing war, remember it affects people. A lot.

 

But its rarely the people you want affected (the "inside the beltway" people). Instead you're usually affecting the men and women of our armed forces. I'm not going to speak for all servicemen and women (I can't and I won't pretend I can) but remember, everytime you say that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines died for nothing or that there are always "casualties of war," remember you're talking about people you went to high school with, saw in the mall, the grocery store, maybe even got drunk with at a bar.

Stirring up shit at a vigil is a bad idea, but I fear you're making a vast overgeneralization. I know you say you're not posting it to prove anything about the left or for political purpose, but it does come off that way. It reads like you're saying that protest is not worthwhile because its hurts feelings of people like Drake's relatives.

 

This probably ignores the nuances of your own opinion about protest and about the war, but this is one of those stories that, when the media reacts to it and the talking heads analyze it, comes dangerously close to that vile suggestion of "you're with us or you're with the terrorists." So while I certainly agree on a personal level that making a scene at a vigil isn't right, the "remember that it affects people" assertion strikes a bad chord with me - it can get taken in a lot of wrong directions. The point of protest or any expression of a political view is exactly that - to affect people. It doesn't always work and sometimes it's retarded, but more often than not it's a healthy part of the political discourse.

 

The only persons I would blame here are the individuals who allegedly taunted the family directly. Issuing even the simple apology was a classy thing to do.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

GIT OFF MY LAWN!

 

And take yer' dead soldiers with 'ya!

[Dr. Tom 0]

This probably ignores the nuances of your own opinion about protest and about the war, but this is one of those stories that, when the media reacts to it and the talking heads analyze it, comes dangerously close to that vile suggestion of "you're with us or you're with the terrorists."

No, it's not about that. It's about having some basic human decency when people are mourning for a fallen loved one. Regardless of someone's political views or their opinion of the happenings in Iraq, taunting the mother and family of a dead soldier is beyond the pale, and well beyond tasteless and classless.

[Guest Cerebus]

The point of protest or any expression of a political view is exactly that - to affect people. It doesn't always work and sometimes it's retarded, but more often than not it's a healthy part of the political discourse.

 

They want to affect the people in power. But the people in power could give two shits about what these Che wannabee assholes say.

 

It does affect the soldiers. Negatively.

 

Be against the war. But if you're going to claim you're "for the troops" then support their mission. Say all you want about how Bush needed to build a better coalition, improve intelligence, change the way we fight the war, (God knows I've said those things on this board) but if you're going to be "for the troops" don't claim you want them home before the mission is done. You're just being a hypocrite then.

[2GOLD 0]

If you feel the place to voice your displeasure is at a candlelight vigil, then you be an asshole. You want to do that "died for nothing" crap, you should do it at an event you organized and not be saying it with a group of people who are in mourning. Some of them feel their sons and daughters did something right and died for a just cause.

 

Does that make them wrong?

[Guest Shoes Head]

I just don't understand the point of these 30+ reply threads where everyone just states the obvious.

[2GOLD 0]

I just don't understand the point of these 30+ reply threads where everyone just states the obvious.

 

Because we all know eventually someone will come in and say something stupid. Not you, just making the statement that someone will.

 

They always do.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I just don't understand the point of these 30+ reply threads where everyone just states the obvious.

Because they're fun, hippie...

[Styles 0]

I just don't understand the point of  these 30+ reply threads where everyone just states the obvious.

 

Because we all know eventually someone will come in and say something stupid. Not you, just making the statement that someone will.

 

They always do.

slaps a $20 down for INXS

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Be against the war. But if you're going to claim you're "for the troops" then support their mission.  Say all you want about how Bush needed to build a better coalition, improve intelligence, change the way we fight the war, (God knows I've said those things on this board) but if you're going to be "for the troops" don't claim you want them home before the mission is done. You're just being a hypocrite then.

Now hold on. There's a difference between think we're doing the wrong thing (IOW, against the mission) and saying you enjoy seeing your soldiers get KIA.

[Guest Cerebus]

Be against the war. But if you're going to claim you're "for the troops" then support their mission.  Say all you want about how Bush needed to build a better coalition, improve intelligence, change the way we fight the war, (God knows I've said those things on this board) but if you're going to be "for the troops" don't claim you want them home before the mission is done. You're just being a hypocrite then.

Now hold on. There's a difference between think we're doing the wrong thing (IOW, against the mission) and saying you enjoy seeing your soldiers get KIA.

Claim all you want that the war in Iraq was the "Wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time" but don't pretend like you care about the troops if you do.

 

As Greyhawk said:

 

"Thanks - I'll keep that in mind on the flight over."

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I'll just repeat myself using different phrases, I guess. Maybe it'll reach you somehow:

 

I don't want to see anyone get killed. If we had it my way we'd have 0 casualties. Doesn't mean I think every use of military force is the proper occasion.

[Guest Shoes Head]

I just don't understand the point of  these 30+ reply threads where everyone just states the obvious.

 

Because we all know eventually someone will come in and say something stupid. Not you, just making the statement that someone will.

 

They always do.

Good enough reason. Let me fall in line now as to avoid being the stupid one.

 

How disgusting. I don't know why someone would do something like that. What kind of world do we live in nowadays? No respect.

[Spicy McHaggis 0]

I'll just repeat myself using different phrases, I guess. Maybe it'll reach you somehow:

 

I don't want to see anyone get killed. If we had it my way we'd have 0 casualties. Doesn't mean I think every use of military force is the proper occasion.

Unfortunately there ARE people that have hoped for the 1000 death count and rising unemployment because it suits their politics.

[Vyce 0]

I'll just repeat myself using different phrases, I guess. Maybe it'll reach you somehow:

 

I don't want to see anyone get killed. If we had it my way we'd have 0 casualties. Doesn't mean I think every use of military force is the proper occasion.

Unfortunately there ARE people that have hoped for the 1000 death count and rising unemployment because it suits their politics.

[Guest Shoes Head]

^ And just WHAT does Burt REYNOLDS have anything to do with this??!

[Guest SP-1]

What kind of beard is that? That thing is atrocious and an affront to beard-wearers everywhere. Ugh.

 

By the way: protestors at vigils, funerals, or public ceremonies honoring fallen soldiers are stupid.

[EricMM 0]

Cerebus you're looney,

 

If we feel that the Iraq war is wrong, then we'd definitely want the troops home RIGHT NOW, so they could not get shot up.

 

Dar.

 

And that IS supporting the troops, not necessarily as "troops" but as "people."

[Guest BDC]

By insulting a woman that just lost her son?

 

You stand there and while you don't agree with why he died, you tell his mother that his death was worthless and you boo and hiss her?

 

WHAT THE FUCK?!