More flag burning opinion from IVAW

| April 8, 2010
IVAW's Matthis Chiroux, Robyn Murray and MFSO's Elaine Brower burn the US flag "This is not my country!"

One Iraq Veterans Against the War member of whom I’ve never heard until today is Joyce Wagner. She’s one of those actual Iraq veterans whose number is dwindling at IVAW these days. She pens an opinion on the IVAW website today – probably the first hing I’ve seen written there with which I agree;

So when Matthis took an action, whether right or wrong, without considering this community it became incredibly offensive. As Matthis continues to boast his righteousness, even having the audacity to compare himself to Martin Luther King, it becomes more offensive.

Members from the Pittsburgh chapter composed a letter to the board of directors, which several other individual members signed onto in agreement. This letter was not asking for reprimand or punishment. It was simply asking for dialog, something that has thus been refused. We also suggested that if Matthis wants to perform renegade actions without care for the others in his community (including those who were present in DC on that same day who were performing their own action TOGETHER) he should voluntarily remove himself from the board in order to accomplish his own agenda, whatever that maybe.

At least some members of IVAW see the act for what it was – a selfish plea for attention.

Wagner writes that IVAW provides an opportunity for some members to express a unique shared viewpoint, But is that really the case these days, Joyce? The support that she claimed she got from IVAW membership has been co-opted by a far Left minority who only wants people in :Iraq veteran” T-shirts to prop up in front of their rallies. Matthis’ actions on March 20th prove this. He had no illusions that he was pissing on the more conservative, more “pro-America” membership of IVAW, but because he’s been able to twist the real message of IVAW, and bend the Board to his will with his idit antics, he knew that spinless Jose Vasquez and the other non-Iraq War veterans on the board would capitulate to him.

Now your choice is whether you want to remain with the sinking ship of the IVAW or whether you want to seek the camaraderie of REAL Iraq veterans, or whether you want to wallow in theatrics of the porcine Left. The Board has left you no choice, except confronting Matthis yourself, with their decision to let Matthis continue unabated and to embrace the profane message of Elaine Brower “This is what we think of this country”. As well as, Matthis’ “This is not my country”.

From this point forward, every IVAW T-shirt will be conflated with those messages of Matthis Chiroux and Elaine Brower.

Category: Antiwar crowd, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Phony soldiers, Usual Suspects

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Claymore

This is precisely what I meant in my post on the other thread, which apparently AS thinks is wrong. No matter my opinion of IVAW one way or the other, here’s a chapter that has a problem with them being associated with Matthis’ little stunt and they’re calling out their leadership on it. Now, here’s where it gets tricksey like hobbitses; if IVAW tells Joyce Wagner and her crew to go piss up a rope, are they prepared to bail? And if they don’t leave, doesn’t that essentially mean that for all their rage and fury, they’re objection to Matthis’ action is little more than posturing?

OldTrooper

I remember it like it was yesterday….no shit, there I wuz standing at the community park with all my brothers and sisters in our VSO and we wuz burnin da flag in protest because the Prez and his thugs were trying to make Combat Wounded Vets pay for their own follow up care like typical jackboot fascist thugs!!! We wuz screaming “this ain’t my country” as the flag burned on…………Oh, wait a tick, the VSO’s I belong to actually want the flag protected from this kind of thing. They actually help Vets and help in their communities. They have positive messages and have respect from communities for their efforts in improving the communities with which they live in. Instead of a bunch of rabble that belong to an org that is based on negativity and trashing their country.

I want the defenders of IVAW (you know who you are) to come on here and explain to me, again, why you should be considered a VSO???

Claymore

“So, you a Red Sox fan?”

“No…why would you want to lump me in with that bunch of leg humping window licking retards???”

“Uh…well, I suppose the Red Sox hat, the Red Sox bumper sticker, the Red Sox jersey and the ‘Go Sox’ foam finger on your hand sort of threw me.”

“Don’t judge me like that, you fascist!”

Lucky

Hey Claymore, watch it with the Bean Town stuff, ok? And its reversed, Yankees in that post, not Red Sox!!! It is time for the membersip of IVAW to either SHIT or get off the pot. Is there a way that legitimate Afghan Veterans can sue Matthis for slander or libel, by calling himself an Afghan Vet? Maybe get a cease and desist order or something? And Claymore, Selena was only asking if you were kidding in the previous thread, she wasn’t trying to attack your witty sense of humor 🙂

Frankly Opinionated

Over the years I have belonged to several organizations, of several types. They are all the same in that what one member does while “wearing the colors” of the organization, represents that group whether sanctioned or not. I have run others out of organizations for such shit, and have left organizations that support such shit.
This incident, above all others, shows the true colors of the IVAW, hence its members as well. Any member of IVAW who does not reject this type of activity is supporting it, if only in their silence. So, to me, any IVAW member who knows of this idiots actions and is still a member is endorsing this sorry assed coward.
By actions such as this, I can see that the IVAW membership is complicit in being un-American in their conduct.

Nuf Sed

NHSparky

Actually, Claymore and Lucky, BOTH groups are equally inbred ri-tards. Being the only person in six states not a fan of either team, you kind of get a bit of a different perspective. O/T, I’m still waiting for ONE IVAW member to actually renounce their membership in that organization over Mattis’ latest attempt at attention whoring.

Lucky

Sparky, that is almost Un American!!!!!! Lol, jk, as long as you aren’t a Cowboys fan, Man U fan, or Pittsburg fan of any kind, you are ok 😀 But yeah, Matthis has got to have broken some law sometime in the last year that he can be prosecuted for. I am frankly just tired of this guy breathing free oxygen and milking his drama queen antics, emphasis on the queen aspect. Really, somebody aught to call him out publicly on the Afghan Veteran thing, have him prove how six days inside the wire doing absolutely nothing but hanging out at Green Beans and Dairy Queen qualifies him to attach such a moniker to himself.

Robert Chiroux

silens es vindicatum consentio

Lucky

Exactly

Anonymous

Jonn, remind me – who exactly is Elaine Brower? Is she the woman whose son has re-upped two or three times despite her tirades? If so, if he is ignoring her, why shouldn’t I.

Also, please remember Mathis has become one of those “one name” people. There is no reason to continue to upset his father, who appears to have a moral compass, by continuing to use the asshats last name. There is nothing he can do about the fact that Mathis has a severe case of “look at me, provide for me, it is all about me” syndrome despite his best efforts.

Susan

I think I am going to hurl. I guess “look at me, provide for me, it is all about me” syndrome is contagious. (yep, that was me – damn browser error).

Carla

John, I went back and read your article from last year. Ms. Brower posted that “My son will post here soon and tell you all what he thinks.” I guess that never happened…..

Army Sergeant

Claymore: I think I was just saying I hoped you were kidding about Fox News broadcasting this nightmare. I’m not sure, it’s been a wretched week.

Claymore

I think I was just saying I hoped you were kidding about Fox News broadcasting this nightmare. I’m not sure, it’s been a wretched week.

Roger that. And yeah, they did. It was on O’Reilly but I admit that I didn’t watch it. Supper was waiting. 🙂

Claymore

I think I was just saying I hoped you were kidding about Fox News broadcasting this nightmare. I’m not sure, it’s been a wretched week.

Roger. Sorry about that. Yeah, they ran a segment on this on O’Reilly Wed night.

Casey J Porter

Claymore, do you have a link to the Fox News thing?

Jonn Lilyea

I’ve been looking for a link all morning and haven’t found one.

Claymore

I scoured both O’Reilly’s site and Laura’s site to no avail. I also looked on YouTube for video and I did a general search on Google/Yahoo/etc. Nothing. I called TSO when I saw her drop a teaser for the segment, but I have no idea of he recorded or watched it.

Robert Chiroux

In case you don’t have it already: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OTL9ihKSfk

Debra

Why have Bernie Goldberg on to discuss the flagburning? I don’t see the point of that. What does he know about it?

Claymore

From what I remember, he was there to discuss the difference in the way the media reported on Matthis’ flag burning versus the way they report on the Tea Party protests.

Debra

I don’t see the importance of discussing that angle. The media doesn’t provide good coverage of either the left or the right and both the left and the right complain about it.

Anonymous

Lucky, you want to get rid of the vile bastard, then just find out where he lives by following the smell of pot to the doorstep. I’m sure he’s stashing a lot more besides that.

Lucky

I just am of the opinion that some quality time in jail with Bubba would do that Child some good. I say child, because there is no way in hades that he is a grown assed man, he is surly not acting like it!

Casey J Porter

Amen, Debra.

Claymore

I don’t recall offering an opinion on the subject, I simply reported that was the topic of the segment. I would, however, challenge you to scare up anyone beyond Fox who even gave Matthis’ little tantrum more than a wink and a shrug.

Debra

And Lucky, some rule of law would be a nice thing for you. The US Constitution, for example. How ’bout following that? The First Amendment protects freedom of speech. If you want to have a private discussion with Matthis about his activities, that is entirely up to you, but leave the government out of it.

amazing stuff here

Why does racial slurs from members of the Tea Party get labeled as “hate from the right” and Flag Burning from a so-called anti-war activist get labeled as “hate from the left” by the media? Neither are representatives of the left or the right. When you buy into these wanna-be journalists such as Maddow or Imgraham, Beck or Schultz, Matthews or O’Reilly then you allow yourself to be manipulated and catergorized. Flag burners and racists need not be put into left or right catergories but rather be labeled as Assholes!

Lucky

Lol, Debra I am a CJ student, in the future please refrain from attempting to lecture me about Constitutional Law. First Amendment rights cease with Sedition and Treason. What Matthis is doing is Sedition. Plain and simple. I am simply saying that Matthis needs some quality time at Marion Federal Penitentiary to think about his actions.

Debra

LOL, Lucky, I am a CJ student, too, as well as a former Army CID agent…which doesn’t mean jack shit – as I have aptly demonstrated here at TAH over and over again. So in the future, please refrain from attempting to think your opinion is of any greater importance or any better grounded simply because you’re a CJ student. For every CJ student who thinks he knows anything at all, there are hundreds of attorneys, judges, and politicians out there who have already been there, done that.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, please study a little harder, and I hope you will re-think the underpinnings of your political philosophy, which, as they currently stand – if they were to ever actually carry any weight – I would consider to be a grave threat to individual freedom and to our Republic.

Debra

LOL, Lucky, I am a CJ student, too, as well as a former Army CID agent…which doesn’t mean jack shit – as I have aptly demonstrated here at TAH over and over again. So in the future, please refrain from attempting to think your opinion is of any greater importance or any better grounded simply because you’re a CJ student. For every CJ student who thinks he knows anything at all, there are hundreds of attorneys, judges, and politicians out there who have already been there, done that.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, please study a little harder, and I hope you will re-think the underpinnings of your political philosophy, which, as they currently stand, if they were to ever actually carry any weight, I would consider to be a grave threat to individual freedom and to our Republic.

Debra

Sorry about the double-posting. I thought it didn’t take and sent it again.

Lucky

Lol, I know quite a few CID personnel who aren’t worth their weight in any substance myself. I was merely stating that I don’t need another lecture about Constitutional Law. I am gonna be the bigger Soldier here and say that I am not gonna post about this any more. I wasn’t threatening anything, nor infringing his induvidual rights, just saying that he should spend some more quality time in jail for previous misdeeds, and that he failed to gain any knowledge from his time as an Army NCO. Once again, CID freaking out over freedom of speech.

Debra

“Once again, CID freaking out over freedom of speech.”

I’ve never known of CID freaking out over freedom of speech? It was a long time ago that I served and I can assure you that I was always the weirdo among my colleagues (if that makes you feel any better), however, that was never one of the things I ever gave any thought to at that time, nor them I’m sure. Things are probably very different now, but I still wouldn’t think that would be of any concern to them. It’s primarily of concern to me because I am an American citizen who, unlike yourself, DOES still believe that Thomas Jefferson was a great man with the greatest political philosophy ever.