Press Release: Veteran and Military Spouse Dragged from Rumsfeld Book Signing

[kpete]

Press Release: Veteran and Military Spouse Dragged from Rumsfeld Book Signing
By JOSEPH | Published: AUGUST 27, 2011 |

“All I could do was just really be happy at that moment that I got to tell Donald to his face that he was a liar,” she said in an interview this evening, “and put a face to a soldier that because of him is no longer alive.”

Read more: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/military/2011/08/27/rangers-widow-ejected-from-rumsfeld-book-signing/#ixzz1WL5jSU3U



Today, military spouse Ashley Joppa-Hagemann and anti-war veteran Jorge Gonzalez went on Joint Base Lewis-McChord to meet with Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld, most infamous for his part in leading the United States into the bloody wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was at JBLM to promote his New York Times bestselling book Known and Unknown: A Memoir.

Mrs. Joppa-Hagemann introduced herself by handing a copy of her husband’s funeral program to Rumsfeld, and telling him that her husband had joined the military because he believed the lies told by Rumsfeld during his tenure with the Bush Administration. She then recounted her husband’s painful story of eight deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, his battle with PTSD, and eventual suicide, for which she blamed the military and Rumsfeld himself whose only response was to callously quip, “Oh yeah, I heard about that.” Despite the reply, Mrs. Joppa-Hagemann continued to lay the blame directly at the feet of Rumsfeld and the military for not providing enough care for soldiers and veterans returning from deployments in combat zones. However, within moments Ashley and Jorge were dragged from the Post Exchange by a group of 5-6 security agents and military police officers, and told not to return.

Former Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld’s uncaring response is demonstrative of the attitude taken by many at the top-levels of the U.S. government. While they seize any opportunity to participate at a photo-op in front of expensive new barracks facilities or publicly praise the sacrifice of service members, they rarely take even a moment to honestly listen to those whose lives are overturned by their failed policies and poor planning. If politicians and top-level officials truly care about Joint Base Lewis-McChord and other military communities they’ll begin to listen to the folks—like Ashley Joppa-Hagemann—who are most affected by the negative consequences of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/military/2011/08/27/rangers-widow-ejected-from-rumsfeld-book-signing/
http://www.coffeestrong.org/press-release-veteran-and-military-spouse-dragged-from-rumsfeld-book-signing/

[coalition_unwilling]

1. By the same logic by which Goring was held for future War Crimes

trials at Nuremburg, Rumsfeld should be facing war crimes charges of his own. The fact that Rumsfeld and other Bush Junta mucky-mucks face no consequences whatsoever to their sociopathy explains why I've pretty much given up on America as what Lincoln referred to as the 'last, best hope' and now think of her as simply one more failed republican (emphasis on lower-case 'r') experiment.

[Plucketeer]

3. Yeah - Rumsfeld and his CONspirators walk free

while federal agents shut down the Gibson guitar factory in a move to defend INDIAN export laws!!!! This country has become awash in it's own feces.

[coalition_unwilling]

13. I prefer Guild and Taylor acoustics personally, but the Gibson Les Paul electric series

and the L5 vintage jazz boxes are without peer in the industry.

[TxVietVet]

44. AGREE!

[placton]

16. say? who was it made that decision? to violate our laws

and not prosecute war criminals? can you say Obama?

[eilen]

43. I don't think Rumsfeld is still sending troops to Iraq

I think that is the job of the current guys in charge. No wonder there are no trials.

[bananas]

2. That's a great photo - IVAW.ORG - there's a 2.4MB 4000x3000 pixel image linked at the article

You can read the t-shirt clearly, it says "Iraq Veterans
Against the War * IVAW.ORG"
Here's the direct url:
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/military/files/2011/08/CIMG2013.jpg

[Pooka Fey]

4. K&R

[lunatica]

5. It took 5 or 6 security guards to drag two peaceful people out?

Lucky Rummy. Always prepared.

[xocet]

25. You go to the book signing with the security team that you have -- not the security team that you...

How hard is it to prosecute war criminals? Apparently, the rule of law is a lot harder to apply that what I would have thought.

I hope W says something so egregious tonight in his "interview" that most Americans start looking backwards at what has been done in our names.

[lonestarnot]

6. Red Rummy Red Rummy

[SusanaMontana41]

50. heh ...

:thumbsup:

[LiberalFighter]

7. Posts should not be used for civilian purposes

who was the scumbag that authorized his appearance?

[russspeakeasy]

17. That is an interesting question...I hope someone has an answer.

:argh:

[hack89]

26. Happens all the time - the exchange is like any other store

they bring in authors on book tours all the time.

[DissedByBush]

29. They have rules, this is acceptable

It was at a post exchange, basically a store. Authors show up all the time to promote their books.

I remember Dan Ackroyd went on tour of some bases supporting his Crystal Head brand of vodka.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. anyone know when Ft. Lewis was joined with Mchord?

My son was born at McChord in 68, when his dad was still in military, I have not been in that area for decades now, had no idea they combined the 2 bases, but it does make sense to have done so.
Now they will have to decontaminate it since Rummy has been there.

[sad sally]

24. Happened about two years ago.

[dixiegrrrrl]

35. Thank you.

:hi:

[pinboy3niner]

9. K&R

[JohnnyLib2]

10. Incredibly powerful move by 2 brave people.

Rec. with the hope of further publicizing this one.

[Solly Mack]

11. K&R

[southernyankeebelle]

12. The best thing family members and vets do is to not buy his book. Protest

peacefully outside the post he will be at. Why is he on a military base in the first place?

[democrank]

14. I must have misread this.

It can`t be true that the wife of a DEAD U.S. soldier deployed EIGHT times to Iraq and Afghanistan and an anti-war VETERAN were dragged from the Post Exchange by security agents and military police officers so war criminal Donald Rumsfeld`s life would be easier.

And why was war criminal Donald Rumsfeld selling his book on a military base?

USA! USA! USA! USA!

[bluestateboomer]

15. It's obvious he doesn't care about the lives he's affected.

His book should be titled, " How Me and My Friends Got Rich Giving the Military the Shaft". Kind of an unwieldy title, but you get the idea. Thank you Ashley and Jorge.

[James48]

18. Redrum Redrum Redrum

Donald will burn in hell in perpetuity for the war crimes he committed.

His intentions may have been good. But his execution was entirely irresponsible, and he deserves to be tried and convicted of the war crimes he committed.

[bertman]

36. There is no hell for him to burn in and he's living the high life right now. nt

[olegramps]

45. Unfortunately, there really isn't any hell except the one he created here on earth.

[SusanaMontana41]

51. You give him too much credit,

James. His intentions were selfish and evil.

Evil lives, and his names are Rumsfeld and Cheney.

[sulphurdunn]

19. I wonder what it costs

the American taxpayer to protect this reptile as it travels around hawking a book it most likely didn't even write?

[truth2power]

20. I think Rummy is a sick mofo who got off on watching

snuff films from abu Gahrib. Very sick, that guy.

I'm not surprised that he made that disgusting remark. Evil, soulless monster.

[truedelphi]

21. Our Democratic and progressively-elected Commander in Chief could remedy this

In one minute.

I mean, Rumsfeld is no longer in power, right?

The security agents and military officers who arrested this woman are under Mr Obama's purview right now.

[Brother Buzz]

22. Protesters are fungible.

You can have them here or there.

[a2liberal]

23. K&R (n/t)

[xocet]

27. K & R n/t

[Auntie Bush]

28. It sickens me to see him make money off the war he started.

I wonder how much he's donating to veterans and their families?
Never mind......

[Duval]

30. Why doesn't he go ahead and make himself

President of Sociopaths R Us? And invite his friends, Bush and Cheney. :mad: :puke: :argh:

[graywarrior]

34. !

:rofl:

[Firebrand Gary]

31. K&R

[Enthusiast]

32. Rumsfeld should be spending

the rest of his days behind bars.

[theaocp]

33. As an atheist, it offends me that the best I can hope for

is that there is a special place in Hell for Rumsfeld.

[bertman]

37. Eight deployments!!! Rumsfeld is a coward and a piece of shit. The two who

confronted him are courageous Americans.

This veteran salutes them both.

REC. nt

[rhett o rick]

38. He represents the sociopathic class. May he rot in hell. nm

[SusanaMontana41]

39. Mrs. Joppa-Hagemann is a hero. Rumsfeld is a sociopath. nt

[jonthebru]

40. Remember when Bush's books were moved by people to the fiction section?

This is worse Rumsfeld, Bush and Dick Cheny are all war criminals and his and Cheney's fantasy novels are an attempt to re-write history and revise the truth.

[Overseas]

49. Hope Cheney's book is moved too. Subsection: Horror.

[crikkett]

41. Eight emmeffing combat tours!

EIGHT?!?!

How did that happen?

[era veteran]

42. Good for them

I would like two copies of his book, one to shit on and the other to cover it up. Sort of like the Bush-Rumy method of politics.

[RaleighNCDUer]

48. And that is a good definition of a shit sandwich -

shit between two piles of shit.

[Aaria]

46. This is how these parasites rewrite history and make money.

They write their BS memoirs and then Right wing groups buy thousands and thousands of copies to give away. Still out to make a buck.

[BetsysGhost]

47. aww, he didn't mean it

She then recounted her husband’s painful story of eight deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, his battle with PTSD, and eventual suicide, for which she blamed the military and Rumsfeld himself whose only response was to callously quip, “Oh yeah, I heard about that.”

remember also how he didn't mean it when he said something about Flight 93 being shot down and that missile at the Pentagon?

Come on, give the War Criminal a break!