Read All About It!

--Fr. Veterans Today

Free press can, of course,
be good or bad, but,
most certainly without freedom,
the press will never be anything but bad
--Albert Camus

Put it before them briefly
so they will read it,
clearly so they will appreciate it,
picturesquely so they will remember it
and, above all,
accurately so they will be guided by its light.
--Joseph Pulitzer
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Ranger was quoted in the Columbia Journalism Review today in "Veteran Blogs Cover Occupy Wall Street". The writer, Alysia Santos, pegged him as being a bit mouthy -- writing opinionated posts -- but nonetheless, all went swimmingly.

More jarring is the news of the second veteran seriously injured by the Oakland police, Kayvan Sabeghi. Gordon Duff, Senior Editor at Veterans Today was also quoted in the piece and wrote on Friday night's attack (Army Ranger Attacked By Oakland Police):

"A former Army Ranger and owner of a local Oakland pub, Kayvan Sabeghi, 32, was attacked by a gang of armed police while walking near his home last night in Oakland. The decorated Iraq War veteran and former Army Ranger is thought to have been picked out by police because he “looked foreign.”

"Sabeghi, who suffered a life threatening ruptured spleen in the unprovoked, racially motivated hate crime, was then arrested for “resisting arrest” and denied medical care. Perhaps the police had made a mistake and the real crime was “walking home” and “resisting arrest” was a secondary charge.

"Sabeghi, though near death, was held without medical treatment for hours even after bail had been posted.

"Hours later, he was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he remains in Intensive Care.

"Though Sabeghi is a decorated war veteran, a group often singled out by police out of 'insecurity,' this attack also is a likely 'hate crime' as well, requiring a federal response."

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan has been called by some to resign. Will she reprimand the police for use of excessive force? What do you think the correct action should be?

One thing is certain: We sure do love us some veterans, save when they are exercising their First Amendment rights.