From The Iconoclast via Howie Martin’s blog:
SHOTS FIRED!
Camp Casey is becoming very organized, with how-to signs placed about …
Let me read you the schedule posted on a tree: “9:15 camp meeting; 10 a.m. inter-faith service, 10:30 a.m., “Food-Not-Bombs Breakfast at Peace House,” and….
“Wait! Someone is firing a gun. (pause). He fired it into the air about five times. He appears to be a local inside the fence line on private property. Now he has thrown what looks like a shotgun into the front seat of a pickup, and he’s stomping off out of sight. I wonder where he went.
“Now he’s coming back out. I’m out here standing on the road. He’s got a no parking sign in his hand, walking toward his fence. I’m going to go try to talk to him. I’ve got to hang up.”
(three minutes later)
I went over and talked to … Larry Mattlage, who says he is on his property and just posted a no-parking sign.
“We’re going to start doing our war and it’s going to be underneath the law,” he told me. “Whatever it takes. So y’all go find another place to do whatever you do. ‘Cause this is our front yard and back yard.”
I asked, “Do you mean the protestors?”
Wait…..now there’s some Secret Service and cops. I’m going to get closer to hear what they’re saying. People in bullet-proof vests are here now. Two Secret Service agents [walked] up his driveway towards his house, with Mr. Mattlage. A member of the Sheriff’s Department has arrived. Mr. Mattlage is waving his arms now. All of them are now walking back this way.
Now they are between the lane and the house. He’s at the fence now. Let me record what they are saying. …
To download tape of conversation between Deborah Mathews and Larry Mattlage click here. Right click, then save target as, then listen with your player. It is a .wav file.To download tape of conversation between the media … and Larry Mattlage click here. …
Holy Sh-T!
Whack job. He should be arrested. howie Martin just sent me that link … I haven’t listened to the audio yet / I’m downloading ALL the photos that Rick just sent me from Camp Casey, and it’s consuming all my computer memory.
He’s pissed, yealling about “war of the parta potties, and Bush has way more porta potties than you-all, and who do you think is gonna win…I’m a taxpayin’ citizen that wants my rights…I’ll be here all night, firing shots in Texas…If I have to, I’ll invite every redneck in Texas hee and we gonna really have a party…”
Should be arrested for making threats.
“Should be arrested for making threats.”
Perhaps. But I worry greatly that that would just rally others of his kind — turn it into a “citizen stands up for his rights and gets arrested for it while the gummint protects the so-called rights of hippie treasonous radicals” thing — and bring them out in numbers.
Can you imagine what a catastrophe it would be, on every level, if this turned into anything resembling an armed showdown between “law-abidin’ citizens” and the Secret Service & police?
Let’s hope they can talk him down.
The guy is definitely a loose cannon. Why doesn’t he just give his neighbor George a call to complain about what he’s done to the neighborhood? Oh, right, George doesn’t care! 🙂
The bit about inviting every redneck in Texas there to shoot things up with him was creepy.
Dove hunting is a big deal in Texas and he can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants on his land and be “underneath the law”.
On a lot of levels, I understand his frustration, I just think he is going about exprssing them in the entirely worng way. No one is actually iminging on his rights — unfortunately, the right not to be annoyed as fucking shit at your fellow citizens is not generally encoded in law.
Or maybe that is fortunately, we would ALL be in jail, on both sides of the issues, if it were.
😉
Hey, I guess it’s just a classic example of the differences between Texas and the Northeast. And what’s that saying about Austin not being in Texas so much as surrounded by it?
His shooting off his gun or my response? Not sure what you’re saying here….FWIW, I was born in New York….
His shooting off his gun, Brinn. No slight was intended whatsoever!
Dove season doesn’t open until Sept. 1st.
I listened to him. He said he was sympathetic to the group when they arrived… but now after 5 days… “if your brother-in-law visited you for 5 days wouldn’t it begin to stink?”
He’s frustrated… can’t get help from Sheriff’s Dept. or Secret Service… I think the portapotties… the increas in numbers, and what he sees as increasing even more over the weeks… is what’s bothering him. He’s land oriented… what’s to see the sky and nothing else…
I think he could be pacified… someone needs to talk to him about the portapotties… that’s his grievance. I don’t think he’s a threat, or that he was threatening… he feels powerless… (don’t we all!)
He is not opposed to Cindy or to her wish to see Bush. He simply doesn’t want the sewage to get smelly, that’s it…
Maybe they should invite him over for one of those scrumptious meals at the Peace House!
P.S. It was I who said whack job … was just going by the news story … but I can appreciate how he might get frustrated.
Still … it’s not a huge inconvenience … living near Bush must entail a lot of regular inconveniences.
Every time Bush or Cheney come to Seattle, they tie up traffic for HOURS! And then they make LOCAL law enforcement pay for all the extra manhours, etc.
75megs is about a 4 hour download for me. From what you’re saying, this guy sounds pretty agitated. I hope he calms down. Protest ruffled his feathers, did it? Living a few miles from Dear Leader he’s probably not used to such a kerfuffle near his front yard. (that’s for you, Susan);)
Actually, his biggest problem seems to be that he has experienced way too many “kerfuffles” and is just bloody sick of it. From what he was saying, it seemed to me that he just wanted EVERY one to go, Cindy’s people, Pro-Bush people, the press….
I’m sure the SS had a little chat with him about the boundaries that he could not cross, but the fact is that if he want to shoot off his gun on his ranch or invite 30 people to go dove hunting or shoot of a AK-47, as long as, as Cindy so aptly and sucintly pointed out: as long as all of the bullets stay on his land as well, he is fully within his rights.
Do I think this is a good idea? Hell no, but calling the man a whackjob or crazy seems a bit out of bounds to me.
I don’t think I called him a whack job or crazy. I don’t think I implied it and agree that would be counterproductive. I understand the mindset… we have rednecks in Pa. Whether hunting is legal on his land or not, last time I looked it is illegal to discharge a gun that’s pointed at another human being. I just hope he settles down before he hurts someone.
he did NOT point it at another human being….
And I apologize, whackjob and crazy were from other posters ont his thread. I didn’t mean to attribute those to you. And, of course, I don’t want anyone to get hurt, including Mr. Mattlage.
.
In breaking news diary “SHOTS FIRED NEAR CAMP CASEY”, I posted my comment in first 5 minutes.
The diary has completely changed content after the many updates, my #4 comment is now placed in perspective of all added info over Mr. Mattlage and has been downrated!
~~~
before everyone one goes nuts on this guy keep in mind that there may be more to his statements than meets the eye:
The sympathetic rancher?
Larry Mattlage
Great “flip side” to this story that TXsharon brings to the story.
I feel like I’m not getting through to people with what I’m saying in this thread!
and that is why we all work together as a collective brain to sort through so many issues… THE LEFT BLOGOSPHERE THINK TANK is the largest think tank on earth. (and, I hope, the most effective!) lol
🙂
At the gym just a short while ago. When I listened to the tape, I had this picture in my head of him standing there with his gun in hand. The audio seemed clearer on the TV too.
On the video, his demeanor makes it apparent that he’s just annoyed about the situation, nothing so creepy as I first thought. I correct my original take on this!!!!
Please forgive me!
Nothing to forgive, sweet lady, we are all on edge. It just pains my heart to see how beautifully these motherfuckers [‘scuse my language for those I might offend] have trained us to think the absolute worst of each other at all times.
We have to, have to, as Tracy said, empathize, even if we disagree, becuase if we are stuck fighting each other, we only free them up to ride bikes take naps and suck our souls dry so that they can profit. I cannot abide that, I just can’t.
Ha, colour me amused. My very right-wing father was watching this reporting on CNN earlier (before a family dinner – poor manners, in my view), and going on about what a good Republican this guy was and how someone should put a few bullets in “that bitch”. Turns out that the rancher may, in fact, agree with Cindy, but just wants people to stop disturbing his rural scenery.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Bush’s people had made it clear to his neighbours that any signs of dissent while he was cutting brush – Liberal opinions, for example – would result in land seizures.
See (listen to) also ihsan podcast for a spirited rally in San
Francisco in support Cindy Sheehan
— from someone on the ProgressiveTalk mailing list
One a them damm ‘outside agitators’ no doubt.
Shades of the 60’s,keep coming back to haunt us.
Nope. He lives there and has for quite a while.
Kidding,hon.
Cappin on the old ‘agent provacateur’riff from -errr Kent State?. But HEY- now it’s all about that valuable property in the middle of a dusty road in the outback of noplace, right?Right.
Sorry, shycat, I might be getting a bit testy, and I don’t mean to be. I just think that exaggerating this all out of proportion is not in anyone’s best interests — I mean the headline itself makes it sound like the man fired AT Camp Casey — he fired in the air, on his land.
I am not encouraging his behavior or defending his views, i am trying to do what Tracy did with her diary about the woman who owns the triangle — try to empathize with his side. He says in the interview SEVERAL times that he supports the right to protest and that when they first came down last week he was supportive. I don’t think, as I said before that anyone there is iminging on his rights and that is why he has been told be the SS, the Sheriff’s Dept. and the Crawford police that people cannot be removed.
A LOT of effort on both sides went into negotiating in a respectful manner with the local peace officers, and if a bunch of rednecks show up to cause trouble or actually break laws, they will be the ones taken away and locked up. All everyone at Camp Casey has to do is keep their cool, as they have done, and not take the bait.
yes, five weeks is a long time to have to deal with porta potties and things in trees and people milling about, but he will just have to deal. Forever is a long time to lose your child as well.
You should write to the Iconoclast and comment on their reporting … it sounded like it might be a problem from the news report.
They have the right to couch things however they want and they are sort of “on the spot” so if she was actually looking at a sign on a tree and heard shots, I can understand why she was alarmed. I guess I can write to the Iconoclast, but, I am thinking more about OUR role in disseminating information and commenting on it — do we really want to be seen as overreacting to this guy?
I know that,honey.We are all in tbis together, sisters and brothers,
“I know that” ??
The post that you’re responding to is rather lengthy, so I’m not sure what you mean.
Think I was agreeing that things tend to get a little testy in 100 degree heat.:)
I hope no one gets hurt! This guy sound truly crazy.
I hope that someone gets to him and tell him what is what…..yes, it could get very dangerous. he does sound like a lunatic…but he better make damn well sure when he does shoot someone he has the guts to stand trial….he will get the book thrown at him in that respect. I seriously doubt that he wants all of America down his throat at this point…over his little attitude with a gun in his hand. just goes to show what a gun in the hand of a nutcase is like…scarry is not the real verb for this shit. This is why I worry about my son [the beat cop] every single minute he is on duty….
The SS, the Sheriff’s Department and the Crawford police have already had a nice long chat with him. He can bloviate all he want about parties of rednecks and dove hunting season adn whatever, but if he pisses these people off he will have a very unpleasant time of it, I guarantee you.
I understand your anger, Brenda, but we need to just calm down at this point, ok?
My partner and I happen to be driving from Louisville, KY to San Diego this week. We have been thinking about stopping at Crawford — to bring supplies, contribute cash — just generally support the cause. But we don’t want to do this if our presence would cause trouble for Cindy’s efforts. Anyone have an idea of what’s going on there — what’s needed (food, clothing, water, supplies)?
Or should we stay away? I’m not afraid of one wacko — but if there’s several wackos — it would be nice to know if the overall situation has become dangerous — or if this is an isolated incident.
I am nto there right now, but I would say go if you want to go. The thing that they can use most of right now is water and gatorade — as you might imagine, they go through quite a bit of that stuff! 😉
When I was there on Thursday, I felt very safe, and very trusting of the local peace officers to do the right thing — no hostility at all. They are professionals and very good at what they do.
They could probably use some more Tea Tree Oil, if you pass by anywhere that has it — it’s great for fire ant bites and I’m sure the bottle I brought up on Thursday is gone! 😉
Thanks.
Just read that they now have water — but would love ice. Whatever. From pictures it looks like people are mostly camped alongside the road. We wouldn’t be able to stay long — but hell, it’s only 100 miles out of our way, and we could certainly drop off supplies. I’d love to pitch in something, if I could. You’ve been there — does something like this make sense?
bring botttles of water that have been frozen in the freezer — this is a summer ritual here for us. Freeze them rock solid (they melt fast enough in the heat so that you have wter to drink, but you also have a long standing chunk of ice IN the bottle). If you have time to freeze ’em solid before you take off, they should stay pretty frozen in a cooler in your car.
Another thing that is really useful is washcloths or bandannas or rags that have been wet and frozen in a cooler. If you can stop by a convenience store (and there are lots) close enough in to take them bags of ice, that’ll work too — they don[‘t really have enough space to keep everything in the Pecae House (only one fridge) , so if you bring a cooler you can leave there as well, I know they’d appreciate that!
is someone else’s take who IS THERE!
From:
t r u t h o u t | One Mother’s Stand
By Scott Galindez
Sunday 14 August 2005
3:41 PM
Maxine Waters is heading back to Washington after meeting with Cindy and the other military families.
Cindy asked Representative Waters how she deals with the media. Representative Waters told her to stay strong, “the truth is on your side.”
The corporate media is digging up everything they can find to smear Cindy Sheehan. She needs everyone’s support since Rove and his ilk are trying to destroy her reputation.
The reports on gunshots at the camp are wrong. The rancher accross the road fired his gun on his ranch. When asked about the gunshots Cindy said that he had a right to shoot as long as the bullets stay on his land.
[Emphasis mine]
all up and down, I’ll just post it here, once: Thank you, Brinnaine, for your calming, balanced posts throughout this thread. (And for much else, of course!)
My I also be the one to point out the obvious humor in the fact that this guy’s behavior can be rationalized as dove hunting (of all birds)?
Sometimes Reality is so dreadfully blunt with its metaphors. Where’s my red pencil?
The humor in that is pretty funny…please see my correction (after seeing video of the rancher) above.
…and I second Brinnaine’s response to it. Ease up on yourself, CG!
And you may be the one to point out that humour….
I think I just may have to make a bumpersticker out of this:
Sometimes Reality is so dreadfully blunt with its metaphors. Where’s my red pencil?
you just warmed this ole teacher’s heart to no end!
Glad to hear it!
However, you ole teacher you, shouldn’t you be pointing out to me that “so…” should be followed by “that…”?
😉
Nah, not me…I failed grammar twice in high school and never did understand the ins and out of the dangling participle, though I have a masters degree in “English” — I taught writing and reading and love of literatureand language and critical thinking and used a green pen or a pencil for my marginalia….
Please check this interview out ya’ll…it’s with a counter-protester (not Mr. Mattlage) and I think sums up what Tracy and I have both been trying to say today.
You explained your message beautifully, and so has Tracy.
But if someone were shooting a gun in the air, I’d be frightened and disturbed … that the sheriffs and Secret Service responded shows that they were concerned.
It’s a very hostile act.
I can see why you wouldn’t want to retaliate in any way — or promote the event as news — but it is a problem.
As I mentioned above, this man must have all kinds of interruptions and inconveniences all the time due to the Bush entourages and reporters…. in Seattle, they close off streets and block sections of bridges and freeways, which all create terrible, terrible commuting problems for people.
I doubt he fires his gun in the air when his road gets blocked off or clogged by Bush’s processions.
I understand what you’re saying, Susan, I do, and, no, there haven’t been any reports of Mr. Mattlage firing his gun when Bush goes by in a motorcade that I know of.
But here’s the thing: one of the most amazing things about this protest is the calm and non-hostile nature of it. Both among the protesters and between them and the local peace officers — I was there, the mutual respect was palpatable.
HOWEVER, if a bunch of people arrive all pissed of and EXPECTING hostility (or thinking that every local they run into is going to point a gun at them), bad things are bound to insue.
I’m not going to argue the level of hostility that his act demonstrates because I wasn’t there and didn’t talk to the man, but if the entire blogosphere and cadre of Cindy supporters is going to express hotility and rage in response to hearing gun being fired on private land, we are in for a VERY long August….
If we stay calm and follow Cindy’s lead, those firing their guns, even though they are within their rights, will always be on the wrong side of the peace officers and that’s where we want them to stay. Don’t give them more power by overreacting. I guess enough said about this.
Prolly not- you know how hgey are always shooting blanks at the sky.