Last night, Hillary Clinton had just delivered the line "and then they pulled the plug" during her speech on freedom of expression in Egypt, and smiled slightly, when the two security goons pounced on 71 year-old Ray McGovern, who had been standing with his back turned to her no more than 20 feet away. McGovern was wearing his Veterans for Peace t-shirt in silent protest of the wars, uttering not a single, solitary word. Taken aback by the suddenness and violence of the assault by the two smirking young thugs, one in a uniform, McGovern managed to call out as he was manhandled out of the room: "So this is America?' McGovern was then double-handcuffed, jailed, and left bruised and bloodied from the encounter.
Clinton never broke stride, paused, or even batted an eyelash. Her demeanor was such that she could have been drying her nails.
Even John Kerry, during the famous "Don't taze me bro" incident, tried to intercede on behalf of a young man who was grabbed by police after he had finished his question, saying "no, no, let me answer the question..."
The chilling display of sang froid as an American's First Amendment rights were brutally violated right before her eyes casts Hillary Clinton in an entirely new light to a world in which downtrodden people are casting off their dictators, and the U.S. is criticized for saying one thing and doing another. This incident, in view of the entire world, renders her unqualified for the office of Secretary of State, which must play a crucial and delicate role in ushering in the new era launched by the sacrifices in the streets of the Tunisian and Egyptian peoples.
The shocking clarity with which American hypocrisy is put on full display in this incident demands the Secretary of State's resignation. The Secretary has made an embarrassing mockery of US pronouncements about freedom of expression, and, in a fatal hindrance to the performance of her duties, she can never be taken seriously again on this issue. As well, a call for her to step down can do much to reverse the contempt for all dissent into which we are sliding, as shown by the Obama administration's persecution of peace activists in St. Paul and Chicago who are now under subpoena to explain their political views. A swinish McCarthyesque era is upon us, and we can put a stop to it right now.
Who is Ray McGovern?
Ray McGovern is a 27-year veteran of the CIA who served seven US presidents, which included presenting morning intelligence briefings to the White House. He was Ronald Reagan's daily intelligence briefer from 1981 to 1985. He also prepared daily intelligence briefs to VP George HW Bush, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After the invasion of Iraq, McGovern came out vociferously against "pre-emptive war" and Bush administration foreign policy, at one point confronting Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in a press conference. He reminded Rumsfeld that he had told the American people there was "bulletproof evidence" of ties between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda. McGovern pointedly asked Rumsfeld if that was "a lie." McGovern is now a leader in opposing U.S. wars, and now fiercely condemns the organization he was a part of.
McGovern told OpededNews today:
"At the same [Rumsfeld] speech, there was a courageous guy who stood with his back to Rumsfeld the entire speech. They left him completely alone and he walked out at the end, unbothered. Four years later, things have changed.
Of his injuries McGovern said later "The guy in the suit was the one who did the damage. He was brutal."
On this eve of a congressional vote to further fund the war in Afghanistan, citizens can show their solidarity with McGovern by demanding their congressmen co-sponsor the resolution put forth by Rep. Barbara Lee , which will stop all further funding of military operations in Afghanistan except those necessary to effect an orderly withdrawal, beginning immediately.
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"I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - Voltaire
McGovern v. Rumsfeld
UPDATE: Sibel Edmonds has penned this response to McGovern incident:
To Those Who Second-Guess Our Police State Status: Shame on You!
I just received the following news and I am way too upset to write a coherent piece on this. Ray McGovern is a good friend of mine. We live less than 10 miles apart. Together we have participated in many events and protests. He is one of the most informed, articulate, gentle, peace-loving and peace-seeking human beings I’ve ever known…For me, this hits too close to home: My father was similarly brutalized by dictator regimes, and that was only the beginning, before it escalated to being tortured and having his toenails pulled out by the state police. Why? He was a doctor, a surgeon with an inquiring mind, and he spoke out whenever he could against dictatorships and for liberties. Participating in peaceful demonstrations, encouraging others to rise up for their rights, and reading authors such as Steinbeck (the American author black-listed there as ‘communist and anarchist’) landed him on the list of to-be-punished and pacified…
Right now, at this point, all I have to say to those who second-guess our nation’s police state status is this: “Shame on you!” As for my irate minority friends over here at Boiling Frogs, please help disseminate this news, because the scum bag media won’t;’ thank you.
At Clinton Speech: Veteran Bloodied, Bruised & Arrested for Standing Silently
As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave her speech at George Washington University yesterday, condemning governments that arrest protestors and do not allow free expression, 71-year-old Ray McGovern was grabbed from the audience in plain view of her by police and an unidentified official in plain clothes, brutalized and left bleeding in jail. She never paused speaking. When Secretary Clinton began her speech, Mr. McGovern remained standing silently in the audience and turned his back. Mr. McGovern, a veteran Army officer who also worked as a C.I.A. analyst for 27 years, was wearing a Veterans for Peace t-shirt.
Blind-sided by security officers who pounced upon him, Mr. McGovern remarked, as he was hauled out the door, “So this is America?” As you see, Mr. McGovern is covered with bruises, lacerations and contusions inflicted in the assault....MORE
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