Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vandalised?
Update 9/18/07:
U.S. Park Police has concluded that the oily substance found splashed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was the result of vandalism. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
Since Monday, there are still dark blotches along a stone curb at the base of the wall for much of its length. At least 14 of its 140 inscribed panels appeared to be stained. Park Service and preservation crews expect it would take a week or more to remove the stains.
Update: Pictures posed by free republic
(rephrase)
So who is getting desperate, or perhaps some really stupid people doing a really dumb thing? Were the anti-war groups responsible? Anarchist groups being anti-American as usual? Peaceniks who hate the military? Or maybe it was all just your everyday vandal?
Are the anti-war, nah, anti-American, nah, cowardly person? anti-military? teen vandalism? ... groups getting desperate?
Or an "accident?"
The National Park Service is investigating an oily substance that was found along the paving stones and the bottom of some of the panels. The material was reported to US Park Police on Friday evening.
Cleaning crews over the weekend worked to remove the substance and are currently trying to analyze what it is. Initial conclusions believe it was an oil/petroleum-based substance. Seems that some of the soldiers' names have been corroded by the mixture.
The black granite wall, dedicated in 1982, bears the names of more than 58,000 men and women who were killed or went missing during the Vietnam War.
As of 9/14, they still do not know who did it. Of course, the blogosphere are speculating who could be the villians.
No mention of the defacing on some of the anti-war sites. Ominiously, ANSWER has a section where there is Veterans for Peace E-Bulletin from Adam Kokesh, saying "Protesting is not enough. Come for the rally, stay for a week of direct action." Now, no direct link from this to the memorial, but separately, it sounds that he wants more than a non-violent demonstration.
Comments
Posted by:
Posted on: September 13, 2007 08:16 AM
I like how you blame the anti-war groups for this in the first sentence...with little or no evidence.
Why vandalize one of the most powerful statements for peace?
Posted by: James (Author)
Posted on: September 13, 2007 09:04 AM
Yea, it's too bad there are no security cameras. It looks like it was done over the weekend at night.
Who would deface a war memorial? Kids, perhaps. Anti-military groups? Those that are against the war? Seems like a better guess. I don't think they particularly care about defacing a "peace" memorial, maybe they were just anti-government and just wanted to damage something.
Posted by:
Posted on: September 13, 2007 09:55 AM
Vietnamese? Maybe better still.
Posted by: James (Author)
Posted on: September 13, 2007 10:15 AM
It was bigfoot!
Posted by:
Posted on: September 14, 2007 08:16 AM
Assuming big foot exists, with the evidence you've provided, he seems as likely a choice as any individual/group you've listed above. According to the article you linked, authorities aren't even clear if it was an intentional act and do not name any suspects.
In your edit, you also consequently equate being "anti-war" with being anti-American. Nice. This is a useful technique I should remember. Find something most people would find reprehensible and blame any group I (or the conservative blogs I read) disagree with for committing the act.
Posted by:
Posted on: September 14, 2007 12:56 PM
I find it highly unlikely any veteran's group advocating for peace would do this. It defies any type of logic. I have seen the power this monument in particular has on vets. The reason they are advocating for peace is exactly because of the names on that wall.
Also, maybe "direct action" entails talking to representatives, staffers, other coalitions. Or you could have just looked here:
http://answer.pephost.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8555
For every eiece of your rampant speculation, I can come up with something just as plausible.
Maybe it was Hawks trying to make "Peaceniks" look bad.
I try not to make statements like these to avoid looking stupid. How about letting the authorities sort it out before blaming a group you disagree with.
Posted by: James (Author)
Posted on: September 14, 2007 01:06 PM
Yes, unlikely, but not impossible. Not everyone can act rationally. "Direct Action" can mean those things of course, but you cannot ignore the other possibilities.
It's not looking stupid. It's speculation. As such, other bloggers may think it was the Republicans doing this to arouse their supporters or a bunch of kids who do not care about what the memorial means.
As such, if the Park Service comes out with any info that can shed light on this, I am happy to make note of it and stand either corrected or say my guesses were right.
Posted by:
Posted on: September 14, 2007 07:06 PM
Also, the stains can likely be removed.
"Most stains can be removed. Even oil stains can usually be removed using a poultice or paste that will draw out the oil from the stone."
Source:
http://www.granitemountainstonedesign.com/myths.html
For some reason,mountain over mole hill comes to mind. Probably why it wasn't picked up by the national media.
Posted by: James (Author)
Posted on: September 15, 2007 10:37 PM
It would seem the Vietnam Wall is monitored by video cameras. So all they need to do is check the tapes of the weekend before.
Washington Post and a few other newspapers recorded the incident at the beginning of the week, but everyone is pretty much wait and see on the Park Service investigation when it gets completed.
Posted by: Babardondon Nagudi
Posted on: September 19, 2007 11:26 PM
Hello the link at wtopnews won't open. Is it my browser or their server is down?