Kerry Supporter tears up three yearold's sign

[DKW 86 7,433]

Link to good story. Man there with 10 kids, 3 in NG.

Makes you feel all warm inside too doesnt it?

Three-year-old Sophia Parlock cries while seated on the shoulders of her father, Phil Parlock, after having their Bush-Cheney sign torn up by Kerry-Edwards supporters on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2004, at the Tri-State Airport in Huntington, W.Va. Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards (news - web sites) made a brief stop at the airport as he concluded his two-day bus tour to locations in West Virginia and Ohio. (AP Photo/Randy Snyder)

[DKW 86 7,433]

See what the Democratic Underground has to say about all this.

[AUloggerhead 2,246]

I read in the story where the guys who bravely ripped the sign out of this 3-yr old's hands were from the local painter's union. You can see one of the goons in the picture with his hat on backwards. You can just barely make out the lettering on his "brownshirt" tee stating the union is for Kerry/Edwards. What kind of man thinks this is acceptable behavior?

At least there is a bit of humor in the photo. Check out the sign held upside down in the left background. Yep. Another brain surgeon for Kerry/Edwards.

[AURaptor 1,125]

About what one would expect from a Kerry supporter. Dems are generally classless, hate filled and far less intelligent than most Conservatives.

And I'm not in the least bit condoning what that punk did, but why would a guy subject his kids to that sort of mob ?

[rexbo 104]

Thank God Ketchup Lady wasn't there, she would have been ripping her clothes off...

[MDM4AU 336]

AUDIO: Interview with the man in the picture

The guy next to him is not his son. The DU once again has it wrong...but what does that matter to them. It is the DU... :roll:

[TexasTiger 12,967]

About what one would expect from a Kerry supporter. Dems are generally classless, hate filled and far less intelligent than most Conservatives.

And I'm not in the least bit condoning what that punk did, but why would a guy subject his kids to that sort of mob ?

I have no idea what happened in this case, but this same guy claimed the same thing happened to him in 1996 and 2000. Of course, Republicans are generally more dishonest, deceitful, deceptively cunning, fascist leaning, morally cowardly and ultimately anti-freedom, than other folks.

http://rising-hegemon.blogspot.com/2004/09...er-of-year.html

To answer your question, his three year old was likely a prop. Look at his track record.

If you believe what he has claimed for each of the last three elections, then why would he subject his daughter to what his own experience has taught him? If this really happened, and if it really happened in 1996 and 2000, then he is one lousy father. Either way you look at it, he's one lousy father. Of course, that could make him Republican Father of the Year.

[TexasTiger 12,967]

Parlock does seem to have some extreme bad luck. He was also on hand when he claimed a shot was fired into Republican HQ in WV:

http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/showscripts/6fri.shtml#10

[DKW 86 7,433]

I will have a WV media guy track this. There is no need for this in any campaign if true.

However, The Union must believe it happened.

http://www.ibpat.org/news/WVa.html

The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades believes in the fundamental right for civil discourse, freedom of speech and activism to support our candidates and issues.

What happened in Huntington, West Virginia yesterday is an affront to everything we, as a union, pride ourselves to represent. We extend our apologies to the Parlock family, especially Sophia, for the distress one of our overzealous members caused them.

I have personally taken steps to address this issue internally, and will take immediate disciplinary action to the fullest extent allowed under U.S. Department of Labor regulations and the constitution of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.

It is my hope that this incident reminds all of our members that every last citizen in this country has the right to express his or herself freely. Not one single one of us has the right to tell them otherwise.

General President James A. Williams

The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades

[Tigermike 3,044]

About what one would expect from a Kerry supporter. Dems are generally classless, hate filled and far less intelligent than most Conservatives.

And I'm not in the least bit condoning what that punk did, but why would a guy subject his kids to that sort of mob ?

I have no idea what happened in this case, but this same guy claimed the same thing happened to him in 1996 and 2000. Of course, Republicans are generally more dishonest, deceitful, deceptively cunning, fascist leaning, morally cowardly and ultimately anti-freedom, than other folks.

http://rising-hegemon.blogspot.com/2004/09...er-of-year.html

To answer your question, his three year old was likely a prop. Look at his track record.

If you believe what he has claimed for each of the last three elections, then why would he subject his daughter to what his own experience has taught him? If this really happened, and if it really happened in 1996 and 2000, then he is one lousy father. Either way you look at it, he's one lousy father. Of course, that could make him Republican Father of the Year.

And you of course are always one to keep the discourse on topic and never make over generalizations or to make absolute disparaging remarks toward millions of people.

It also sounds as if Mr. Parlock is now and has been for years active in the Republican party in WV. The FACT that Democrats in WV shoot out windows and attempt to intimidate people does not surprise me in the least bit. After all they are merely carrying on in the long tradition of the great WV Senator Robert KKK Byrd. That would be something that your leaders at Democratic Underground would be acquainted with and would obviously condone and encourage wouldn't it. DU that great purveyor of truth, is where you got your information isn't it.

In fact three straight election cycles? I would say the Democrats in West Virginia as well as ALL Democrats only believe in free speech if they are speaking! Free speech only applies to Democrats.

Do you have a tin foil hat you wear regularly?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...ress=132x828458

[TexasTiger 12,967]

I will have a WV media guy track this. There is no need for this in any campaign if true.

However, The Union must believe it happened.

http://www.ibpat.org/news/WVa.html

The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades believes in the fundamental right for civil discourse, freedom of speech and activism to support our candidates and issues.

What happened in Huntington, West Virginia yesterday is an affront to everything we, as a union, pride ourselves to represent. We extend our apologies to the Parlock family, especially Sophia, for the distress one of our overzealous members caused them.

I have personally taken steps to address this issue internally, and will take immediate disciplinary action to the fullest extent allowed under U.S. Department of Labor regulations and the constitution of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.

It is my hope that this incident reminds all of our members that every last citizen in this country has the right to express his or herself freely. Not one single one of us has the right to tell them otherwise.

General President James A. Williams

The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades

This is from a Huntington chat board:

  posted September 17, 2004 02:46 AM                    

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Yes ma'am, he provoked them. Phil gave his son a sign and pushed the boy in front of him. Some young democrats tried to cover Phil's sign with their own. The boy dropped the sign and a worker grabbed at it. Phil then shoved the kid. When Phil's sign was covered up he placed his young daughter on his shoulders and gave her the sign. The girl was terrified by the people chanting and her father's actions. He used his children as pawns. He did not come to do anything other than disrupt the event and he used his children as a means to an end. He exchanged some angry words with the Kerry supporters when they attempted to hold their signs in front of his but none of them were physical with him. Now while I may think he possibly should have been left alone, I have none, nada, NO respect for a man going into a situation he knows is going to be heated and using his children as frickin targets.

http://huntingtonnews.net/cgi-bin/ubb-cgi/...ic&f=1&t=001898

I obviously don't know exactly what happened, but I suspect the Union guy in the picture grabbed the sign after something like what was described happened. I don't buy that Parlock set one of his son's up in a Union shirt. It shouldn't have happened, but the little girl should not have been placed in this position by her dad. BTW, Parlock is not just some citizen supporter-- he was one of Bush's WV regional co-ordinators in 2000, and maybe this year, too. He's been around the block as is obvious from his track record. An ugly episode on both sides, IMHO.

[TexasTiger 12,967]

The man has an interesting perspective:

Sign Fracas at Edwards Rally Spurs Sniping

BRIAN FARKAS

Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Phil Parlock says he's a peaceful guy who doesn't mind carrying a Republican sign to a Democratic rally. Others say he has a history since 1996 of attending Democratic rallies in West Virginia for the sole purpose of provoking the anger of the party faithful.

On Thursday, the Huntington real estate agent said, he hid nine Bush-Cheney signs under his pant leg and took 3-year-old daughter Sophia and 11-year-old son Alex to a rally for Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards. An older son manned the van outside the rally with a larger Bush sign.

When it came time for Edwards to leave Tri-State Airport, Parlock said, he gave his children signs to proclaim their support for Bush. Just as quickly, the signs were ripped out of their hands and torn apart, he said. Two more signs were thrust into their hands. Again, Edwards supporters tore them away, he said.

"It was like a feeding frenzy," the father of 10 said Friday. "I didn't want to have Sophia being defeated and I told her to hold up the sign, but they kept going after the last shred."

Sophia broke into tears, and the image of the child resting on her father's shoulders with a torn Bush sign in her hands was caught in Associated Press photographs.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/...ics/9694153.htm

Just a Dad who didn't want his three year old daughter to feel defeated, so he kept setting her up until the photographer got a good shot. Touching. Maybe she'll grow up to be a Green Party/PETA activist just pay Dad back for all his support.

[DKW 86 7,433]

What has the nation come to that holdiong up a sign that disagrees with your political belief gives one the okay to take agressive , physical action?

How pathetic...