Shots fired near Camp Casey! Or, the porta potty war
From Deborah Mathews' report for The Iconoclast: Camp Casey is becoming very organized, with how-to signs placed about. Ann Wright said, "That's what we are trying to do."
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."
The man is 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."
It was from behind this vehicle that shots were fired. Note the box of shells on the tailgate of this pickup.
As he hung a “No Parking” sign on his fence, he said:
“We’re gonna’ start doing our war, but we’re gonna’ do it underneath the law, or whatever it takes. So you all go find you another place to do whatever you’re gonna’ do, because this is our front yard and back yard.”
I asked him, “When you say you all, do you mean the protestors?”
He answered, “I’m talking this whole damn country is neighbors and friends and this is our country. And if this group says that they are so much in Jesus and neighbors' rights and all that they pretend to be, why don’t they show it. You gotta’ live it. You gotta’ live Jesus Christ. And this is not Jesus Christ . . .
Another reporter walked up and asked, “Are you Mr. Mattlage?”
“I sure as hell am,” he answered. “Well, I want to get on the Letterman Show. I want to get on Jay Leno. This is a joke out here. You done your right and I believe in ??. This ain’t about Democrats and this ain’t about Republicans. This is about my rights and these people’s rights as American citizens who live here. You done your deal. You done your show. Now move on. I’m asking that as an American citizen and a taxpaying citizen, because I pay taxes to the middle of this road, and I mow it, and I keep it clean, and all I got now is trespassers. If that ain’t right, it ain’t right, but I want the whole world to know what they’ve done. They started out doing right and now they are doing wrong. When they first got here, I understood their cause and I appreciate it. I don’t like the war no more than anybody else, but right here we got war . . right on my front yard. Everybody here is sick of it. If everybody will leave now, everybody will go home a winner. Then the president can enjoy his vacation like everybody else and these farmers and ranchers can go check their cattle without having to go through a campsite.”
Deborah: Are any of them prevented from getting to their cattle now?
Mr. Mattlage: Ma’am, who wants to wade through all these people walking around there. What this is a war of porta-potties and the one with the most porta-potties is gonna’ win and you know who that is don’t you. You all got started out going to the bathroom in a five gallon bucket. Now, I see three porta-potties. How many more porta-potties are we going to have to put up with? Now, George Bush has more porta-potties than you all, so if I was a bettin’ man, I’d say he’s gonna win. So let’s don’t make this a little more ridiculous than it is now. Everybody go back a winner. You’ve made your point. I’m proud of you. God bless all of you.
Reporter: Did you fire a shotgun?
Mr. Mattlage: Yes I did! I got a right to fire up in the air. I am getting ready for dove season and you all are messing up my dove huntin’, so if you all could please leave and go somewhere else, this whole community would be behind you.
[Note: Central Zone Texas Dove Season 2005; Sept 1 to Oct 30 & Dec 26 to Jan 4]
Reporter: How many acres do you have?
Mr. Mattlage: It don’t make any difference. That don’t have nothing to do with it. I pay taxes to the middle of this road and that person over there (he said as he pointed across the road to the opposite side) pays taxes to the middle of that road.
Reporter: So this is your land right here?
Mr. Mattlage: This is my land right here. We’ve been here for 125 years, okay. And this group ain’t running us out. Our family’s fought in wars, drought—grew up without any water—we’re pretty tough folks. We will survive this. This group is like Frosty the Snowman here. It’s gonna’ melt and they’ll be back another day. We are just waiting for Frosty to melt. We’ve got one group over here that’s not gonna’ give up and we’ve got one group over here won’t give up and we right here in the middle. Do you understand? This ain’t New York and it ain’t California and it ain’t Washington. I’m not political. I’m just a taxpaying citizen that wants my rights. That’s all I got to say. Thank you. And I will be back here all night long and I’ll be shootin’ at doves in the air, so anybody that camps here better get ready for some gunfire. If we don’t hit anything, I want every redneck in Texas to come on my property and this property here and we gonna’ really have a show. Thank You."
Now Cindy Sheehan supporters must endure not only being called traitors, and hearing right wingers shout "we don't care, we don't care," but they must also put up with shooting? Does lynching come next? Is the truth about Bush that scary that his followers, like the members of a religious cult, must follow and support their leader no matter what, regardless of facts? Is it the war of the porta pottys?
Comment from progressivegrannie: It was bad enough on Saturday when the police helicopter that had been circling came in close when Cindy began to speak, and later buzzed the crowd. Did the pilot realize how many Vietnam era Vets he was spooking by "flying the contours" above the crowd? I bet he did.
Great thanks to the Lone Star Iconoclast, catch them and Cindy watch here They are the best, most complete and unbiased news source there is! and audio links are here
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."
The man is 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."
It was from behind this vehicle that shots were fired. Note the box of shells on the tailgate of this pickup.
As he hung a “No Parking” sign on his fence, he said:
“We’re gonna’ start doing our war, but we’re gonna’ do it underneath the law, or whatever it takes. So you all go find you another place to do whatever you’re gonna’ do, because this is our front yard and back yard.”
I asked him, “When you say you all, do you mean the protestors?”
He answered, “I’m talking this whole damn country is neighbors and friends and this is our country. And if this group says that they are so much in Jesus and neighbors' rights and all that they pretend to be, why don’t they show it. You gotta’ live it. You gotta’ live Jesus Christ. And this is not Jesus Christ . . .
Another reporter walked up and asked, “Are you Mr. Mattlage?”
“I sure as hell am,” he answered. “Well, I want to get on the Letterman Show. I want to get on Jay Leno. This is a joke out here. You done your right and I believe in ??. This ain’t about Democrats and this ain’t about Republicans. This is about my rights and these people’s rights as American citizens who live here. You done your deal. You done your show. Now move on. I’m asking that as an American citizen and a taxpaying citizen, because I pay taxes to the middle of this road, and I mow it, and I keep it clean, and all I got now is trespassers. If that ain’t right, it ain’t right, but I want the whole world to know what they’ve done. They started out doing right and now they are doing wrong. When they first got here, I understood their cause and I appreciate it. I don’t like the war no more than anybody else, but right here we got war . . right on my front yard. Everybody here is sick of it. If everybody will leave now, everybody will go home a winner. Then the president can enjoy his vacation like everybody else and these farmers and ranchers can go check their cattle without having to go through a campsite.”
Deborah: Are any of them prevented from getting to their cattle now?
Mr. Mattlage: Ma’am, who wants to wade through all these people walking around there. What this is a war of porta-potties and the one with the most porta-potties is gonna’ win and you know who that is don’t you. You all got started out going to the bathroom in a five gallon bucket. Now, I see three porta-potties. How many more porta-potties are we going to have to put up with? Now, George Bush has more porta-potties than you all, so if I was a bettin’ man, I’d say he’s gonna win. So let’s don’t make this a little more ridiculous than it is now. Everybody go back a winner. You’ve made your point. I’m proud of you. God bless all of you.
Reporter: Did you fire a shotgun?
Mr. Mattlage: Yes I did! I got a right to fire up in the air. I am getting ready for dove season and you all are messing up my dove huntin’, so if you all could please leave and go somewhere else, this whole community would be behind you.
[Note: Central Zone Texas Dove Season 2005; Sept 1 to Oct 30 & Dec 26 to Jan 4]
Reporter: How many acres do you have?
Mr. Mattlage: It don’t make any difference. That don’t have nothing to do with it. I pay taxes to the middle of this road and that person over there (he said as he pointed across the road to the opposite side) pays taxes to the middle of that road.
Reporter: So this is your land right here?
Mr. Mattlage: This is my land right here. We’ve been here for 125 years, okay. And this group ain’t running us out. Our family’s fought in wars, drought—grew up without any water—we’re pretty tough folks. We will survive this. This group is like Frosty the Snowman here. It’s gonna’ melt and they’ll be back another day. We are just waiting for Frosty to melt. We’ve got one group over here that’s not gonna’ give up and we’ve got one group over here won’t give up and we right here in the middle. Do you understand? This ain’t New York and it ain’t California and it ain’t Washington. I’m not political. I’m just a taxpaying citizen that wants my rights. That’s all I got to say. Thank you. And I will be back here all night long and I’ll be shootin’ at doves in the air, so anybody that camps here better get ready for some gunfire. If we don’t hit anything, I want every redneck in Texas to come on my property and this property here and we gonna’ really have a show. Thank You."
Now Cindy Sheehan supporters must endure not only being called traitors, and hearing right wingers shout "we don't care, we don't care," but they must also put up with shooting? Does lynching come next? Is the truth about Bush that scary that his followers, like the members of a religious cult, must follow and support their leader no matter what, regardless of facts? Is it the war of the porta pottys?
Comment from progressivegrannie: It was bad enough on Saturday when the police helicopter that had been circling came in close when Cindy began to speak, and later buzzed the crowd. Did the pilot realize how many Vietnam era Vets he was spooking by "flying the contours" above the crowd? I bet he did.
Great thanks to the Lone Star Iconoclast, catch them and Cindy watch here They are the best, most complete and unbiased news source there is! and audio links are here
posted by progressivegrannie at 8:49 PM
1 Comments:
Notice in the picture that there's a 12-pack of beer next to his ammo on the tailgate. Beer + Guns=trouble.
Glad to hear that the DPS is maintaining his right to get drunk and fire weapons near a crowd of people at whom he is VERY angry...
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