UPDATE II (Oct 26) —Â As noted in the comments section, an arrest has been made. And I was wrong. The vandalism wasn’t politically or even hate motivated. It was a drug addict stealing stuff to sell for more crack:
Investigators said Thursday that Wallace Ray DeBlanc, 41, ripped the 25 floral arrangements apart for the wire stands (worth about $1.50 each), a pewter cross and other decorations that could be resold to floral shops.
I’m glad that I was wrong. I won’t even try to pull a “fake but accurate” Dan Rather moment out of it — I was just wrong, and it was wrong of me.
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UPDATE: Two days after I first wrote about it, the Blogosphere is just now starting to chime in on the desecration of LCpl. Burris’ grave.
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My mom has lived in the small town of Liberty, TX (pop. 8,033, located about 45-miles east of Houston) since 1989. I’ve spent a lot of time there and it is truly the picture of an all-American town.
The kinds of people that you meet in these small Texas towns are the best kinds of people — patriotic, hard working, religious, proud, and kind.
Which is why they are angry that this happened in their small town:
LIBERTY — To Jeremy Burris the word “liberty” was more than the name of his hometown. It was something worth fighting for.
An all-American kid from a little all-American town, the 22-year-old Marine lance corporal died heroically in Iraq. More than a thousand people turned out Wednesday as a white hearse carried his body to burial in the historic 1800s Cooke Memorial Cemetery.
Within hours, the grave was desecrated. About 30 sprays of flowers were ripped apart, petals strewn over the loose earth. Flags decorating the gravesite were also torn down and sentimental notes and posters shredded.
When my mom called and told me about what happened to LCpl. Burris’ grave on the day he was buried, I was too angry to even write about it.
What kind of person desecrates any grave? What kind of person thinks that this is an appropriate form of “political dissent”? Do you think this makes them brave and “courageous”? What kind of person is so filled with hate for their country and President Bush that they could do this to the grave of a brave Marine?
What kind of person hates or military so much, that they would do this?
These are all rhetorical questions — as we all know the likely answer: unhinged, Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS)-suffering, anti-war, anti-military “progressives”.
“It looked like a big debris field about 40 feet square,” said Liberty Police Chief Mike Cummings. “This wasn’t done by the wind or animals. It was obviously intentional. We don’t know if someone did this for a stupid prank or they were anti-war or what.”
I know you can’t really say until the investigation is complete, Chief — but we all know that this was done by anti-war and anti-military idiots.
Linda Paulson, who owns a gift store next to the Opry, believes the vandalism might have been done for political reasons.
“It makes me very sad that people don’t show respect for a grieving family, no matter what their political beliefs are,” she said.
Of course it was done for political reasons — the Burris family is well known in Liberty, and is unapologetically pro-military (two of their other sons are also in the military, with one of them already in Iraq and the other soon to deploy); the Burris family is proudly and strongly Chrisitian; his mother regularly sings country and patriotic songs at the Liberty Opry.
I hope whoever did this is found soon and that they are punished as severely as the law permits. I hope Veterans attend the trial en mass to show their support for LCpl. Burris and to shame (if it’s even possible) the thugs who did this.
Liberals have to come to terms with and acknowledge that a large portion of their base isn’t just anti-war — they’re anti-military.
I grew up with Jeremy Burris, as my father played a the Opry for ten years, and it breaks my heart that anyone would deface any grave, but Jeremy was a sweet kind guy who gave his life to keep safe the freedom of whoever did this horrible act. It makes me sad to know that a person that cruel and heartless is out in the community somewhere.
Robbie, this is an amazing story, and I thank you for sharing it. I think that the libs now realize that Pelosi & company aren’t going to do their fighting for them, they’re starting to show their true colors.
My hometown paper, The Tribune, recently reported that the pictures of local men and women serving in the Iraq War were recently removed from the Paso Robles, CA post office. These photos of local servicemen and women have been up there for years. But last week, ONE individual complained, stating the display was “Pro-Warâ€, so down came the pictures.
Why is this one persons opinion more important than other’s. Again, let me remind you that these pictures have been posted for years, and this was the first complaint. And what happened to the whole “I don’t support the war, but I support our troops†that the left keeps trotting out? I guess we’re not even pretending to support the troops anymore.
Wow- y’all are awfully quick to jump to any conclusion that supports your prejudices.
You have heard that cemeteries are vandalized regularly, right? Or does that matter? Google News notes 198 incidences beyond Cpl. Burris’ in just the past few weeks.
I agree with SK that it is a shame that someone would do such a thing- whatever the reason.
Preston, do you seriously have any doubt that a person (I use this word very lightly) of the anti-war angry left desecrated this Marine’s grave? The hatred of nationalism and the military is something the left has to come to terms with if it hopes to extinguish it among their ranks. Denying it only worsens the problem.
It’s such vanity to reduce this man’s life to the single aspect that that conform’s to one’s own world view. Who’s to say that the crime wasn’t personal; or racially motivated; or religiously motivated; or inspired by a hatred of his advocacy for hot air balloons?
Whatever- believe what you want- I’m just saying it’s foolish and imflamatory to jump to conclusions. My personal guess- the perpetrators are aged 16-17 and there was a first beer involved.
Occam’s razor.
I highly doubt a few misguided and drunk kids just happened into the this cemetery right after this Marine (the first from Liberty in the GWoT) was buried, and then just randomly selected just this one grave (there was no other vandalism within the cemetery).
Random vandalism would more than likely have resulted in the desecration of more than one grave and would likely have resulted in a different type of vandalism — toppling of markers and spray painting are much more common forms of graveyard vandalism.
You can be PC if you wish and hope that it was “just a bunch of kids” — but I’ll go with the odds and the most likely and logical version: somebody specifically targeted the grave of this dead Marine.
You can think it might be for reasons other than his devotion to the Marine Corp, the War on Terror, or his deep Christian beliefs. I believe it was a combination of all three.
I think my theory is much more likely than the “random” theory.
pressy,
if you wanted flowers for your “partner”, maybe you should try picking them in the wild. oh wait, ridding the earth of those life forms would have far too drastic an impact on global climate change and we all know how man needs to limit that. forget i mentioned it.
That’s funny- you’re saying I’m gay!
Ok. That one even confused me a bit…
no denial?
Adam-
When you graduate 8th grade or move out of Mayberry maybe you’ll come to the conclusion that an ‘accusation’ of being attracted to the same sex isn’t an insult. Why not insult me by calling me left-handed or brown-haired- it’s equally effective.
If you’re interested: I’m ambidextrous- wink, wink.
so forward thinking! thanks for the sex-ed lesson; they’re in short supply here in mayberry. you do understand that many folks don’t agree with your very narrow perspective, correct?
“Why not insult me by calling me left-handed or brown-haired- it’s equally effective.”
not sure about your equation here but insults are not my intention. i’m just calling you on your frequant mouthy bullshit.
“If you’re interested: I’m ambidextrous- wink, wink.”
thanks for sharing; don’t hold your breath on somebody caring! ever consider a private life that could be say…private ?
Hey Adam! Let’s keep it civil here, ok?
Preston adds a unique perspective, and this site wouldn’t be as good as it is without his input.
Also, you’re just making yourself look like a fool.
thanks for your perspective naz but “civility”? care to tell me what’s foolish?
i don’t have a problem with preston posting or anyone else but contrary to you, i find his perspectives redundant, misinformed, and often regurgitated.
Actually, no. Looks like you jumped to conclusions.
The vandal has been apprehended and it was not politically motivated. The fool who committed the crime did so to make money by selling the flowers stands. (Flower shops will buy back flower stands for $2 or less per piece.)
He made about $150 from the venture and now faces up to 2 years in prison and $20,000 worth of fines.
Just another idiot trying to make a buck. Did he pick the wrong grave or what?
I was deployed overseas with LCPL Burris. He was a kind and unselfish Marine. He lived each day to the fullest and gave his life for his country. Please refrain from such childish nonsense ,let the hero be remembered for who he was and what he did for you rather than post such disrespectful trash. Take it elsewhere.