Ray McGovern, ex-U.S. Army intelligence officer, career CIA analyst, intelligence briefer to presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush, attended a speech given Tuesday in Washington DC by Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Clinton's speech was titled Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society. It was the keynote speech at a State Department-sponsored series by that same title. She described how lone dissenters, speaking truth to power in countries around the world, are making a difference:In the last weeks, we have seen their courage on display in the streets of Tunis and the town squares of Cairo. We have watched with great anticipation as they have stood up for their rights and aspirations.As she spoke these words, standing up in the audience, as is his right in the United States of America, was Ray McGovern. He turned his back to her and stood silently. He has done this before, as is his right in the United States of America.
Or is it?
As he stood there, two security guards came up, grabbed him, thrust him about, and dragged him from the room. As he was being forcibly removed, he shouted, "This is America?"
Here are two pictures of him, taken at the hospital where he had his injuries from being assaulted by Clinton's stooges treated:
I find it fascinating that some of the news coverage of Clinton's speech about human rights, the rights of assembly and genuine grievances people may have against their governing figures, omitted any mention of this hugely ironic scene. This Bloomberg article fails to mention the assault on McGovern. Even the youtube posted above calls him a "heckler," when he said nothing to HRC, and only spoke to protest his manhandling.
McGovern has been charged with disorderly conduct.
15 comments:
Thank you Phil for keeping the focus on this very important incident. Unbelievable that THIS is America!?!
aview
Unconscionable. Turn your back and you get brutalized? A single peaceful silent act of dissent draws such a vile and violent response?
Shame on Hillary. Shame on the State Department. Shame on all who support this brutality.
[If there is other reason, which I doubt, but if.., for the manhandling of Mr. McGovern, may it be produced now.]
Anyone who knows someone elderly knows that they can simply bump a piece of furniture and get bruises like these. These were not caused by undue force. It's hard to know whose rights are in question in this case. Clinton has the right to be heard as well, without interruptions. How do we have "civil" discourse if people who disagree are always making a point to put the focus on themselves? It's called taking turns and if this gentleman wanted an opportunity to speak, he probably could have gotten an opportunity.
"Anyone who knows someone elderly knows that they can simply bump a piece of furniture and get bruises like these. These were not caused by undue force."
--- I link to McGovern's description of how he got bruised like that. Did you read the description? If you did, do you think he is not telling the truth?
"It's hard to know whose rights are in question in this case. Clinton has the right to be heard as well, without interruptions. How do we have "civil" discourse if people who disagree are always making a point to put the focus on themselves? It's called taking turns and if this gentleman wanted an opportunity to speak, he probably could have gotten an opportunity."
--- He didn't say anything until he was seized. As he clearly described and other eyewitnesses have attested, he merely remained standing after everyone sat down, and turned his back when she started to speak.
Annonymous 6:16, Police officers are well aware that elderly people can have delicate skin. They did not conduct themselves accordingly and then after the damage was done they did not get him medical assistance. Generally a person who has any kind of injury is taken to the ER by the police to be seen to before incarceration. That did not happen. Clinton's speech was not interupted, McGovern was just standing, not speaking at all. Have you even read anything about the incident?
Yes, I myself have found out the hard way through repeated experiences, that "this is America" and it is only going to get worse if we don't start protesting en mass.
My husband had bruises just like that from thinning of skin due to predisone and age. I am not saying it did not happen the way it was relayed, but it is still very very rude for him to turn his back on her, very disrespectful and he knows better...when are we all going to stop pushing each others buttons and find peace and respect again....the time is NOW
Sorry, anon@7:16-
I do not buy that a quiet display of disagreement is rude or disrespectful.
Nor do I buy that we ever had peace and respect as a general experience.
This country's history is one long set of battles to define who and what we are. At it's high points we include some group we have belittled and shunned previously into voting rights, civil rights, etc already accorded to most of the rest of us.
At it's low points we act like fools and demonize, damage, and destroy anything and anyone that frightens us- the Commie hunts and blacklists of my childhood, turning firehoses on black citizens of my teens...
The list is endless in my life alone.
It's worth working for a day of peace and respect but we cannot have lost what we have never had.
alaskapi
Heckling Hillary Clinton needs to stop.
THIS divide, This war. It now grows every day. I am starting to believe the mass in America may be incited to move.
To Anonymous 9:39 p.m.:
Bull Pucky! If anyone deserves heckling, it's Hillary. She's just another servant of the status quo, the rich and powerful, a DINO Democrat In Name Only.
This is not the change I voted for. I want my Party back!
"Heckling Hillary Clinton needs to stop."
She wasn't heckled by Mr. McGovern. Could you provide an example of HRC being heckled that we can discuss?
Please....?
I attended a speech by Ms. Clinton when she was a Senator.
Although it was d friendly audience there were several people that asked questions is a nasty tone of voice or in an insulting manner.
She was gracious and responded to these people very appropriately.
Perhaps she did not know why he was being removed
Folks should not jump to conclusions. We should not be relying on a blog for facts.
Off topic, sorry. Here ya go, Phil.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0211/Criticism_on_Israel_move_builds_on_Hill.html?showall#
A lot of jumping to conclusions going on here. So let me add some more. Perhaps Mrs. Clinton was not aware of what was going on; perhaps all the security people saw was someone standing up while others were sitting and were afraid the person standing up was intending harm to Mrs. Clinton. You see, there are all sorts of ways to speculate about what happened when you were not there to witness it in person.
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