Friday, February 17, 2012

Mark Finnegan and Thug Protesters

The anti-Scott Walker protesters have to be some of the all-time ugliest, most despicable Leftist thugs.

The story of Mark Finnegan's experience at the Republicans' Lincoln Day Dinner last weekend in Beloit should make every decent person sick, regardless of one's politics.

William Barth, editor of the Beloit Daily News, shares the details.

Enough clownish misbehavior

MEMO TO Gov. Scott Walker: If you want to win a recall election (and, I assume, you do), get out of the bunker and out among the people at every wide open public event you can find.

That may make your handlers nervous. They’ll tell you there will be scenes, that protesters will stake out the place, hooting and hollering and shouting you down so bad the audience won’t hear a word you say.

They’ll warn you that loudmouths with bullhorns will harass you and everybody else who comes to see you. Demonstrators may shout profanities and make obscene gestures. They might even try to physically block entrances, or clog up traffic. A mob scene. Ugly.

PRECISELY WHY you should get out there, every chance you get, if you want to win.

Face it, governor, after your first year one would think it’s impossible in Wisconsin to make Scott Walker look like a sympathetic figure.

But some of these folks — rude, crude, sometimes indecent — are managing to make that happen.

Why?

Because the Midwest and Wisconsin remain home territory for regular folks who still value decency, civility, manners and mild behavior. They are put off by outlandish misconduct.

Even a lot of people who may not like you much, governor, probably like these louts even less.

WHICH BRINGS ME to the reason for this column — the way a group of protesters treated some local residents at last weekend’s Republican Party gathering at the Eclipse Center in Beloit.

I happened to see a Facebook post put up by Mark Finnegan. Mark and his family run Finnegan’s RV, but he and his brother John are best known in recent years for the outstanding VetsRoll program. The project has taken hundreds of World War II and Korea Era veterans, all expenses paid, to Washington to view the war memorials and receive the honors they so richly deserve. It’s one of the best and most selfless efforts in our area, which is why the Finnegans received last year’s Beloit Daily News Laurence A. Raymer Headliner Award.

Mark was an invited guest at the Republicans’ Lincoln Day Dinner. He wasn’t there to be political. As Mark noted, “I go to great lengths to remain politically neutral.” He was there strictly to tell the group about the VetsRoll program.

He brought three others with him: “I had three honored guests with me, a WWII veteran who arrived by himself, plus an 87-year-old (I believe) WWII Navy WAVE (female veteran) and my own 86-year-old mother, a ‘Rosie-the-Riveter’ during WWII.”

...Mark said as they arrived he saw a crowd of “boisterous” protesters, “with a few even laying down on the ground in front of the doors to disrupt guests from entering. As I escorted my WAVE guest through the crowd, we were met with an onslaught of profanity, boos, taunting and a childish, obnoxious guy with a bullhorn.”

From that point, it got worse.

“After I guided her safely inside, I went back out to meet my arriving mother and to escort her through this intimidating group. Someone in the group recognized who I was and immediately the crowd began a chant of ‘Boycott Finnegans’ RV Center!’ ... I met my mother and convinced her that these people were simply expressing their ‘rights’ and that she would be safe. She somewhat reluctantly agreed to walk in. ... As we tried to walk through the group again, these people (not kids, mostly in their 40s to 60s) continued to focus their boycott chant on our family name and business of 43 years, crowding, screaming and booing not only me, but my beloved 86-year-old mother. The moron with the bullhorn walked beside us while leading the ‘Boycott Finnegans’ chant with that thing only about 12 inches from my ear and that of my mother’s.”

Mark notes that, on behalf of VetsRoll, he has spoken to and received enthusiastic support from various unions in several communities. He points out that VetsRoll supporters come from all walks of life, with the full diversity of political opinions.

But because he dared show up at this gathering — not as a political advocate, but to represent VetsRoll — he and his elderly guests were abused.

Why would these thugs harass women in their late 80s?

Have they no concern or respect for these elderly people?

It's truly unconscionable that they would behave like this.

The good Leftists, assuming there are some, need to speak out against these disgusting tactics. They need to condemn their brothers and sisters. If they remain silent, they are, in effect, condoning the inexcusable behavior.

The thugs continue their pattern of violating innocent and vulnerable people, all in the name of attacking Scott Walker.

Again and again, they display a stunning lack of decency.

They are ruthless.

They are repulsive.

They are helping to reelect Scott Walker.

No comments: