Air Force officer allegedly vandalized cars with pro-Bush bumper stickers

[curlyred]

DENVER - Denver police say a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force has admitted to vandalizing cars bearing pro-President Bush bumper stickers at Denver International Airport.

Police say he's responsible for thousands of dollars in damage on at least 12 cars. Lt. Colonel Alexis Fecteau, 42, of Colorado Springs, turned himself in to Denver police Friday.

snip

Jackson said one of the detectives put out a bait car in late June, complete with a Bush/Cheney 2004 bumper sticker, in the west economy lot at DIA. On July 1st, with a security camera zoomed in to watch, an SUV drove by the bait car, and a short time later a man entered the scene. The man in the video appeared to spray paint something on the back of the car and then continued to do something on the side of the car.

When officers returned to the bait car, the bumper sticker had been painted over and the words "F--- Bush" were spray-painted on the side of the car.

http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=9df2862a-0abe-421a-01c3-e6d725b784e0&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf

Wow. Just...wow.

[skooooo]

1. everyone's turning against bush

[BrendaStarr]

58. Yes, but there are a lot of legal and more helpful things that can be done

to help turn the country around.

Sorry to see someone screw up his life like that.

Get out and fight the fight of ideas everyday in the mixed forums on the Internet and then see what we really can do.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

71. Fighting for Ideas can only be carried so far before the fight becomes...

...much more up-close and personal. Ask the Founding Fathers.

[JAbuchan08]

2. I shouldn't say anything to encourage this.....

but I gotta agree with the sentiment

[Kelvin Mace]

9. I agree with the sentiment

but you don't vandalize people's cars.

Now, a sticker to "modify" the bumper sticker...

[JAbuchan08]

19. No vandalization

but sometimes I wonder if the law means anything anymore in the current environment. I guess when it doesn't we should stick to principle (sigh)

[jobycom]

43. Hard to worry about following the laws when BushCo so blatantly

breaks it, isn't it?

I remember the week leading to the invasion, when it was obvious this monster was going to do it no matter what. I remember feeling that there were no laws anymore, that anyone who supported this illegal slaughter had forfeited their rights to the protection of law and government.

Sad to say, I'm not really upset by with this man did.

[JAbuchan08]

50. It was like Deja Vu only it hadn't happened yet wasn't it?

I felt like Cassandra realized. Like, "let me think what asshole move Bush could make today and then 9 times out of 10 he'd do it. Of course now that Bush screwing up is like Murphy's law addendum A. I don't feel it so much.
What we need is a people's coup. There's got to be a way to demonstrate that a significant minority (majority?) of this country has revoked its "consent" to be governed by this administration.

[jobycom]

65. A "people's coup" has another name

It's called revolution. I think that's what I felt-- I remember feeling for the first time like I really understood our Founders and why they rebelled. I've always thought of them as heroic but spoiled primadonnas eager for a war to save a few tax dollars. I think in that week leading to the war, I felt that I understood exactly what government was supposed to be, exactly what law was, and exactly why the Founders felt they owed allegiance to a higher law.

[Mike Daniels]

80. So, it would be O.K. if someone did it to your car?

Didn't think so......

[jobycom]

97. Oh, wow, I would never have made that connection without you

pointing it out. You've just completely made me see things in a completely different light. I am so grateful to you for pointing out the obvious error in my thinking.

(Do I really need to put the little sarcasm thingie here?)

[JAbuchan08]

98. Hold it on the snark there buddy,

nobody was advocating keying cars I was just observing that I sometimes feel like acting out, but I restrain myself. I empathize with the guy's anger, but I don't advocate doing what he did.

It seems to me that if there are enough people in this country upset at this administration to act on it then we could demonstrate that half the country refuses to answer to a government based on a succession of criminal acts and deceptions. Obviously this guy was acting out of frustration and not channeling it positively either. I just empathized I didn't say I approved.

[AlamoDemoc]

3. hahaha Give that man The Medal of Freedom

[Ian David]

27. Here it is

[AlamoDemoc]

40. Thanks IanDB1...wow, it looks beautiful close-up

[joeunderdog]

69. How 'bout a raise and a promotion? That's how we do it.

Seems like every time there's some "misstep" someone gets a better job with more money. This guy has my vote for a big, fat raise.



BTW--how come there was no surveillance when my car got keyed with an ANTI-Bush bumper sticker on it?

[VegasWolf]

4. Now why would some members of the military not appreciate BabbleBrain?

[OKDem08]

12. yeah, I shouldn't encourage it either, but...

:applause: :yourock: :applause: :woohoo: :rofl: :patriot:

[Inland]

5. Weird. Didn't get that from US. nt

[MissB]

6. Wonder if they'll throw him out.

And gee, I wonder what drove him to that particular sentiment?

[tabasco]

39. He'll get a letter of reprimand.

The guy will be able to retire as a LTC which isn't a bad deal. He used bad judgment.

I'm an Army vet. All the Army vets I know hate Bush's guts.

[stepnw1f]

7. Wow...

I guess people are fed up. Especially our military! They should be.

[sniffa]

8. and of course...

this story wiLL be beat to death.

yet, how many of our cars are keyed and such?

[skooooo]

11. let them beat it to death...

However you interpret it, it's bad for Bush.

[meganmonkey]

75. Sometimes I think I'd rather have my car keyed

than put up with the verbal assaults and threats I've gotten in parking lots (and I quote: "Go to hell, you stupid fucking cunt bitch" - do you think the guy would have said that to me if I hadn't been alone? :puke: )

[Mountainman]

10. So contrary to what freeps say, Bush doesn't own all the military.

I like it how wing nuts think the military is automatically pro Bush and anti Clinton.

I don't think what the guy did was right but I am glad there are people in the military who think Bush is as big an ass hole as I think he is.

Double Fuck Bush!

[liberaliraqvet26]

29. No he doesn't...

not even close. You can't even bring his name up at the VA hospital here.

[Qanisqineq]

68. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! no

He does not own all the military. No, no, no. I know soooo many soldiers that despise Bush.

[TankLV]

13. I can understand it - but it's still wrong.

We raise hell when they do it to us - and rightly so.

[applegrove]

14. Wow! I guess I'll have to knock on doors now for sure.

My plans were to get a whole pile of bumper stickers and go door to door giving them out for free. The next time the freak shows up in my town - I may do it. I am so tired of the poison seeping through the minds of foolish little Canadians who need 'control' over others.

Just kidding about the stickers. I am way to chicken to knock on doors.

[ovidsen]

15. So much for making the Joint Chiefs of Staff

I can appreciate the guy's sentiment, but spray painting cars is just such a hollow statement. If he had been less obvious and more subversive, he could have changed a lot more minds....

[callous taoboy]

16. Who said this:

I may disagree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.

Myself, I like to find cars with yellow ribbon and B/C '04 sticker and place under wiper a well-written letter authored by a DU poster, a Vietnam infantry veteran that basically says kudos to you if you've served in the military or have loved ones serving. But if you have not served then you may not know that the only support a soldier at war needs is fire support, so for your convenience I am leaving you with enlistment papers.

[TomInTib]

34. Thomas Paine n/t

[garthranzz]

38. I love it!

But it should be "served then" not "served than". Or simply "served, you". (Sorry, it's the English teacher in me.)

[callous taoboy]

41. Lousy job of paraphrasing-

It is correct on the original. Thanks

[OKDem08]

56. great idea!

where do you get the 'enlistment papers'?

[happyslug]

74. Its called Form DD-4

And you can download one here:
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/pdf/enlistment.pdf

[Orangepeel]

61. the quote is associated with Voltaire

(a Frenchman! That's why republicans don't like free speech!)

but I think I remember reading that it was in, like, a bio of Voltaire as the kind of thing he would have said. :shrug:

[DoYouEverWonder]

89. After the last selection

I would start ranting and raving whenever I saw a Bushbot driving down the road.

In order to more appropriately vent my rage, I've taken to putting one my little holy cards on cars that have Bush stickers & ribbons. I always feel so much better right after I've tagged one.





?bnm

[TexasLawyer]

106. I Like that--

Also something that I've been doing is leaving notes about the web-site "AnySoldier.com," where the self-proclaimed supporters of the military can get names and addresses of soldiers, along with the soldiers' wish-lists. Then, they can mail the soldiers some letters and care packages.

The soldier wish lists are real eye-openers. These guys (and gals) need things like flea collars-- for THEMSELVES.

For a lot of my yuppie, Re-thug co-workers, this war is a complete abstraction. I figure that if people can form a personal bond with some real men and women over there, then they might actually give a sh%t about what happens.

[VegasWolf]

17. This might be a bad move career wise. nt

[54anickel]

28. *SNARF*

[KeepItReal]

18. Methinks the Lt. Col. is pissed off to the *highest* of pissed-tivity

Damn...

[proud patriot]

54. Methinks you are correct

:think:

[kodi]

20. are people that stupid not realize video cameras are everywhere?

if you are going to do damage in a public place, you must wear a disguise.

christ, what is this world coming to? are folks so ignorant of what modern technology can do?

how do you think this guy has stayed alive for a dozen years?

[Blue_Tires]

108. who is that? n/t

[kodi]

109. Subcommander Marcos of the Chiapas Uprisings

he is still alive a dozen years later because his identity is unknown.

[Wickerman]

21. A very poor way to express oneself

Frankly, I am surprised he made it to LtCol. And of course, with any luck at all he will be retired at something much less than Lt Col, though he might get drummed out without that benefit. Sucks to be him.

I agree with the sentiment but that is such a hollow gesture.

I know our Kerry bumper stickers were defaced and it only furthered our resolve. Can't imagine how I would feel about spray paint!

[SeaRust]

22. The indoctrination didn't Take?

I was under the impression that the AF and Colorado in particular was a hotbed of seething evangelism? Maybe he was from out of town.

[PassingFair]

23. Horrible, horrible. He must be punished.

Now how can I contribute to his defense fund?

[neuvocat]

26. Mental Illness?

Let's just face it, the guy lost his mind somewhere since Bush took office.

[slutticus]

24. Your thread title confused me at first...

...I thought he was USING the * bumper stickers to vandalize cars.

LOL.


I'd be pissed if someone slapped one of those on my car. That would be vandalism.

[Olney Blue]

25. I wonder if he had been to Iraq-

lost a friend, knows something... its highly unusual for this type of action again the CIC. There is more to this story.

[Bumblebee]

30. Sure it came to them as an utter shock!

They expected a 20 something student or a gray-haired hippie. I am sorry for him and what will happen to him but what a delightful surprise!:toast:

[Bumblebee]

42. Not that I condone it, of course

After all I don't want my car vandalized because I have anti-Bush bumper stickers. And yet, in his case, it's different somehow, because of what he is and where it took place. This is a statement of a dissident. Remember, this is the Air Academy where everyone was supposed to be a Christian and pray. I would contribute to his legal fund too -- and their insurance, I am sure, will be happy to cover their damage since they suffered for their "patriotic" beliefs.

[jobycom]

44. No, of course, not. I don't condone it, either!

:sarcasm:

Face it. The other side supports an illegal, unjust war that has slaughtered tens of thousands of innocent humans. My respect for the property rights of people who support the invasion is a bit weaker than my horror at what has been done, illegally, with my tax dollars and my nation's image.

Maybe that's why it seems different, somehow. The only reason I wouldn't vandalize the cars of W supporters is because I don't want mine vandalized. And to be honest, I feel like a coward for it.

[eridani]

47. The Golden Rule isn't cowardly at all

Vandalism is out of bounds--he could have done a bumpersticker modification and left the car alone.

[jobycom]

63. No, but it is sometimes complex

If you were a child in a foreign land under attack by enemy soldiers, would you want the people of that foreign land to do anything they could to stop the attacks before they killed your family, even if that meant vandalizing the private property of supporters of the war to draw attention to the outrage? For a military officer much closer to the know than a civilian, he was making a powerful statement--one the media pretended didn't exist.

To a nation being slaughtered by our soldiers, worrying about the private property of our opponents so as not to upset them must seem pretty trite. I'll bet they wish that was their biggest dilemma.

[artemisia1]

105. You feel like a coward for respecting private property and the rule

of law? Two wrongs don't make a right, dude.

[jody]

31. The officer will probably be convicted of a felony, be kicked out

of the USAF, and lose all retirement benefits he earned in his probably 18 plus years of service.

Those are possibilities to consider.

[VegasWolf]

32. Just call it Post Traumatic War Syndrome. nt

[AuntiBush]

33. Just Wait Till The Rest Of Them Make It Home...

Not all, but here's betting it will be plenty! Who can blame them.


http://www.undermars.com/

[Vinnie From Indy]

35. Another Tragic Victim of Smirky's Unification Credo

n/t

[ignatius 2]

36. Christ,I hope they support this troop and don't court

martial him. Those dumbasses with the Bush bumper stickers ought to think about who they are supporting when the soldiers are turning against him.

[AtomicKitten]

37. Hey

somebody had to deface the Bush bumper stickers, right?

[jobycom]

45. So who's organizing a fund for his defense?

I'll chip in.

[JanMichael]

46. Look, I know the anti-vandals will hate him, but YES!!!

We have entered uncertain times and while this may look like simple vandalism for some, it's a sign of HOPE for me.

[salin]

48. While I understand the temptation

that was a really stupid thing to do.

Heck - at least use removeable (thus - no damage/liability) materials. Post it notes with tape - to tape over pro-bush sentiments (eg change "bush cheney" to "Bush will chain us...")

Wish dude luck, but not a smart thing to do.

Odd thing this "sting" sorta action to catch him, though. Guess there are no serious crimes going on in Denver ... I mean - a couple hundred (or a thousand) in property damage is certainly more important (if the sentiment expressed is anti bush) than a stolen car worth ten or twenty thousand...

[Jim Sagle]

49. Not a Good Thing, but a VERY good SIGN!

[geckosfeet]

51. Stupid AF m*****f***er got his ass caught.

Vandalism does not really help anyone. Look what happened in Iraq!

on edit: Iraq was vandalized by a spoiled boy king,,,

[texanwitch]

52. O my goodness, how terrible.

:sarcasm:

[wli]

53. but on whose orders?

[Miss Chybil]

55. Too bad he's going to get in a lot of trouble, but I'm sure he weighed the

consequences of his actions. Which is more than anyone can say about Bush.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

57. I'm horrified by this act of vandalism

But I think I want to send him a Christmas card, especially if he goes to jail.

[TomClash]

59. How bad is what Lt. Colonel Alexis Fecteau did?

He didn't drive drunk.
He didn't snort coke.
He didn't go AWOL.
He didn't shirk his duties.
He didn't lie to billions of people.
He didn't send thousands off to die.
He didn't send tens of thousands off to get maimed.
He didn't steal elections.

So I guess he can't be President.

[daleo]

60. I wonder if the police would have gone to this much trouble

Over a pro-Bush vandalizer? i.e. if the man would have been painting over anti-Bush signs instead.

[bobbieinok]

62. many DUers claim cars 'fixed' b/c of stickers...was there a sting operatio

then????

[deadparrot]

64. That's not cool.

I don't support vandalism, no matter what the cause.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

70. I don't support getting these guys killed based on a pack of lies....

...while I don't support vandalism, the cost of EACH and every American killed and maimed in Iraq is worth for more to me than the total coast of all the vehicles vandalized in this incident.

If you think this is bad, wait until the troops REALLY get pissed off by what the NeoCons are doing to them.

[deadparrot]

95. Of course the deaths are worse,

and I'm glad that those who are disillusioned with the military are finding a voice, but it still doesn't make vandalism a good thing. It's a matter of degrees. This is relatively low on the scale of wrongdoing, IMO, but it's also not fair to commend them.

[MrScorpio]

66. I appreciate the sentiment, but property damage is just wrong

Bush: Worse Commander-in-Chief EVER!!!!!

[wishlist]

67. One of victims was a big Bush friend and Oil company owner

This is why there was such law enforcement concern and action over the vandalism:

"One of the vandalized cars belongs to Jeremy Kinney, owner of Kinney Oil Co. of Denver. Kinney is a long-time friend of President George W. Bush. The two attended Yale together in the 1960s and have remained friends ever since.

"You feel violated in a sense when something like this happens, but it was more disappointment than anger," said Kinney, who worked on both of George W. Bush's presidential campaigns. "

[ewagner]

72. LT COLONEL ???????

I associate this kind of action from a 20-something Lt....not a 42 year-old Field Grade Officer......

I don't condone the actions and I am totally mystified what motivated a 42 year old to have this kind of poor judgement.

[LisaL]

73. An intense dislike of Bush?

[Lost4words]

76. When the police dont arrest guys like this we will be making real progress

[Lost4words]

77. I gotta admit, I've thought about it.

I do show ZERO courtesy to these fascists if they are displaying support for this junta. But then I realize that the person driving might not be the owner of the auto so I keep it to a minimum.

[TX-RAT]

82. So you approve of vandalism?

[Ruby Romaine]

78. It sounds to me like a Rovian action- perhaps he's a Bush supporter

& wants to make us look bad-
Repukes do this all of the time.

[CarinKaryn]

93. This was my first thought- he's a repugnent

Trying to make us look bad. And how conveinent - he's "caught" on video, has all the evidence with him and volunteers that he vandalized other cars that weren't linked to him.

Yeah, right.

They will stop at nothing. We must stop at nothing to stop them.

[Jack The Tab]

79. Does this make any sense at all to anyone?

This guy is a 42 yo officer in the Air Force, in Denver, no less. Haven't we all heard that the Air Force in Colorado is basically a hotbed of pro-Bush Christian fanatics? Yet I'm to believe that this guy, an officer, is going around SPRAYPAINTING cars in public?

Im sorry, but something about this stinks. The Air Force is planning no disciplinary action on this?

Call me crazy, but this all sounds made up. He just so happened to have all his vandalism equipment in the car with him too!

It would be very interesting to see this guy's career path after this all blows over.

[Dora]

81. Huh. Peculiar.

Posts 78 and 79 raise some good questions. My first thought after reading the article was, "What's his party affiliation?"

Can anybody track down voter registration rolls for Colorado Springs?

Something isn't passing the smell test. Seriously. We ALL know and understand that vandalism is bad, and if we're going to do something as bottom-scraping as vandalism that we should 1) use non-permanent methods and 2) don't do it where you will be caught.

An AIRPORT PARKING GARAGE?

No. No. It's a set up.

[Kolesar]

83. Alexis Fecteau's previous job was probably reporting on WMDs

The GOP has a whole cadre of mean bastards to do their dirty work for them. A google and teoma search came up with nothing on "Alexis Fecteau", though.

[Dora]

84. Nothing in Lexis-Nexis.

[El Supremo]

85. Air Force Officer allegedly targeted vehicles with Bush stickers

An Air Force Reserve lieutenant colonel stationed at Peterson Air Force Base has surrendered to Denver police after he was allegedly tied to the vandalism of cars with pro-President Bush stickers at Denver International Airport....

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3991219,00.html

[sui generis]

86. sheesh

now if only they could find the other 20,000 or so republican fuckers who ran around keying cars with Kerry stickers and put THEM in the news . . .

[samsingh]

91. sounds like he's a hero to me

[El Supremo]

87. Air Force Officer allegedly targeted vehicles with Bush stickers

This thread has been combined with another thread.

Click here to read this message in its new location.

[Ruby Romaine]

88. it's a repuke setup- Get Cindy out of the news!

[Shakespeare]

90. Agent provocateur.

So don't be so quick to congratulate this asshole for being anti-Bush.

[Roland99]

92. Even the left has its morans. What an idiot.

[HockeyMom]

94. Make up fliers posting his Anti Bush War Message

and put them under the wipers on all cars with Pro Bush stickers. If advertisers can do that, why not anyone?

Gets the message across, but isn't vandalism.

[ibegurpard]

96. Set up?

If this was a set-up why would they use a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force as their patsy?
Would it not make more sense for it be a hippietreehuggerpinkocommie? Interesting. It seems that even the troops are beginning to "not support the troops."
The guy shouldn't be vandalizing people's property. I understand his anger but accomplishes nothing except making him personally feel better.

[Piperay]

99. WOW

:wow: now that is unusual because probably 99% of the time the pro-chimpy people are the ones who vandalize our side.

[Eloriel]

100. An LTC? Wow. That's heavy-duty. n/t

[MADem]

101. WHAT A DUMBASS!!!

That frightens me--this clown was a LIGHT COLONEL???? What a MORON!!!!!! THIS is our MILITARY nowadays??? USAF standards must have slipped badly of late...

First of all, any idiot knows that airport parking is covered via video like a jimmyhat--the same as military installation parking at high security bases and government buildings.

Secondly, I don't condone that sort of crap at all. If he wanted to make a point, he could put a flyer under the windshield wiper, directing the car owner to the nearest recruiting station. Spray paint and obscenities do nothing to advance any discussion WRT replacing the chimp with a real leader...but who knows, it could well be that was the effect he was going for--to make Democrats look bad.

I'd love to know his party affiliation, or if he is due for orders to Iraq....

If he doesn't have 20 yet, and I'll bet he doesn't, he just lost his retirement. What a putz!

[Old Vet]

102. He lost a friend in action, Or snapped, I feel sorry ..........

For him on a couple levels. Hes devoted his whole life to a whats become an exit game, Whats it all been for.

[MADem]

110. He clearly snapped, whatever the reason

But it always surprises me when someone who has jumped through that many hoops in the selection board process manages to screw up in such profound and immature fashion. Selection boards are very political as one advances in rank, but there is also a minimum level of performance and competence that is considered during the process. This guy did not have "the right stuff" to make it to 0-5, but somehow he slipped through. It would be interesting to speak to someone who sat on his last board and find out how that happened.

[Pepperbelly]

103. I confess ... a big part of me likes the hell out of this.

These ignorant bastards have inflicted upon the greatest of the Western democracies a curse the likes of which we haven't seen before. A worthless shithead President who seems to go out of his way to do exactly the WRONG things at every turn. These people that voted for him are very insulted from the horrors, crimes, atrocities, muggings, and assorted mayhem that Bush deals daily to virtually everyone else in the whole world. Think of it! America as a parody of itself, a 1984ish corporate daisychain of corruption and malfeasance in the highest places.

Arg!

I know. I know. Vandalism is a bad thing. Shouldn't be tolerated and all that. But honestly, I smiled when I read it. I'm still smiling.

At least, I am honest.

[sakabatou]

104. Not the best or brightest way to protest

[Blue_Tires]

107. corporate media will run with this

the local affiliates here played the story tonight, two time zones away (Norfolk, VA)