Ripped sign spurs national debate (DU Mentioned!)

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

 



By JIM ROSS - The Herald-Dispatch

HUNTINGTON -- Barboursville resident Phil Parlock and his children became national celebrities in the world of Internet blogging and conservative talk radio on Friday.
The Associated Press

Sophia Parlock, 3, cries while seated on the shoulders of her father, Phil Parlock, after having their Bush-Cheney sign torn up by Kerry-Edwards supporters Thursday at the Tri-State Airport in Huntington.

A Bush-Cheney campaign sign yanked from the hands of 3-year-old Sophia Parlock and ripped into pieces was the focus of all the attention. The incident occurred Thursday evening at Tri-State Airport during Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards’ campaign stop.
-snip-

But several Democratic-oriented Web sites, such as democraticunderground.com, picked up on the story, too, and bloggers started doing some research into Parlock’s background. They found news articles showing he had claimed to have been assaulted at Democratic events in 2000 and 1996.

http://www.hdonline.com/2004/September/18/LNtop1.htm

[Carolab]

1. So of course

this just gets reported in the the little local paper.

AND what about all of the people who are ASSAULTED protesting Bush? What about all of the people whose TICKETS are ripped up when they try to attend rallies wearing Kerry gear? What about the thousands of protesters who were illegally arrested and locked up during the RNC???

[ClintonTyree]

17. Isn't it sad....................

when blogs have to do the work of the so called "news organizations". No one would have ever known about this serial disruptor if not for Atrios, DU etc. The "media" have become nothing more than stenographers.
You're correct, this little episode pales in comparison to the assaults (and they were assaults) on Kerry supporters. I'm beginning to lose all hope for this country.

[trapper914]

18. Arrested and locked up for a month

I guess it was just over a year ago in Indianapolis, when Bush came to visit. Along the motorcade route, a demostrator was waving a large U.N. flag. The secret service ordered the Indy police to arrest him...which they did, but not before charging him with assault and assisting arrest. Unfortunately for them, there were plenty of witnesses. The demonstrator (I believe his name was Carl Rising-Moore) refused to allow himself to be bailed out as he awaited a court date. It didn't take long for the charges to be dismissed once he got his day in front of a jury.

This got some press in Indy, but I didn't see it go national. There was no outrage...no references to the first amendment coming from the right. Hmmm...wonder why?

[struggle4progress]

19. I think he's known to peace activists.

<snip> Other protesters identified the man as Carl Rising-Moore, a house painter from Fishers. <snip>
http://www.veteransforpeace.org/VFP_member_arrested_051303.htm

[Moderator]

2. DU Copyright Rules

This is a great article, and it's really cool that DU is mentioned, but please remember in the future to limit your article excerpts to four paragraphs or less, so that DU complies with copyright laws.

Be sure to leave in that DU paragraph, of course. ;-)

Thanks!

DU Moderator

[Eloriel]

23. If I may --

I'd like to elaborate a little.

The "four paragraph" guideline is usually considered (esp. online?) to be acceptable for copyrighted material (which virtually everything is, whether tagged with a copyright symbol or not), under the "fair use" doctrine of the copyright laws. There isn't any law restricting excerpts to 4 paragraphs, that's just a convenient guideline for avoiding violation of copyright violation.

If I'm not mistaken, FreeRepublic has been sued several times for copyright infringement because their members keep posting entire articles.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Outstanding story. Now we know why he needed to drag along the kid!

The signs held at normal height by him or his sons were being covered up by Kerry-Edwards signs, and having the tot on his shoulders allowed him extension above the crowd.

Devious cretin.

Seeing DU's name mentioned after the outstanding work done Friday by some DU'ers was too cool. Very impressive.

[vajraroshana]

36. Hate to say it, but children don't belong at political rallies...

At any of them this year. Emotions are running too high.

When I was a kid my dad took me and my brothers to a Wallace rally. He wasn't a Wallace supporter, but he wanted us to go see it.

The very next week Wallace was shot at a rally. I remember seeing that on TV over and over and just freaking out crying. I was only about three or four.

Tensions are very high folks, please stay safe and consider leaving the kids at home.

[Norquist Nemesis]

4. If the sign was "ripped out of her hands"

then why is Parlock holding it in all of the photos? Not only that, why is he holding a big piece of it? They make it sound like the sign was ripped to shreds! :shrug:

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

5. he kept pulling out signs

i was there

[Eye and Monkey]

6. so...what did you see?

[demgrrrll]

9. Something about this isn't right. Exactly who ripped up the sign?

Was it the relative that is standing next to him in the photograph with a piece of the sign in his hands? Check Atrios story on this
{http://atrios.blogspot.com/] Hmmmm Scroll down to Coinkydinks.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

10. i didn't see it, but...

i was at the front waiting to shake edwards' hand, but two of my union friends (very good friends, whose credibility i vouch for 100%)at the back saw it all.

here's what i put in another thread (i'm lazy and don't feel like typing it again)

"a friend of mine who saw it has told me that as parlock repeatedly kept pulling out signs as they were taken from him, one of the union officials said to him "look, maybe you'd better go-you're getting your daughter scared" that's when parlock put the sign into her hands in defiance."

then someone grabbed it from her-oddly enough, no one recognized him, adding weight to the parlock's son as the ripper conspiracy

another thing: they were giving out union shirts in line, which makes it very, very possible

that's as much as i know, but i can inquire further tomorrow when i call them if anyone needs more info

[JI7]

11. can you start your own thread in GD 2004 forum on this ?

on the subject say you were there and then explain everything you saw and heard about the event including little things like shirts being passed out. it will be interesting to see and maybe others who were there might add something.

[girl gone mad]

12. They were giving out union shirts in line?

Is there any way to verify this with the union?

This is another piece in the puzzle.

I was very hesitant to post my opinion that the Union guy in the photo was a plant, and possibly one of Parlock's sons. The side by side comparison with the elder Parlock was what convinced me that it needed to ne looked in to. One thing that got me started in that direction (aside from the fact that Parlock likes to use his children in his demonstrations, and they are a very close family) is the conflicting information about the older son, and also the comment that the sign was thrown at them as they were standing around while people left.

What's happening in the pictures doesn't quite mesh with their story, to me, but that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't true.

[stevebreeze]

38. It is not unusual for IUPAT to be handing out their shirts at rallies

I have two of them, from the Blogyovich campaign 2 years ago.

[progressivebydesign]

28. He's pretty agile.. holding a 3 year on his shoulder, whipping out signs

Sounds like a lunatic.

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. Why did he keep pulling out signs?

What else did you see?

[shanti]

26. the idiot

had numerous signs in his pant leg...

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

7. also-remeber that wv gop headquarters that was shot at a few weeks back?

it made drudge and all the rightwing sites

by some coincidence, mr parlock just happened to be there on that night and was a little too happy to talk to the media, according to the charleston gazette

as i mentioned in an earlier thread, we may be looking at a serial stager
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2366792

[Spangle]

13. Child welfare needs to be called about child endangerment!!!

He brought lots of signs, which shows he expected "problems."

And he took his daughter into such a situation? WHAT kind of parent is that?

I remember when there was some protest against Bush some where and parents who had their kids there at this peaceful protest ended up with their kids getting an eye full of pepper spray. The big then being said then, was WHY did the protesters have kids THERE. These people were not expecting "problems" and didn't think their kids would be in danger. It was their first political protests. Some where just walking by and joined in, etc.

This guy expected it. He brought lots of signs.

It doesn't matter if that boy is his son. He still brought a very young child into a situation that HE made "hot." HRS or Child Welfare needs to be called about this child endangerment. He wasn't a "newbie", he KNEW what he was doing!

[radfringe]

14. at a recent bush* appearance

here in NE-PA, a woman tried to get tickets

she had to fill out a form with her name/address etc - was told it was for "security" reasons

then she was asked if she "supported" bush - when she said "no, but I still want to hear what he has to say" -- she was denied tickets

the reason "...afraid she would be a disruptive element..."

There have been other similar stories where people had to sign "loyalty oaths" before allowed tickets, and then there are those forms where they are asked their party affiliation but denied tickets if they put down "democratic"

soooooo, where are these stories in the big media world?

When I went to get tickets for the Kerry rally (7/31) the only question I was asked is "what color ticket" would I like. Because of the venue the color tickets determined which section/area you were allowed to be. While standing in line at the rally - volunteers were freely circulating with available tickets and handing them out to anyone who asked -- no questions, no loyalty oaths to sign, no forms to fill out

[leftchick]

15. I agree Rad! This is one HUGE story the mainstream media is missing..

I have heard it mentioned on Countdown and on Tweety's show a couple of times. The Nightly News needs to do a piece on aWol*s Loyalty Oath Pledged Crowds!!!

[ima_sinnic]

16. how can I e-mail this slimeball?

what an effing jerk!!
"trying to change people's minds" with his g-d signs--?! of all the stupid things--like someone's going to change their mind just because some freeper is there with a sign with Bushit's name on it.
And that guy on the left is obviously his son, the resemblance is startling. Anybody who says no should get his or her eyes examined, it's a no-brainer.
What a piece of work--and with 10 children no less! I hope he is exposed for the cretinous slimeball he truly is. I would love to send him a piece of my mind.

[Mixxster]

27. I don't believe for a minute that he's "trying to change people's minds".

He is either staging these events or purposely inciting people to bring negative publicity to Democrats.

[ClassWarrior]

20. Any new local details?

[lordwhorfin]

22. The article

linked above is still giving Parlock the last word and he repeats the denial that the guy in the union shirt is know to him. I wonder how this is going to play out.

[Judi Lynn]

24. If only someone had access to the highschool annual for the kid.

A newspaper needs to send a reporter there who would report the REAL story. Shouldn't take someone who knew what he was doing to find out all you'd want to know about these critters.

He wouldn't need to contact the town reporter the father brought with him. I'm afraid he'd be no help at all.

[the_right_is_wrong]

21. ho hum

a ripped sign is not the end of the world. what about all the kids in iraq lying in hospital beds

[Southsideirish]

25. If she weren't a little white "Shirley Temple" type blond - no one

would care if she cried or not.

[Flapjacks]

29. Not that I agree with this guy but...

The gist I'm getting here is that this guy and his daughter are disputers and Kerry supporters who've done the same thing are protesters. I'm not for double standards.

[JohnnyCougar]

30. Kerry protestors don't traumatize their children

in exchange for media attention

[Chico Man]

32. The gist is... this guy is seriously screwed up

And his daughter is in a very unfortunate situation.

Get it right, will ya?

[denverbill]

31. Hiding behind his child. Pretty pathetic.

If he was a man, he'd leave the kids at home.

We've seen how Republicans treat Democratic hecklers. Apparently, this guy was afraid to stand up alone, or even with his 21 year old son. He had to hide behind his three year old so he didn't have to be afraid of physical harm.

[mimitabby]

33. can we call the UNION and find out who that guy is??

does anyone know that union??

[Ohio rules]

34. A union press release

from this union.



http://www.ibpat.org/news/WVa.html

I don't know if they have updated or even talked to the person who ripped the sign out of the girls hands.

[mimitabby]

37. i wrote to t hem maybe they'll write back

[JusticeForAll]

39. The union guy appears to be...

one of the disruptor's sons - Maybe someone will post the thread where the DU-based follow-up investigation was done. The pictures of his family and the picture of this alleged "union" man are very similar

[vajraroshana]

35. The Children, the children....

blah, blah, blah.

This thing stinks to high heaven.

Yeah, this is SO much worse than ripping a sign out of lady's hand, pulling her down to the floor and kicking her (RNC). /end sarcasm

Does anyone know what happened to that lady and the thug whose smug mug was seen clearly after he kicked her (it looked like he kicked her in the head)?

[whattheheck]

40. Bush reaches out to console Parlocks (US News)

wow, i just saw the latest usnews + world distort, and read all about how president bush contacted parlock's daughter to tell her he was so sorry to hear about how she had been abused... can someone who did research on parlock write a nice and entertaining LTTE to them about this? I'm afraid I'm not eloquent enough to make the point that they got served (well enough to make it into the letters section at least).

<snip>
After seeing the picture of the tearful Sophia on her father's shoulders, aides said the president was sending her a little note Friday along with a signed campaign poster and an autographed photo of the prez and his dog. "Dear Sophia," Bush penned, "Thank you for supporting my campaign. I understand someone tore up your sign. So I am sending you a new sign and a signed picture. Please give my best to your family. Sincerely, George W. Bush." And on the picture, he inked: "To Sophia, Best wishes from me and Barney." Phil Parlock tells us it really wasn't necessary. "He already said 'Thank you' when he hugged her" at a previous Bush rally they attended, he says. "She bragged for days."
<snip>

scroll down to the bottom of this page for the story ...
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/040927/whispers/27whisplead.htm

[gasperc]

41. so was Bush pissed when he found out it was the girl's dad

that tore up the sign??