Father threatens suicide in protest at soldier's death (UK)

[lostnfound]

http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/09/29/nhang29.xml

Father threatens suicide in protest at soldier's death
By Sally Pook and Charles Clover
(Filed: 29/09/2004)

The father of a soldier killed in Iraq threatened to hang himself on the West Pier in Brighton yesterday, moments before Tony Blair's speech at the Labour Party conference.

Reginald Keys climbed a pylon at the front of the pier with a noose tied around his neck and told police he would jump.

He called the Prime Minister a war criminal and demanded an apology for the death of his son, Lance-Corporal Thomas Richard Keys, 20, who was killed near Basra in June last year.

Mr Keys, 52, from Bala, north Wales, was persuaded to climb down after an hour and, clearly distraught, was comforted by police officers.
<Snip>

[lostnfound]

1. At least he found a voice.

It must be so devastating to lose a son like that, and then on top of it, to feel as if your voice is not even heard in this modern world.

God give him peace.

[FLSurfer]

2. I heard you Mr. Keys

I am so sorry for your loss and wish you the best.

[mbperrin]

4. I did, too! I'm 52 myself

and thought about what might happen if anything happened to my son when he deployed last year. About the same, I fear. How DO the people on both sides whose children are dead cope?

Get out, get out now!

[xchrom]

3. oh god -- that sends shivers.

no wmds.
what are all these children dying for?
well -- you have to conclude that george and tony thought that there were not enough western hating people in the middle east who were willing to kill people.

[Raster]

7. They are dying because of greed, pride and vanity. We have a ....

...half-cocked, dry-drunk, miserable failure for a pResident who is out to prove he's a manly man. And he's going to use your kid's blood to do it. Oh, and coincidently at the same time, lay Iraq open to veritable rape from $hrubco's corporate interests, first of which is big oil. Greed, pride and vanity. That's why the world is teetering on the brink of madness. And that's why thousands and thousands are dying.

[spooked]

5. THE LIFE THAT I HAVE

The life that I have is all that I have
And the life that I have is yours
The love that I have of the life that I have
Is yours and yours and yours.

A sleep I shall have, a rest I shall have
And death will be but a pause
For the years I shall have in the long green grass
Are yours and yours and yours.




--Leo Marks 1943

Marks was the son of a Jewish bookseller, and was a cryptographer in the British Army during WWII. He often hid secret codes within poems, including in this most moving poem. He died January 22, 2001.

[NNN0LHI]

6. Holy Jesus. This war shit has got to stop n/t

[wicket]

8. How horrible :(

:(

[theHandpuppet]

9. Oh, the tragic irony...

A bumpersticker I spotted on a pickup's rear window this morning: "I Support Bush & Our Troops".

Anyone who votes for Bush doesn't give a rat's ass about our troops.

[lostnfound]

10. "Anyone who supports Bush doesn't give a rat's ass about our troops"

would make a great sign or bumper sticker.

[theHandpuppet]

12. I agree

It's time we fought back against the twisted notion that anyone who votes for Kerry doesn't care about our young men and women in uniform. It's BECAUSE WE CARE about our troops that we're voting to remove a man from office who could care less about the blood sacrifices he has ordered to satisfy his altar to oil and meglomania.

Suggested bumper stickers:

Voting For Kerry -- because I CARE ABOUT OUR TROOPS!

Anyone who votes for Bush doesn't give a rat's ass about our troops!

Support our troops -- send Bush back to Crawford!

[spooked]

11. A picture of his beautiful son

A sleep I shall have, a rest I shall have
And death will be but a pause
For the years I shall have in the long green grass
Are yours and yours and yours.

--Leo Marks 1943

[NNN0LHI]

13. Nice poem. I won't forget it. Thanks n/t