One thing possibly overlooked about Parlock story...

[HamstersFromHell]

To quote the original W. Va. newspaper article:

Parlock said a Kerry supporter yanked a Bush-Cheney sign out of Sophia’s hands, making her cry.

Ok, so we have two photos of this poor hapless child, who just got a sign ripped out of her hands and is crying her eyes out...now, read on:

As they stood along the road later, someone threw the ripped-up remains of the sign at them as they passed.

Now what I want to know is....why is dad holding the ripped up sign at the time she is crying?

Seems our Mr. Parlock can't get his story straight. If someone grabbed the sign away from her and made her cry, why does dad have it in his hands? Dad coulda tore it up because she peed on his neck for all we know. Either way, the "evidence" in the pics don't seem to even fit his own story.

[girl gone mad]

1. I noticed that, too.

Along with the conflicting statements on where the older brother was.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

2. i was there

it happened so quickly that most of us didn't see it. it was a small crowd of less than 100 in an area about 10x 100 feet

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 intoher hands in defiance.

the rest, we know, is media-distorted history

[HamstersFromHell]

4. Maybe she's crying because she's getting sick...

...of dad bending over and pulling his pant leg up to pull out yet another sign?

Seems to me if he snuck 'em in the way he claims, then it's some bit of effort on his part to keep bending over and pulling them out with a 3 yr. old on his shoulders.

[JohnnyCougar]

12. You gotta have your friend contact the WV media...

have him/her tell their side of the story. I think the media is on to this guy, and would be open to witness opinions.

[allemand]

17. So the ripped-up sign thrown at him could be one of those other signs n/t

[yardwork]

23. She's not even holding the sign

The photo shows the father holding the piece of the sign in front of his daughter. Her hands aren't touching the sign.

I wonder if Parlock ripped it up himself.

[tjdee]

3. He also said he was trying to leave and "escape" the perp.

In his one of his radio interviews with Glenn Beck that's what he said. So my question is, was that before or after the second picture?

Because he doesn't look like he was escaping anything.

[JI7]

5. the pictures are one of the biggest things that stand out

when compared to his own words and story of what happened.

with claims that the kerry supporters were being violent or abusive or anything else threatening why would ANYONE just stand there like that. especially stand there with their kid above their head the way he did. why is the son just standing off to the side and looking straight. if you were attacked wouldn't you all be looking towards the person that did it and maybe trying to get away. or at least have a look of fear or anger toward them ? but instead they just seem to have the same look in both pics.

[HamstersFromHell]

6. I noticed that as well.

You'd think he'd have the "barricade" at least parallel to him, if not receding behind him in the distance if he was intent on "escaping". But no, he's facing it.

I also tend to think the photographer may have been in cahoots with him on this little farce. Notice NO held up in pic. #1, as if perhaps the photographer kept his camera secluded from view till the "set up" was ready. Now in photo #2, everyone's got their signs up because they have now noticed a photographer...and it's almost all the same people as in photo #1.

On edit...I thought I remembered the black guy to the left in pic #1 holding his sign up...upside down. I was wrong. He's not noticed the photographer at that point either.

[Mr_Spock]

7. Lets get another thing straight - a three year old can cry just because

they feel like it. In fact, I wonder if her brother has a clenched fist in one pic because he want's to punch his annoying sister (this is not uncommon - I know). It is unlikely a three year old had any idea what was going on - except that her dad was giving her bad vibes because he was probably scared. The more I think about it, the more I think that guy should be prosecuted for child endangerment.

[grace0418]

11. I was thinking the same thing

Every 3yr old I know can cry at the drop of a hat, then be perfectly fine 30 seconds later. Considering the evidence that he stages this sort of thing on a regular basis, it's entirely possible that she was bored and wanting to leave and daddy said no.

[Contrary1]

15. Surely you meant to say

"Every 3yr old I know can cry at the whim of a hat...":spank:

[Mr_Spock]

18. LOL - Dumbya is such a friggin' retard - I hope we can dispense of him

He is such a dolt.

[jayfish]

13. Also Inceitment...

In the first picture there are very few people around them. But remember they had at least nine signs. In the second picture a crowd has gathered and looks pretty agitated. So, it seems to me, they kept this charade up of pulling out signs and ripping them up until they drew enough attention and got the photo they desired. Dirty, dirty pool.

Jay

[underpants]

20. Mr_Spock are you saying 3 yr. olds can get upset in large noisy crowds?

Hmmmm interesting. Are you going to write a book on it.

:bounce:

Just joshing ya. There are any number of reasons the girl could be crying.

BTW-this story seems to have disappeared from the news. I talked to my Mom (originally from that part of WV-Marshall alum) and she didn't mention anything about it.

[JI7]

8. we should offer to help find the person who tore up the sign and identify

them.

the parlock family seems to confirm that the guy in the union shirt with the hat IS the one who did it. so we have an image of him. how about we send the info to cops and media and asked them to help identify that person ?

[DeadHead67]

9. The Painters Union (endorsed Dean in the primary) should be able. . . .

. . .to indentify the guy standing next to Parlock, AND wearing a Painter's Union tee shirt. If they're anything like the Painters here they'll know if he's one of their guys.

[LisaL]

21. There is also a second guy in the black t-shirt

behind the father. He is seen in the second picture, but not in the first picture. The "union" guy is apparently talking to the second guy behind the father.

[henslee]

10. What a mug. What a loser. What a pathetic actor.

[Democat]

14. Will Repubs call for a congressional investigation of Associated Press?

Who faked these pictures and why? Was Bush involved? How many Republicans are involved in this scandal? The public has a right to know!

[MagickMuffin]

16. Phil has too many stories, it's hard to keep track!

there was another article that Phil mentions that they weren't allowing any signs in and that was why he smuggled them in his pants. He had said that the union members weren't even allowed to have their sign. Does anyone else remember him saying this. I know I read it somewhere, but I have read so much of this saga, I just can't remember where I read about this.

Could the signs have been taken away because of this, and he was playing the part of a Drama Queen, the victim?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040917-010155-8041r.htm

Immediately, he said, the family was set upon by supporters of Mr. Edwards and Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry -- "mostly the painters union guys" -- who "started stealing my signs." Soon, "old women and college students joined in the fracas," said Mr. Parlock, describing himself as "strictly a volunteer, grass-roots supporter" of the president. Mr. Parlock ran unsuccessfully for his local school board this year.

[HamstersFromHell]

19. Thanks for the link, seems his "story" grows faster than his family

Now he's went from one person to many, from ripping up a (implied one) sign to many, from ripping up a sign to pushing and shoving a 3 yr. old....and once again, his older son "vanished".

I think the photos tell more than he does. He's not making any effort to leave, despite one of his stories saying he was advised to do so.

Also note the look on his young son's face in the second photo, it's almost a look of resignation, like he's thinking "dad, you're fucking up again!"

Real nice hatchet job by the reporter as well, writing all about his "patriotic" family and all.

[bambo53]

22. Why does this even matter?

I'm a news junkie, and I have yet to see this on TV or read about it in the papers, or hear about it from anyone I talk to and I talk to a lot of people every day. The only place I see this issue is here and I still say "so what"?

This must be a W. Va. issue, I live in Ohio and no one seems to know about it or care. I sure don't. I did see a Bush supporter beat the shit out of a Kerry supporter yesterday on the news,,, so what? It happens.

It might be more important to mention how divided this nation has become with GW Bush.