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Ex Marine Sgt Speaks on Occupy Wall Street Incident
Marine Corps Veteran Sgt. Shamar Thomas on Occupy Times Square, Veterans’ Rights
After the violent clashes between police and protesters at Saturday’s massive Occupy Wall Street demonstration in Times Square, a marine who served in Iraq delivered an impromptu speech in front of some NYPD officers, denouncing their crowd-control methods and police brutality.
“This is not a war zone!” he yells at NYPD officers. “These are unarmed people.”
A crowd eventually gathers around the marine, identified as Sergeant. Shamar Thomas, who served with the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion USMC in Iraq.
Thomas, a New York native, then explains that his father served in Afghanistan, his mother served in Iraq and that he doesn’t like seeing cops hurting the people he and his family fought to protect:
I took an Oath that I live by. am NOT anti-NYPD. I am anti- Police Brutality. I am no longer under contract with the USMC so I do NOT have to follow military uniform regulations. I DON’T affiliate myself with ANY GROUPS or POLITICAL ORG. I affiliate myself with the AMERICAN PEOPLE that’s it. I REFUSE to affiliate with anything that SEPARATES.
There is an obvious problem in the country and PEACEFUL PEOPLE should be allowed to PROTEST without Brutality. I was involved in a RIOT in Rutbah, Iraq 2004 and we did NOT treat the Iraqi citizens like they are treating the unarmed civilians in our OWN Country. No one was brutalized because our mission was to ‘WIN the hearts and minds.’ why should I expect anything less in my OWN Country.
Earlier this month a group of veterans calling themselves OccupyMARINES came out in support of the Occupy Wall Street protests, now entering their thirtieth day.
They write on their Facebook page, “Marines support the movement. We will support demonstrators with organization, direction, supply and logistics, and leadership.” It is illegal for active duty soldiers to protest in uniform. It appears all of the OccupyMarines are retired.
Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=152054
Posted by Veterans Today on Oct 18 2011, With 0 Reads, Filed under Editors Picks, New World Order War, WarZone. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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If its with regard my pointing out the...
How one ordinary man caught up in extraordinary circumstances can make a real difference.
Damn good job Marine.
I support the troops because me and my entire family were/are the troops.
I see his NDSM (Ntl. Defense Service Ribbon) front and center as it should be! This guy’s my hero.
We called those “firewatch ribbons”
my mom has one
g
Hahaha, I remember that.
Stimulus Monies? And when the smoke starts to clear, and people understand that many bailouts where made to mask a small group of companies. One that partnered with “W” before the war on terror, was in near bankruptcy in the late 1990′s, to operate (8) more years supporting this war on terror concept, and thereafter, receive a large bailout sum. And why? So the executives that ruined this corporation, could retire very wealthy individuals.
However, the bailout smoke screen wasn’t enough to cover their trail and other officials directly connected to these crimes. This would require another smoke screen, “Stimulus Package”, where much monies were rewarded to countries abroad, but why? This would stop these countries, at least the leaders (for now), from pursuing “W” for war crimes. Was already planned, easy to verify.
Because if “W” were arrested, he can potentially blow the whistle on other officials involved in these crimes. And that would mean many arrest.
Once again, the lives of so many are being destroyed because of one man, and his 2nd, and 3rd, and their crimes. Many will spent the remaining of their lives paying the price for this man’s crimes, as he sits back in his mansion, and laughs at all.
I thank Sergeant Shamar Thomas for making his point against the NYPD. I hope more military will join.I hope active duty military will join too. Thank you for protecting the public. Clearly the NYPD is not doing its job. They are just protecting Wall Street.
i am pretty sure they (nypd) get thare game plans via telaprompter during the morning insurance debreifing, like the refs or umpires when configured to throw the game
He started off fine…and when he saw he was being videod he did not want to stop. He began showboating which was overkill.
These were not riot cops, and none of these officers were doing anything. So in a way the Sgt. was doing the bully thing himself, randomly picking out these cops. When he saw how cool they were…and got louder…to the point of taunting them.
I would suggest to the good Sgt to take it down to the mayor’s office, or the police commissioner’s and give them the business. They made the tactical rules, not these calm patrolmen.
And despite your not being under uniform regulations Sgt., wearing your ribbons like that, with your shirt hanging out and bummy dress was not becoming to the Corp. Next time, leave your ribbons at home if you don’t want to wear them properly. You’re a Marine and are supposed to carry some regulations around with you because who want to, not because you have to.
Yes….and Obama is fighting Wall Street for the good of average Americans.
No James,
He was sending a message, I thought you would understand.
Why don’t you write your comments on paper beside you computer, instead of placing them in this section? Are you showboating?
What he did was smart, and wanted other Marines to observe.
And all George’s people were good as well, they were just doing what he was, “Robbing the Country”.
OS, I was being sarcastic.
I have a special relationship with George, a witness to his criminal activities abroad. I am not being sarcastic….I am waiting to testify against him in court, when the time is right. Soon I hope.
JD, take it easy, I know allot and get mad easily….
My hopes are that people operating this platform, are skilled enough to put together pieces. I know when they react and when they just monitor. In time..
Millions of ex-soldiers wore their old field jackets upon regaining civilian life. You need to lighten up, private. When punks like you tell others what to wear, donkeys will be flying by then. Your special way of distorting the environment the sergeant faced, something only HE could relate to, is likely typical of your tendencies to envision yourself as some sort of expert in situational psychology.
Tears are rolling here off our faces. Thank you VT and The Vets like Srgnt S.Thomas. We know where this will be heading, we all know this will not do anything except escalate. This IS happening and the time to prepare for what we thought would never happen here again is going to happen. Time to ready the pitchforks and torches…… and whatever else our fore fathers used to overthrow the corrupt. yeah ….. Americans are armed and a little too proud to let a group of draft-dodgers(Neo-Cons) undermine our country, and our childrens future.
Draft-dodging draft-evading butt-cyst so-called former Trotskyite communists!! Who ever heard of a FORMER Trotskyite? The hyena don’t change it’s spots. They lusted for “world revolution” so they could hijack the revolution for a supremacist oligarchy with themselves in control. When communist bullshit failed they switched to so-called conservative bullshit. Unfortunately, like the millions of poor Russian slobs who fell for the commie come-on, millions of poor American slobs fell for the so-called conservative come-on in the USA.
There is nothing like the smell of napalm in the morning. Loblaw Jr. doesn’t realize that Obama is farther to the right then even the bum Dubya. Once a neocon, always a neocon. This freakshow Obama, the Kenyan Kommie, is destroying this country and the least you can do is properly recognize that he and Dubya are not a millimeter away from the SAME political slash and burn philosophy.
Sgt, you did a great thing there.
However, your tours are up, your contract is done, therefore you are a peasant now. Your voice hardly matters anymore. It’s been like that for centuries.
Read Kipling’s poem designed to shame the British Government into helping the last few survivors of the Light Brigade.
A great dead nonetheless …
Curiously, for all his combat claims (including Fallujah), he is not wearing the USMC Combat Action Ribbon. He is a grandstander who likes the attention of a very gullible and disjointed crowd. He certainly does not represent me (Vietnam Marine) or those I served with. He reminds me of the wannabes who paraded around during the 60s. And, he’s yelling at cops who haven’t touched him. His comment about no longer being bound by uniform regulations is shallow — his USMC pride should stop him from wearing the garb in this manner.
I have a CAR
To a Marine, it is the only real medal.
MC,
That’s what we should do, let other people get beat, like Vietnam vets in another city, and watch. Your comment is swallow.
Did you miss out on something in the last tens years? Do you believe most US citizens are potential terrorist, did you purchase your ticket for that make believe show?
Hey MC, if you watch the video again the CAR is clearly visible on the top row. So please stop talking out of your ass and save your comments about who warrents a right to protest. I believe he earned the right to wear his uniform anyway he pleases.
Another idiot. Dubya and I never met, but at least I, not you, know enough about him to condemn his neocon ways. Vietnam Marines were not any better than Marines from any other genre. You don’t sound very special to me, milquetoast.
thank you srgt!
“I DON’T affiliate myself with ANY GROUPS or POLITICAL ORG. I affiliate myself with the AMERICAN PEOPLE that’s it. I REFUSE to affiliate with anything that SEPARATES.”
Very wise words… as long as the Occupy Movement realizes the tactics of Government and the Media to subvert through creating sides and playing them off each other to end the movement, the movement will endure.
It’s about people coming together as one voice against the 1% who control everything. The lies have gotten so ridiculous that the public only wants the truth and by truth they mean visibility and honesty with Governments and Commerce in a future that does not include their servitude to Banks and Corporations.
When your government will no longer listen to its people, the people must go to the streets for their voice to be heard! What does that say about American Democracy?
Right on the bullseye, especially your 2nd paragraph. Creating sides is what they do best.
@Truth Seeker and @kelli, Spot ON! The saboteurs are in force down there propping up their disinformation characters in all the occupy locations. Adam Kokesh seems to be keen on this exact happening in DC and NY. These are intense days around our continent, not that bullets are flying but rather semi-engaged minds must now grasp what our mission is…… returning the control to the people. THEN we may have our much needed “Nuremberg” type Trials for the Neo-Cons and the complicit.
He totally shamed them and spoke to their conscience assuming they have one. Absolutely brilliant! I love this man.
What was it that made you think he has no brain? He certainly has guts. Where is your youtube?
I think he had no idea that he was going to be videotaped and it was purely spontaneous. I know from my own experience, when I’m that fired up and passionate, I don’t always say everything I wanted to say but I get my point across. He certainly did that.
very heartwarming to see and hear him speak out on occupy wall street….but why didnt anyone ask him where the honour is in fighting in iraq or afghanistan? he would have had more credibility if he had also spoken out against the war/s…theres no honour in any of them….just like in israel, the protests were doomed as they failed to make the connection with the israeli occupation…..where did those protests go by the way….? evaporated while the war drums beat for an attack against iran and more settlements spring up….
yes indeed, thare definitly some dear stuck in the headlites looks happening thare, a momentary lapse in reasonig put into sleep or double re-think,,, if the repugnarats need/want, deem it nessacerry to siphon votes off Oboma with a racial nomanate, try something real toextort or greymail,,, who nomanated that klown anyway, himself, take a peek & get a non-fascist clue, kkkain
I keep thinking that many of the NYPD in these videos look as if they don’t understand English. Could some of these guys be “exchange students” from other countries? Or do they all have ear plugs in?
Bravo….
Thanks Gordon.
What your observing is true leadership, I would stand beside him any day of the week. Former Army Ranger 2/75th.
FOR VALOUR
Sgt., thank you for speaking out. I am glad to see that many veterans “get it”. Too often our young people are lied to and sent to wars that only benefit corporations or another nation. Many who make criticisms of you most likely don’t have a clue as to their own danger from Wall Street and corrupt parties. It is good to know that someone will be in the trenches with us.
Thanks for your writings Gordon, it is so comforting to know there are so many other like minded.
“DOD Directive 7050.6. It expressly provides the right of service members to complain and to request redress of their grievances, including to members of Congress. In recent months some 2,000 active-duty and reserve troops have used the protection of that directive to sign “An Appeal for Redress,” an initiative that sends troops’ demand for an end of the war directly to Congress.”
It’s sad that this Directive has NO use whatsoever! Our Super Congress is living breathing Zionism, and the Clowns one notch down are merely looking out for their Pedophilia interests.
I know this is a huge step down from current News but ….. Any chance you doing a piece which included the mention of Veterans for Peace Mike Ferner? Just wanted to hear your take on him and the possibility of him being bought. It just looks like he is NOT representing the Vets like an organisation of Vets could be represented. Nothing new right … I know.
I found this from a chapter in Florida : http://www.impeachthem.com/files/ptn_resolution_to_impeach_obama19march2011.pdf
Sgt.Thomas. God Bless you for standing up for the people. We need more vets out there to tell tier story. I believe this mans words spoke more to these cops than any of us civilians. Bravo!!!
I wonder what the Marines would do if ordered to assult and arrest the demonstrators on orders from their superiors? During potential conflict and violence, the men are seperated from the boys or girls from women when immoral, unethical, stupid or illegal orders are given to police, grunts, gov. workers or politicians. I see very few from these groups standing up to the group or the authority that gives these kinds of direct or indirect orders. Sometimes one has to take a position that is not in sync with ones corps, job place, unit, or group, or even family, in order to manifest a higher order of critcal thinking, common sense, non-violence, and compassion. And it can be done with non-violent wrath. This ex-marine may very well have been approching this higher order. don’t know him but benefit of the doubt is in order.
The only soldiers who could even begin, however remotely – due to the fact that they did serve (the criminal military establishment and the coporatocracy it in turn serves) – to lay claim to any accolade of “heroism” would be those affiliated with/represented by couragetoresist[.]com.
Here are where you’ll find those taking a real stand against the criminal enterprise operating out of Washington/Arlington/Langley/NYC/ etc., and taking the heat for it too.
correction: last para: “Here IS where…”
It is currently against the law to use the military against the American populous. This may change soon when Obama completely circumvents the constitution and orders military law into effect.
Great to see this happen. I hope more Marines will come out but I know they can’t come out if they’re active duty or in uniform. I wouldn’t ask them to. It’s just knowing they understand that makes all the difference.
This Marine has soul, spirit, and fire. His actions should be measured by the entire nation at a time when we forget what we all wore uniforms for; to protect our people, to uphold the Constitution and all of the rights we claim as Americans. Those rights were under assault by a police force that has been itself co-opted by the Financial Wards of Wall Street. For the last month, the Occupy Movement has been seen as a radical fringe of discontent, without a mission statement, only finding itself now being infiltrated by various causes either to marginalize or destroy the real protest against the inequities and injustices perpetrated by the criminal financial elements who left the American People living like refugees in their own land.
Sgt. Thomas was there for the people, he was there for you and me, without a doubt, he acted to use his measure of courage to remind the police of who they were, and why they wear the uniform also. That is what he did, to use his voice to overpower a moment, where if the cameras were not there, the police would have resorted to the very thing Sgt. Thomas prevented.
The object now is to reflect on this and how 300 million more Americans should act together as Sgt.Thomas did and not back down from the rights we have to peacefully assemble, speak and protest.
I am 82nd Airborne and I got this good Marine’s back.
And I have yours too…..82nd good unit, good people.
my uncle died with the 508th, 1945
I was in the Ranger Battalion in Ft. Lewis Washington, know all about the 82nd. Both my brothers retired from the Army several years ago. Always liked 82nd Airborne, very skilled people, good to have you on board.
Although I like this guy, its a pie-in-the-sky claim that he or any other American soldier went over to all these other countries to “protect” the people of the USA. That is a flat-out lie. That’s as ridiculous as the security guard of my building traveling to Monte Carlo and when I question his absence, he claims he needed to do this to “protect” our building. Bullshit. Noble-sounding bullshit. American soldiers went to Viet Nam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Pakistan and so many other places to do the dirty work of the bloodsuckers of Wall Street, the House of Rothschild, the Rockefellers, the dirty wicked witch of England and Tel Aviv. They went over there to steal, repress, oppress, torture, destroy and mass murder. All this “swearing an oath” to do this or that is prime baloney. Most soldiers don’t even know jack about the constitution to which they swore to uphold, nor its articles.
Its one thing if they innocently claim they THOUGHT they were protecting us because their lying, con-artist commanders told them as much and that they were duped, but any soldier who is fully aware of ALL the missions of the US military would have to admit the painful truth: they never went anywhere outside the borders of the US to protect a single citizen of the United States of America living IN America. The closest they came to having that opportunity was on 9/11 and we all know what the military did on that day.
Avoiding the point aren’t you NR? Is your world crumbling now…..change the topic and spread the bullshit. Here’s a few coins for your BS.
NR gets IT!!! I see little honor in imperialistic wars of US aggression. The American soldier participating in these illegal and invasive wars is what reasonable people would call a mini-war criminal. You pull the trigger and kill an innocent and you are dirty. Putting unsuspecting soldiers in ME hellholes and propagandizing them, telling them they are protecting the US is sheer lying distortion. It is now a nightmare to pull duty in a military that operates under the bootheel of cowardly Wall St. driven lying criminals. We are very lucky that some people actually understand this nuance, but judging from the inane and insane responses from some of these “war heroes”, I’d say this country was full of people who would go to their graves serving in a military that lies, murders, cheats, steals, and impugns the right of soldiers to realize and admit that serving in this military bears no resemblance to serving in legitimate wars, legitimate battles, and being able to be proud of service in defense of our country.
I stand with you Sarge !!!
Even if this guy is a total fake, the words ring true.
NR’s got it pegged.
“You’re a Marine and are supposed to carry some regulations around with you because who want to, not because you have to.”
CAR or not, Sgt. Thomas apparentlyserved his hitch honorably, pulled his tour in Iraq did his duty as ordered.
Not everyone becomes a Chesty Puller… or a Smedley Butler.
I doubt that he needs the advice or deserves the criticism of any REMF who thinks he knows more about Corps values than he. It is a matter of earned privilege.
Earlaiman
Earlaiman, I appreciate and understand your Comradeship and support for a brother Marine. I really do. God knows I wish there were hundred more Marines out there standing beside Sgt. Thomas, blasting NYPD and the Police for their BRUTAL treatment of young unarmed fellow Americans, they have shamed the United States of America. SHAME on the silent majority who sit back and watch weakly. They have lost the right to lecture the world.
Yeah, the guy did sort of lose it and go over the top…He’s obviously not 100% alright and deserves compassion. Yes, he is incoherent and inarticulate, like many who seem to lose it when they become passionate…. and he might be vulnerable to criticism for his demeanor and his dress, but those are aspects of Marine character which as a Marine you understand but cannot and should not expect others who have not been in your boots to do so!
God Bless Sgt, Thomas for trying!
I know Marines, I have worked closely with Marines, I admire Marines, but I have never been one.
I was neither commending nor condemning what Sergeant Thomas was doing… not his conduct, his speech or his dress here, as so many other seem to be doing.
What I am saying is that… people, REMFs, who have not walked in his boots have no f…..g business criticizing how he walks, how he talks, or how he dresses. Only other Marines can do that!
One of the other Marines here has made an unsupportive comment which might have been better made out behind the latrines. That is shameful, but that too,is a matter for Marines to work out for themselves. They usually do.
PS: I bet half of those Police Officers he was addressing were also ex Marines…. they knew what he was saying.
Certainly the Senior Police Office who advised his men to “…keep on moving…” was an ex-Marine Sergeant.
Another PS:
Had there been a hundred ex Marines like him there that day, they would still be pumping blood up off the streets. One-man acts like this create popular heroes. Hundred-man acts like this become riots at best, insurrections if the they reach full momentum and the shooting starts.
Thank you for your sympathetic compliments.
Earlaiman
Well stated….
Last I checked patriots are not required to be as eloquent as Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln. The sergeant told the truth, if bluntly and inarticulately. I’m sure it had an effect on the officers, above all and that’s the whole point.
He (or anyone else) can lecture our psychotic and sociopath leaders all they want, but it won’t so any good, for obvious reasons. They only way forward is to make the officers themselves aware of just WHO their actions serve. Soon there will come a time when they’re forced to choose which side they’re on. The officers themselves can’t serve two masters, and they need to realize it.
I can’t see how this protest could have been MORE effective. Well done, Sergeant.
I took an Oath that I live by. am NOT anti-NYPD. I am anti- Police Brutality. I am no longer under contract with the USMC so I do NOT have to follow military uniform regulations. I DON’T affiliate myself with ANY GROUPS or POLITICAL ORG. I affiliate myself with the AMERICAN PEOPLE that’s it. I REFUSE to affiliate with anything that SEPARATES.
There is an obvious problem in the country and PEACEFUL PEOPLE should be allowed to PROTEST without Brutality. I was involved in a RIOT in Rutbah, Iraq 2004 and we did NOT treat the Iraqi citizens like they are treating the unarmed civilians in our OWN Country. No one was brutalized because our mission was to ‘WIN the hearts and minds.’ why should I expect anything less in my OWN Country.
Just what is it about the statement above that is incoherent and inarticulate? It looks better on paper (or in bits perhaps) than much of I what I hear coming out of many mouths in America. Could you dissect that notion of yours for me? I’m in a learning mode. Note: where I am I cannot easily connect to the video so there may be much I miss.
After I left Vietnam, I did speaking engagements with Vets for Peace, East Lansing and Ann Arbor.
I was delightfully articulate.
I put people to sleep. Mostly I felt ashamed for surviving the war. I also wanted to forget everything about it as soon as possible. I can’t even begin to tell you what it was like walking across the campus at night. You scan tree lines, I still feel the balance point of an m16….and my thumb automatically rides up to the selector….which isn’t there anymore.
it never ends
it isn’t a joke
g
Sgt. Thomas is not important for his appearance, or who everyone thinks he should be, he is important because he throws the bullshit right back into the face of the society that shipped thousands off to foreign wars.
I don’t care if all the action he saw was eyeballing girlie magazines in the shitter, the point is that America was told from 911 on that our boys and girls were fighting for freedom, for American values. His presence matters because it destroys the attempts to diminish the voice of the people. If you assault the Sgt., you assault the wall of justification, of explanation, for everything this country has done in the last 10 years.
I think we are seeing something new here, and its’ heroes are not going to meet our criteria, they are going to meet their own. God Bless them all.
lotta disagreeing going on, . . look i pass psych meds for a living. dont always believ its for everybodi or the right thing to do but its my job. marines. they got their job. nypd. they got their job. i think police brutality is the issue here. i do hope some vets will come out and express there truth of what when out there. but for now lets try to come together for this occupy movement. Change is what we all desire here. Once again I thank sgt Thomas for speaking out.
This man is one of the good guys.
i’m amazed that people take the “protests” seriously
one day soon Jesus Christ is coming, and I think you are gonna have to do a much much better job of discerning real from fake in order to see Him
“Many are One” Craig, maybe you have it wrong. Not “One is many”, but its important to have some ethic. As long as ethic value is yours and not someone telling you. That’s the difference.
Someday you may discover the one you are searching for, is all around you.
Be safe.
First impression…..this guy spent more time on the chow line than any combat time. Much to sloppy to be a Marine in my opinion. And there are other medals which were earned such as the Combat Air Crew Wings and the Air Medal w/ device. Kept me out the Brig back in the world for being UA a day or so. Love the “firewatch” ribbon memory. The start of the salad.
Thank You Veterans Today for this forum and to the many issues you aire.
In reading these comments about Sgt. Thomas and then viewing the video concerning his “challenge to the grunts” in the streets. His message wasn’t for anyone EXCEPT those in control and to ask these grunts to question their superiors. Those in the White Shirts with the bullhorns, those even behind the White Shirts sitting at the office desks behind the safe office doors . The message of don’t go further or you will send the call to the troops who did go, who did swear an oath to defend and those of US who still carry that oath, We Will Come to defend the young in their protest.
The current interlopers don’t want to underestimate those of US in waiting, those of US who will join the fight because we see the on-slot that is over running “our lines”, we are prepared to defend ourselves and these innocents, that have yet to see the blood on battlefield .
Sgt. Thomas was speaking to “men with guns”, he was challenging them to “come at him” because as his words and tone stated: ” . . . I will defend myself because I am a weapon like no other you as a mere cop have ever seen before . . . “. The confidence the Sgt speaks with, is one of knowing that the power is in the picture of armed men attacking an unarmed man. His taunts to them are rhetorical to bring them realization to the situation they as “defenders, protectors and first responders” are supposed to be at, not lackey of the Tammany Hall. The key element in these portraits of the NYPD are the expressions of doubt and question in the beat-cops’ faces, the confusion in the White-Shirts as to how they should deal with Sgt. Thomas.
Thank you Sgt. Thomas for standing up to tyranny and oppression. Thank you for your commitment and courage to confront the ” . . . leaden eyed sheep . . . ” who now question their role in this awakening of the true 99%. Yes, Sgt. Thomas your passion and forthright resolve is noticed in the hinterlands and shadows of this nation.
We are out here Corporate America. Take notice as we realize you are destine to fall as all other tyrannical dictators eventually are walked upon and dragged through the streets . . . Wall Street will see “Blood in it’s Storm Drains” if it don’t wake up and take notice.
We used to say army, no muscle and a fat ass. Where do you get army strong from?
He is clearly wearing a CAR-it is on top row. Anyone who wavers on the globalists and warmongers should never forget what is seen and I have seen it too much: limbs blown off, bowels sticking out, heads that look like crushed watermelons, and other wounds. If I can prevent one person from spending his life as a shell of what he once was, then I will fight against these warmongers and those making big bucks off it. Those in our 60s have seen the progressive loss of the once simple, decent America that we knew. For many of us we never knew what investments were/are but others see the world as one big investment.