Campus Antiwar Net has David's version of what happened. If you read that alone you are left with the belief that Kent State acted improperly and David should have never been charged with disorderly conduct by the Kent Police Department.
So I sought out the Kent State Student Newspaper, "The Daily Kent Stater" to see what their take was on this. They have two articles written on this and one editorial.
Some parts of the editorial:
This editorial board is not arguing an individual's right to protest because First Amendment rights grant students the opportunity to express their political views. What we are arguing is that Airhart's decision was irrational, and he doesn't deserve any more airtime.
Airhart and the Kent State Anti-War Committee need to get the facts straight. KSAWC's Nicole Robinson has written an article that has been circulating on Web, which states Sgt. Slayton assaulted Airhart, and she sarcastically states “somehow an Iraq War veteran hanging a banner, which called for peace, was disorderly.”
There is a difference between pulling someone off a climbing wall and assaulting someone, but the editorial board acknowledges there is no definitive outside source on this matter that we know of who can prove assault here either way. However, Airhart was charged by city police for abusing the climbing wall.
We believe what Airhart did is not a First Amendment issue. If students are going to be staging any type of demonstration, then they need to do so safely the next time they decide to pull a cheap publicity stunt.
Of course I wasn't there either, nor were the majority of people who are getting involved in this, including Cindy Sheehan from what I understand. David Airhart already went to court and paid his $105.00. I wonder though if by trying to promote what could be exaggerated does that actually help him? It might hurt his case. Rather than to take responsibility for his actions, which anyone should agree unhooking a harness could have easily been a problem for not only him but the others on the wall had he fallen, making this a huge issue in the anti-war groups could be the wrong way to handle this. Should he be expelled? I'm not sure what the rules are within Kent State, but it was a minor charge and he did pay the fine. I guess it would depend on what previous problems he's had if any with discipline issues on Campus.
I signed the petition, because I do believe he shouldn't be suspended, but I don't necessarily believe his free speech was violated in this instance. If he was truly assaulted, why he didn't plead not guilty or file charges himself it doesn't appear anyone has asked. I can understand the desire to just pay the fine and be done with it, but if you are really innocent, especially if there is some concern you might be expelled? Being found not guilty might have been a better way to fight the school's action. I'm sure Kent State has student legal services as well as I'm sure someone in one of the various anti-war groups would have been happy to represent him.
Something else that bothers me...if you read this interview Ron Jacobs asks this:
Ron: I see that you served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. How long were you in both places?
David: I was in Afghanistan for 7 months , starting Christmas day of 2003, and in Iraq for 6 months, starting at the beginning of the war in March 2003.
That would mean David came home sometime in August or September, yet on 07/24/2003 he was charged with speeding according to the Kent Municpal Court records. There's no way he was in Iraq for 6 months and somehow got a speeding ticket at Kent State in July.
Then, in another speech on November 5th he states:
I spent 4 months in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and 6 months in Iraq and 7 months in Afghanistan, so I have a pretty well rounded perspective of everything that’s going on in this war on terror.After Iraq I thought “well great, now I’m done and I can just be a jackass in the Marine Corps until I get out. But unfortunately for me I was sent to another unit that was deploying to Afghanistan. My last 7 months in the Marine Corps was spent in Afghanistan.
Something doesn't make sense here....
17 comments:
Court Link
For anyone who wants to verify:
2003 TR D 17666 R - speeding ticket
From the official military site: 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines Most recently, the battalion saw combat during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM as part of Task Force Tarawa (2003)
This solider states he was in the same unit...Here
My unit (1st Bn 2nd Marines) went to Kuawait as part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) (Dubbed Task Force Tarawa)
He has a different view:
On the 24th we attacked west and set into a blocking position on the city’s northwestern bridge. We sat there until the 1st week of April.
While there the battalion collected intell and found out that there was an Army POW in the city’s hospital. When the time came to rescue Army Pvt. Jessicah Lynch (I found out later that we went to same High School) our AAVs were on standby for a ground extraction if needed, fortunately it wasn’t. The rest of the war was pretty uneventful for us.
We traveled all over Southern Iraq looking for remnants of the Iraqi Army but came up with nothing but abandoned gear and vehicles
We left Iraq on May 8th and left Kuwait on ships of Amphibious Task Force East about a week later.
Gee! Anti War protests in Kent State. I guess the current classes didn't read the about the result of the last protest there over thirty years ago.
This young dumb smuck broke the law. A minor one, but broke the law nevertheless. Plus, as you stated Lisa, his stunt could have crippled or could have killed him and others. Kick his rule breaking dumbass out of college. He doesn't think things through.
As for his conflicting stories. He's a child looking for attention that his parents didn't give him. That God Cindy Sheehan is back and mother him because he has the same thought as her.
I don't mind if people protest, but do it within the confines of the law. If you do stupid stunts like this asshole did, you will become a joke and some people made just support the oppossing issue because you don't have connecting brain cells to try a pull a dangerous bullshut stunt.
Kick his ass out of school.
Hopefully, when Airhart gets older, he will look back at this point in his life and think that he was a big smuck in his youth.
Are you sure that his name is Airhart and not Airhead? ;) (rim shot please)
We've taken to calling it Giftmas, knowing full well that is is supposed to be CHRISTmas...
The gifts are the first thing forgotten; the relationship memories are the ones that last the longest.
David Airhart's timeline seems to change almost each time it comes up.
This is not typical of most recent vets.
I see red flags marked with, "proceed with caution..."
"Something doesn't make sense here...."
You have good instincts.
(rim shot) for C...
Thanks HT, I'm always curious when it comes to stories. I realize the truth almost always lies somewhere inbetween. Had I not looked up the court information on the disorderly conduct charge I would have never found the speeding ticket. I don't doubt his serving, just don't think all of what is being said is true.
Why doesn't Sheehan go away? She is not a big part of this story, but she gets involved in everything.
I don't know me4, she obviously is still very important to alot of people.
Knowing what happens at UT, it seems excessive to expel the guy. Students at UT get away with a lot worse than disorderlly conduct and get extra chances.
I am not excusing his behavior, but people on many campuses get arrested for things like DUIs and still stay enrolled (though lose their license).
This, of course, is assuming that his disciplinary record at Kent is not checkered with other offenses.
Statements like this aren't going to help him unless he wants more PR:
Ron: And what do you have to say to other folks who might be thinking about joining the military?
David: If they want, I can kill a couple of their friends and then give them some money for college, if that is what they really want. At least that way they wouldn't have to spend four miserable years in an oppressive organization where they deprive you of most of your rights and use you for whatever they feel like. I would also point out that the GI Bill is only $1004 per month. And it is only good for 36 months. That is the extent of what the military pays for your college. So if they are joining for college money, there are better and safer routes to take to afford college. If they are just romantic thrill seeking warrior types, I'd recommend joining the Iraqi resistance for they are fighting for a more noble cause.
I do agree with you Mike that unless there is more to this than what we know it seems a bit harsh to expell him.
Guy sounds bitter. My GI Bill wasn't great and didn't cover everything, but it helped me get through.
It is also unfair to say that you are deprived of your rights. Although they are limited in the military, there is a purpose for it. Unit cohesion and security come to mind. I think you can oppose the war, you can oppose recruiting tactics, but the only people who are stupid for enlisting are the ones who complain about the limitations and deployments.
This dick knew what he was getting into when he signed up. They train you to be a soldier and part of that is killing at times. Plus the fact it is a lottery. Many have signed up in times of peace, serve their time and get out and move on. Other times, you may have to go into hostile enviroments. Of course a soldier's rights are limited. It's called chain of command. You break it, many who serve with you could die.
He is a selfish little shit to come out and trash the military knowing what he was getting into. If he didn't know, then it's his own damn fault for not finding out everything. If he knew everything beforing signing, then maybe he would have not signed on and I would use this space to talk about how dumb it was for the Alabama governor to tell poeple not to go to Aruba because one dipshit underage girl can't use common sense to avoid the seedy side of the island and gets missing and most likely killed. But that is another talk for another day.
I guess what bugs me most is that he's obviously not being honest yet is being held up as some type of hero by some of the anti-war movement. They are taking whatever he says at face value because it's what they want to believe yet there are some real questions here as to his honesty.
Your link to the court record doesn't link to anything about Airhart; do you know where you got this information (about the speeding ticket)? (Until I see the evidence, I'm going to presume he's telling the truth.)
David: I was in Afghanistan for 7 months , starting Christmas day of 2003, and in Iraq for 6 months, starting at the beginning of the war in March 2003.
I spent 4 months in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and 6 months in Iraq and 7 months in Afghanistan, so I have a pretty well rounded perspective of everything that’s going on in this war on terror.
. . .
After Iraq I thought “well great, now I’m done and I can just be a jackass in the Marine Corps until I get out. But unfortunately for me I was sent to another unit that was deploying to Afghanistan. My last 7 months in the Marine Corps was spent in Afghanistan.
Something doesn't make sense here....
"
What, exactly, "doesn't make sense" to you? (Or is it just the dubious speeding ticket thing?)
Finally, I think everybody's being really hard on this guy. Personally I think he's a hero. I wish more vets would speak out in this way.
I like facts not exaggerations, no matter who it is.
The link is fine - you can't save a court records search so all you have to do is see where it says "search records" click on that and then enter Airhart's name for yourself. That way anyone who wants can see it for themselves.
As I stated, I went to the court link to try to get more information on his disorderly conduct charge.
I realize it's part of human nature for some to exaggerate their importance, that doesn't mean however that it has to be blindly accepted. There are some that no matter what will still believe what he says because they want to believe it despite the facts.
So far no response from anyone who questioned my "sources"
:-)
David is now stating (according to the journalist that I contacted) that the March 2003 date is not accurate that he was in Iraq (actually Kuwaiit) before that.
That fits in more with the timeline of the speeding ticket and what I have learned about the timeline for the unit he stated he was in.
There are still alot of questions, especially given what he stated in the Nov 5th interview but at least this one is cleared up.
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