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Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Neighbor of Bush Fires
A
frustrated farmer from Crawford, Tex., who is apparently upset with the length of time the anti-war activists are staying in the area fired shots into the air near hundreds of protesters who began their second week of demonstrations against the Iraq war outside President George W. Bush's ranch.
L
arry Mattlage, who lives next to the Bush ranch where the president is spending a five week vacation, complained about the 200 protesters, media and government security officials occupying the road outside his own residence after firing a rifle into the air several times.
"Five weeks of this is too much. I just want 'em to pack their damn tents and go back to where they came from. We live here, this is our community. I got a right to fire up in the air," Mattlage said.
"I'm gettin' ready for dove season and y'all messin' up my dove huntin', so if y'all could please leave and go somewhere else, this whole community would be behind y'all."
"I shot at a bird, and missed it a while ago," he said. Asked if the gunshots had another message, Mattlage told reporters, "Figure it out for yourself."
W
hat would happen if a Mexican farm laborer or African American shot off a few rounds near the president's vacation home while a group of grieving mothers marched by?
D
oes anybody really think all that would happen is that the shooter would be given a good talking to by local police, not to mention the Secret Service or FBI?
I
t's amazing what you can get away with if you are a well-off, white conservative male. And not just in Texas.
Posted by fm on August 17, 2005 at 11:23 AM