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April 26, 2005

Columbia Peace Protesters

I was astonished today to see that I missed a story that has been around the blogosphere today that happened right here at home.

Rita Preckshot went to a peace rally, and a fight broke out. It started out as a typical Wednesday for Preckshot, a 49-year-old who stands about 5-foot-2 and has hearing aids in both ears. She was standing on her normal spot on Providence Road, holding her signs in support of American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. For nearly four years now, this has been Preckshot’s life from about 4:15 to about 5:45 in the afternoon once a week. She started her solo troop-support effort to counteract the peace protesters who stand a couple of blocks away at the intersection of Providence and Broadway. The peaceniks hold signs that say things such as "honk for peace" and "end the occupation."

They outnumber Preckshot every Wednesday, but she stands out there just the same, sometimes drawing another supporter or two to help her effort.

…

"He started taunting me and reached out and pushed on my shoulder," Preckshot says. "Each time he pushed, it got a little harder. When I saw his hand come at me again, I grabbed it. I felt fearful."
As Preckshot pushed the man’s hand away, "he slugged me right in the face," she says.

When the police arrived the nonviolent peace protesters declined to help the police locate the suspect. Luckily he was seen by the victim later at another peace protest (flipping her off I might add) and arrested, and not quietly.

As a Columbian, I can’t say that I’m surprised. Those peace protesters are dedicated and a pain in the neck. They show up at every single event in Columbia and shove their flyers in people’s faces. On April 15th they were outside the post office shoving flyers at everyone who was trying to get their taxes filed. The flyers were all about how the tax dollars being used in the Iraq war could be used to fund the health insurance of poor Missouri children. The poor Iraqi children who no longer live under a brutal dictator and are being helped by the troops are, of course, meaningless.

I'm glad Ms. Preckshot isn't letting it stop her.

Posted by illuminaria at April 26, 2005 10:21 AM

Comments

Thanks for the link! Good post. I understand people feeling passionately about a cause but that is never a justification to do what these two "peace" protestors did...

Posted by: jody at April 27, 2005 08:42 AM

Did you see the the article in Columbia Missiourian about last Wednesday's rally on Providince near Bloomer's?

Great article but Mark Haim continues to make stupid remarks about Rita and what happened that day.

BTW..I am with her every Wednesday now..to support the Troops and to protect her, although she can protect herself very well!

Posted by: Gulfwar1vet at April 29, 2005 06:44 PM

I guess that brings new meaning to "fight for peace."

But what does standing on a corner with a sign saying she supports troops going to accomplish? She should be in Washington trying to persuade the president to adequately fund them. Now, THAT would be supporting the troops.

Posted by: Brad at June 27, 2005 01:35 AM