Slain G.I.'s ma spurs anti-war T-shirt ban

[darrels joy]

Slain G.I.'s ma spurs anti-war T-shirt ban





OKLAHOMA CITY - A woman whose Marine son died while serving in Iraq is fighting to keep his name off anti-war T-shirts.
Judy Vincent learned last year that Cpl. Scott Vincent's name is among about 1,700 included on a T-shirt being sold by an Arizona man over the Internet. The front of the shirt reads "Bush Lied" and the back reads "They Died."

The woman, whose son was killed in April 2004, pushed for Oklahoma legislators to pass a law that makes it a misdemeanor to use a soldier's name or likeness for advertising purposes without consent. The law goes into effect this November.

The shirt vendor, Dan Frazier of Flagstaff, Ariz., issued an open letter to family members praising the soldiers' bravery and sacrifice, but said he would not stop selling the merchandise.

We need this law in more states! I agree with Judy Vincent 100%!

[Jerry D]

Families should have that right and more laws should be made and enforced. Once the Okla Law goes into effect Judy Vincent should write the AG of Ariz and request that the vendor stop violating her copyright and rights to her sons name and have it removed from all of his T-Shirts in stock and to be paid a royalty fee on all the T-shirts he sold with out her consent. There is a legal precedent on this because the Estate of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and any other well known star has the rights held by their estates and family. She can make it more appealing to an attorney by making it a class action suit by writing all the Families of the deceased soldiers and including them in the lawsuit. It could make a lawyer very rich and stop future vendors from making a profit off of dead soldiers sacrifices.I also agree with Judy Vincent 100%! Too!

[39mto39g]

I looked for this T-shirt and could not find any that said Bush lied , they died. Although I did find some pretty funny ones like the one below. But if the T-shirt is sold on the internet then I would think you could find it on the internet, something fishy.
One shirt was a little disturbing, It said KILL BUSH, Now funny is funny but to say this is not funny.

[darrels joy]

Try a different search engine. This was the number one from Yahoo.

"Bush Lied" and the back reads "They Died."

About this product

This is not a bumper sticker. It is our first T-shirt. One dollar from the sale of each shirt will be donated to a charitable organization that assists families of U.S. troops.

The background of this image is created by the names of about 1,700 U.S. soldiers who died in Iraq between March 21, 2003 and June 13, 2005. The names are in alphabetical order, with half the names on the front, and the other half on the back. The names are small, but easily read without magnification.

I think of this product as both a scathing indictment of George W. Bush and a memorial to the brave young soldiers who gave their lives in Iraq on behalf of their country. Perhaps someday they will get the memorial they deserve in Washington. Until then, this will have to suffice.

Bush is most famous for lying about the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. It was this lie that arguably was most responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, not to mention thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians.

But Bush has lied in many other areas as well, from denying global warming to boasting about an improving economy that is actually on the skids. His lies are legion, and have spawned a cottage industry of books including The Lies of George W. Bush by David Corn and Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them by Al Franken.

I want to acknowledge that a number of relatives of fallen soldiers have contacted me to express their displeasure (or disgust) with the products I sell that bear the names of their loved ones.

I admit that I did not contact the families of soldiers to get their permission. This would have been a monumental exercise, and would no doubt have proved impractical given the differing opinions among various family members.

Of course, this product is not meant to be a statement on behalf of the families or the fallen soldiers. It is a statement on behalf of those who believe that this war was a tragic and terrible mistake -- and not an innocent mistake.

I should also like to point out that many of the soldiers who died in Iraq believed that they were fighting for democracy. Democracy is built in large part on freedom of speech. The First Amendment to the Constitution protects these products, and all such similar examples of free speech.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere condolences to all of those who have lost loved ones in this war. No matter what they believed, or which side they were on, those who died will be missed.

-------------

An open letter to the friends &
families of the fallen

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about the Bush Lied They Died products my company is selling. I am sorry that I am not able to respond individually to the complaints that I am receiving from the friends and families of those troops who have died in Iraq. However, I am reading every message and I would like to respond to some of the most common concerns expressed in these e-mails.

I am surprised at the outpouring of emotion that has been aroused by these products. For nearly a year and a half, my company sold a large bumper sticker that said "Bush Lied" and included the names of more than 500 fallen U.S. troops. I do not recall receiving a single complaint about that product, which sold-out after I sold a few hundred stickers.

I am sorry that so many wives, parents, other family members, and friends of the fallen have been so offended by these products. It was not my intention to offend you. Nor did I expect this kind of reaction. Despite all the criticism I have received, I still fail to see how my products change the indisputable fact that these men and women exhibited great bravery on behalf of their country. The statement is much more about the president than about the troops. The names of the troops are used to underscore the scale of the human tragedy caused by the president's lie. As it clearly says on my Web site, these products were never intended to be a statement endorsed by the fallen or their families. But I also know that at least some family members would endorse such a statement. And if we could somehow poll the fallen themselves, we might be surprised at how many of them would agree with the statement that these products make.

These products are not meant to imply that the cause for which these men and women died was not worthwhile. History may show that these troops did in fact die for a worthy cause. Peace and stability may yet come to Iraq. Only time will tell. These products do not in any way imply that these men and women died for a cause they did not believe in.

Much has been made of my failure to get permission from the families before using the names of the fallen. Not only would this have been a monumental endeavor for a small company like mine, but it would be impractical. There would certainly be many cases where the wife said no, but the mother said yes, or vice-versa. All kinds of disagreements would arise between family members. Who would have the final say?

I should perhaps point out that I have sold only a handful of these products to date. I am a long way from making any money on these products. However, as word continues to spread about the availability of these products, I suspect these products will begin to sell more quickly.

Several wives and others have asked me to remove various names from the products. Others have asked me to discontinue selling these products. Despite these requests, I have no plans to remove any names or discontinue any of these products, no matter how many requests I receive. Every name matters, and will be retained to help underscore the horrific loss of life that has been caused by President Bush's rush to war under false pretenses. The more plentiful and impassioned the pleas that I take names off these products, or stop selling them, the more aware I become of the depth of the pain and suffering that has been caused by the lies of President George W. Bush, and the more convinced I am that products like these should be part of the national debate over the merits of this war.

Some have said that I should not be degrading the sacrifices of the troops because it is sacrifices like these that enable me to enjoy the freedoms I enjoy, including freedom of speech. First of all, I do not believe that I am degrading anyone's sacrifice. Moreover, if I agree with the idea that throughout history my fellow Americans have fought and died for my freedoms (true enough), why would I be so cowardly as to give up these freedoms? Surely I should be exercising these freedoms, especially when the end result of doing so might be to prevent the deaths of more brave soldiers who may believe that they are fighting for democracy and all that it entails, including free speech.

To lose a loved one in any war is a terrible thing. To lose a loved one in a controversial war is even worse. But to take your anger out on people like me who opposed this war from the beginning, and who continue to work to bring our remaining troops home in one piece, would seem to be a case of misplaced anger. We are all American brothers and sisters. My grandfather fought in World War II and was wounded. My father was also in the military. We may not always agree with one another, but I think we can agree that the names of the fallen should be remembered, that telling the truth is important, and that every American has a right to speak their opinion.

Dan R. Frazier

For Immediate Release:
July 17, 2006

http://www.carryabigsticker.com/bush_lied_shirt.htm

[darrels joy]

Federal Legislation to Ban Certain Anti-War Merchandise Targets Flagstaff Entrepreneur



Just months after legislators in Louisiana and Oklahoma voted to outlaw the unauthorized use of the names and images of U.S. soldiers on anti-war merchandise, representatives of those two states have separately introduced new legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would outlaw such use on merchandise across the nation.



Dan Frazier, the owner of CarryaBigSticker, says the legislation directly targets some of his merchandise. His Flagstaff, Ariz. company mostly sells anti-war and anti-Bush bumper stickers via the Internet. In June of 2005, his company introduced a T-shirt listing the names of about 1,700 U.S. troops who had died in Iraq. The list of names covers the front and the back of the shirt. Overlaid on the names of the fallen troops are the words "Bush Lied," and on the back, "They Died." The company also sells a similar magnetic vehicle sign.



On July 12 U.S. Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma, a Democrat known for his conservative leanings, announced in a press release that he was introducing H.R. 5755, prohibiting the unauthorized use of the names or images of American service men and women. The U.S. Attorney General is granted the authority to seek an injunction in federal court against violators.



On July 13 U.S. Rep. Charles W. Boustany, Jr. of Louisiana and U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis of Kentucky, both Republicans, jointly announced in a press release that they were introducing H.R. 5772 that would ban the unauthorized use of a deceased soldier's name or image for a commercial or political purpose.



The proposed federal legislation comes in the wake of new laws recently passed in Oklahoma and Louisiana.


On April 20 Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, a Democrat, signed into law HB2643, creating penalties for the commercial use of a soldier's name or likeness without consent from the soldier or the soldier's family. Violation of the law is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to one year in prison. The law was the result of lobbying efforts by the mother of the late Cpl. Scott Michael Vincent, whose name appears on Frazier's merchandise. Vincent?s family also contacted Rep. Boren requesting federal legislation. The Oklahoma law is set to take effect Nov. 1, 2006.

On June 2 Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco signed into law HB1304 making it a crime to use the name or likeness of a deceased soldier in advertising without the permission of the closest living relative. Violation of the law is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to a year in prison. Meanwhile, in the Louisiana Senate a SB281 is awaiting a vote that would make unauthorized use of a soldier?s name on goods or clothing grounds for a lawsuit. Violators could be subject to the award of damages similar to those awarded in cases of the wrongful death of an injured person.

Sharon McLeese and Yvette Burridge, two mothers whose sons died in Iraq, pushed for the new Louisiana legislation. Lance Cpl. Justin D. McLeese, and Pfc. David Paul Burridge, appear on the ?Bush Lied They Died? merchandise sold by Frazier?s company. In testimony before a committee of the Louisiana House of Representatives, Burridge specifically mentioned this merchandise.

Despite the new laws and the pending federal legislation, Frazier plans to continue selling his controversial anti-war merchandise. He said he believed it was a free speech issue and that his merchandise deserved a place in the national dialogue on the merits of the war.

?I believe I have a moral obligation to do the right thing here,? said Frazier in a prepared statement. ?To me, the right thing is to continue drawing attention to the horrific toll this war is taking in terms of the lives lost. If these legislators really cared about the families of the troops, they would stop their political posturing and pass legislation to bring the troops home.?

He says he will fight any new legislation in court if necessary. But with his supply of merchandise running low, he may run out of merchandise before the new legislation takes effect. He says his ?Bush Lied-They Died? merchandise has sold poorly. He says he is unlikely to produce any more.

RELATED LINKS:

March 6, 2006 news story from Louisiana.


Oklahoma Senator Jim Wilson?s April 12 press release about the then-pending Oklahoma bill.


--------------------------

Free Speech Should Allow Using Soldiers? Names in Protests



By Dan Frazier



Roughly 800 Words, Revised July, 2006



Imagine a black T-shirt with the names of 1,700 fallen U.S. troops on it. Even in tiny white letters, the partial list of soldiers killed in Iraq fills most of the front and back of the shirt. Now imagine, the words ?Bush Lied? in giant red letters superimposed over the list on the front of the shirt. And on the back, the words, ?They Died? in equally large red letters.



My small Flagstaff, Ariz. company, CarryaBigSticker, has been selling just such a shirt for about a year now. We also sell a similar magnetic vehicle sign. Unfortunately, these products have not sold as well as some of my other anti-Bush and anti-war merchandise. Nonetheless, these two products have helped to spark a controversy about whether or not such products should be legal. In fact, Oklahoma and Louisiana recently passed laws intended to outlaw such products. A third bill is pending in the Louisiana legislature. Meanwhile, two bills have been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would effectively ban such products in all 50 states.



These bills have emerged at the behest of a small group of mothers of fallen soldiers. These mothers argue that their consent should be required before their sons? or daughters? names are used on products like mine. Most of thes bills focus on businesses that use the names or images of fallen soldiers for profit. But two of the pending bills appear to go further, prohibiting use on any goods or clothing, even if the item is not being sold for profit. If these bills become law, they could be used to stop war protesters like Cindy Sheehan from writing the names of fallen soldiers on wooden crosses set up to protest the war.



While I am deeply sympathetic to these mothers and their loss, I do not intend to stop selling the merchandise in question. In fact, it is such grief as theirs that motivated me to produce these products. I do not want to see any more mothers or fathers lose their children to war ? especially to a war that was launched on falsehoods.



I have been surprised by the outrage expressed by some family members who have written to me about these products. Many have said that the fallen soldiers they knew and loved would never have supported the message of my shirts. But my shirts do not say that the soldiers listed believed Bush lied about the war. My shirts merely say that Bush lied -- and these people died.



Some people have told me that they support free speech, but they think consent should be required before the names or likenesses of fallen soldiers are used on items like those I sell. But this is much easier said than done, especially when we are talking about thousands of names. Furthermore, ?getting consent? and ?free speech? are mutually exclusive concepts. You can?t have it both ways.



I have a background as a writer and editor. I know that libel laws could catch up with me if I made demonstrably false statements about living people, especially if such statements hurt their reputations. But I also know that in most states you can?t be held accountable for libeling a dead person, no matter who it is. I could write a newspaper story stating that President John F. Kennedy was a Nazi, and I would not have to get anybody?s consent. Nobody could haul me into court even though the statement is patently false. Why should it be possible to haul me into court for printing my ?Bush Lied-They Died? shirts? The soldiers are dead. Legally, I could write a letter to the editor calling them a bunch of communists if I wanted to (I don?t). Furthermore, I have not made any false statements about the soldiers.



How is what I am doing any different from what Atlanta Journal Constitution cartoonist Mike Luckovich did? He created the word ?WHY?? out of the names of 2,000 fallen soldiers who died in Iraq. He won a Pulitzer Prize for doing so. The Constitution sells reprints of the cartoon for up to $290.


We really can?t know what our fallen soldiers would say about anti-war products and protests if they could speak from beyond the grave. We may know what they said before they died, but can we really know what they were thinking at the moment they breathed their last breaths? What we do know for sure is that every soldier who has voluntarily served this country has been brave, especially in a time of war. We also know that many soldiers who have served have believed they were protecting the rights and liberties their country stands for, including freedom of speech. We do them a terrible disservice when we take away these liberties, particularly when we say we are doing it for their sake.

[39mto39g]

I found these articals, I couldn't find the T-shirt.
Takeing something like this on face value without out investigating it?
Only until the end was there a link to the T-shirt site.
http://www.carryabigsticker.com/bush_lied_shirt.htm

[Robert Ryan]

A shame someone uses these sacrifices for their own personal gain. A shirt saying Bush lied and soldiers died isn't even acceptable to me. But I don't know why I feel this way, since I firmly believe we were lied to and deceived by this administration.

[reconeil]

Re. "Bush famous for lying",...JUST NOT SO.
Actually career-undermining Democrat Representatives, Democrat Journalists(?) & Democrat Hierarchy famous for perpetually, falsely and unwarrantably Accusing Bush of Lying are famous for lying,...and merely for political oneupmanship to-boot. Not Bush.

Neil

P.S. More than just "Royalties" should be given all named on shirt.
People making monies from other peoples' names WITHOUT PERMISSION,...
usually also have to also pay STIFF FINES FOR EACH NAMED.

[Robert Ryan]

I think I should clearify myself reconceil, I don't trust any politican, not matter who they are, or what level of governemnt they are, they are all liars and have no redeeming soical value in life.

[39mto39g]

The US went into Iraq because Saddom violated 14 UN resolution. What he said or didn't say about Iraq made little difference, We, the United States went into Iraq with the backing of the UN and was along side 30 other counties on the invasion, Although we were and still are the biggest we only played part of the roll, Granted it was a big part, (just because no one else could) it was still a PART. Bush Lied had nothing to do with it, that all said, politicans suck.
Hears a little know thing about Clinton, When he said "I did not have sex with that woman" he wasn't lieing.

He had asked for and received a definition of what is and is not sex before his answer, In the congresional definition of what sex is there is no mention of a B-job, so when he said I did not have sex, he was telling the truth as defined by congress.
Ron