Richard Hyde is quick to note that he supports America’s military. What the Hannibal man was single-handedly protesting on Veterans Day in Hannibal’s Central Park was what he called an unfulfilled promise by President Barack Obama.
“He made a promise to bring the troops home from Iraq during the campaign. I’m just trying to get him to bring home the rest of the troops in Iraq,” he said.
Hyde explained that he has nieces and nephews deployed in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I have nothing against the troops, it’s the policy they’re fighting for in Iraq,” he said. “ I support what we’re doing in Afghanistan, but not in Iraq where we still have (U.S. military) men and women dying.”
Hyde’s protest consisted of a string of 115 Christmas cards, lined up at the base of the park’s flag pole atop which flapped the stars and stripes in the face of a cool breeze. According to Hyde, each card represents the life of a U.S. military man or woman that has been lost since candidate Obama promised to bring the U.S. troops in Iraq home.
“They won’t get to open their Christmas cards this year,” said Hyde.
This is the third protest that has been mounted by Hyde, who is not a military veteran. His previous protest took place on Memorial Day at the federal building on Broadway in Hannibal. He reports that on that occasion his symbols of protest were removed before the day was over.
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Richard Hyde is quick to note that he supports America’s military. What the Hannibal man was single-handedly protesting on Veterans Day in Hannibal’s Central Park was what he called an unfulfilled promise by President Barack Obama.
“He made a promise to bring the troops home from Iraq during the campaign. I’m just trying to get him to bring home the rest of the troops in Iraq,” he said.
Hyde explained that he has nieces and nephews deployed in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I have nothing against the troops, it’s the policy they’re fighting for in Iraq,” he said. “ I support what we’re doing in Afghanistan, but not in Iraq where we still have (U.S. military) men and women dying.”
Hyde’s protest consisted of a string of 115 Christmas cards, lined up at the base of the park’s flag pole atop which flapped the stars and stripes in the face of a cool breeze. According to Hyde, each card represents the life of a U.S. military man or woman that has been lost since candidate Obama promised to bring the U.S. troops in Iraq home.
“They won’t get to open their Christmas cards this year,” said Hyde.
This is the third protest that has been mounted by Hyde, who is not a military veteran. His previous protest took place on Memorial Day at the federal building on Broadway in Hannibal. He reports that on that occasion his symbols of protest were removed before the day was over.
