Faux Ranger MacBeth: "I'm Proud Of My Battle Buddies"

Sweetness & Light ^ | May 23, 2006 | N/A

[Sam Hill]

Here’s a “column” Jesse MacBeth wrote for the Arizona State University's student online paper, the Web Devil. It is a response to an earlier ASU article which can be found here.

Anyone who has seen his video interviews, heard his (probably paid) anti-war speeches or read his anti-war screeds, maybe surprised at his earlier attitude towards US soldiers:

Guest Column: I never wanted to protest

by Jesse Macbeth
Special to The State Press
Friday, April 23, 2004

There are several things I would like to mention that Lucia Bill and Brian Clapp of The State Press failed to mention or distorted to fit their opinions.

But before that, let me tell you why I protest. I don’t protest for the homeless people because I know most of them are homeless because that is the way they choose to live. They like that life. I am doing my protest against Coffee Plantation on the basis that they banned me from their property for the sole reason that I was in my military uniform, in case some of the boneheads who own Coffee Plantation and those in the press who advocate for them have forgotten. This is America. We are still at war. Soldiers and civilians are still dying. So why would someone boot an American soldier who is drinking coffee that he paid for and talking quietly to friends?

They booted me on my appearance alone. If they do not like green or BDUs, then that is their problem. If they don’t like American servicemen, then why are they in America? Yes, I told the security guard and the employee who said I couldn’t be there because of my uniform to f— off. And I will tell them that again and anyone who bans an American serviceman who is peacefully drinking bought product from their store. I would understand if I was being loud and disturbing people, if I stank so bad they were losing customers or if I was disturbing their business in any way. But I was doing none of those.

I understand they’re upset about the homeless bathing and panhandling in the store. I would be upset about that, too. But again, my problem with them and the Free to Camp Coalition’s problem are way different. I would gladly sit down with Coffee Plantation and discuss a way we can resolve this, because I’ve really got better things to do than protest. I am on the verge of being reshipped out. If Coffee Plantation will agree to change some things, then I will no longer protest. Some of the things include not banning people based on appearance or social status. If people are bathing in your bathroom, then ban them. But if they are paying customers and they are quietly sitting down and enjoying a drink like everyone else and you ban them because you don’t like what they’re wearing, then that is not right. If they were worried and customers were complaining, then I might understand.

I served in Iraq 16 months as a U.S. Army Ranger. Coming back home and being treated that way angered me. Coffee Plantation is not the enemy or my enemy. The owners who discriminate are the enemy. I used to go and hang out there all the time. I would play chess and buy food there all day sometimes.

Lucia Bill and Brian Clapp, it works better if you print the whole truth, not shape it to fit your opinion or Coffee Plantation’s. Your column is just another example of how the media mistreats the people. I love America. I would fight a million wars and die a million times to ensure the safety of America and the American people. So if that makes me a jerk or a socialistic pig, then so be it. I have a lot of pride in my country, my service in my uniform and all of my battle buddies out there right now fighting and dying. I won’t set that aside for anything. If Coffee Plantation wants to sit and talk to resolve this, I will gladly.

I won’t discuss the day I’m being shipped off. But we need to arrange talks ASAP if Coffee Plantation wants to talk.

There is no evidence that MacBeth was subsequently shipped anywhere, except perhaps to jail for credit card fraud.

But compare MacBeth's remarks here with those he made in a subsequent interview with the Socialist Alternative:

The War the Media is Not Reporting — An Iraqi Veteran Speaks Out

Apr 26, 2006
By Justice

Jesse Macbeth, formerly a Special Forces Ranger in Iraq, is now active with Iraq Veterans Against the War in Tacoma, Washington. The Rangers are elite units sent door-to-door in Iraq to combat the insurgency. They were also sent into Fallujah to crush all opposition to the occupation of that city. Justice recently interviewed Jesse.

How did you end up in the military?
I grew up on the streets. I got into trouble for fighting. The same judge that I’d been dealing with my whole life told me that I wouldn’t have to do adult time if I signed up for the military immediately. Sometimes I kinda wish I went to jail instead.

How did you become a Special Forces Ranger?
Basic training was easy for me. Growing up on the streets, I was used to running from cops. I was used to not eating for days. I got picked to go to Ranger School.

What did your division do?
I was in the Third Ranger Battalion. Our job was to strike fear in the hearts of the Iraqi people.

We would go into people’s houses and plow down entire families. We would interrogate people. If we didn’t like the answers that they gave, then we would kill the youngest child. If they gave more answers that we didn’t like, then we’d move on to the rest of the family. They could’ve been innocent people.

We would leave the bodies in the streets and blame it on the Shi’ites or the Sunnis. [In Fallujah] we were ordered to go into mosques and slaughter people while they were praying. I won’t go into full detail because I’m still haunted by the memories.

What was the assault on Fallujah like?
Fallujah is where we slaughtered people in mosques. We provoked the people there. Some people escaped from the mosques and saw us. We would dig holes and leave mass graves of children, women, and old men. We were ordered to let people die on the street. We were told that the Geneva Convention means nothing to us in combat.

We were ordered to fire on peaceful protesters in Fallujah. Somebody threw a rock at us, and an officer said that he thought it was a grenade. Then we were ordered to fire. When it’s daylight in Iraq, it’s daylight! Nobody really thought it was a grenade.

What medals did you get in Iraq?
I got a lot. I got a purple heart. Half of them, I don’t remember. I got five or six medals just for landing. I got a bronze star.

What injuries did you get?
I got stabbed many times. I got shrapnel in my knee. I got shot in the back.

What do you think is the role of the U.S. in Iraq?
The military is terrorists there. Soldiers thought we were going to fight terrorism, but we became the terrorists. We were told we were going to liberate the country and find weapons of mass destruction. The real aim is to have the U.S. own the country. The U.S. wants oil.

How has the government treated you since you got back?
Like shit. I hate them. I’m not gonna be a terrorist or anything, but I hate them. They killed my battle brothers. They used me. They messed me up. They didn’t care about me. They turned me into a beast, a machine.

What Veteran’s benefits have you gotten?
I ain’t getting nothing. A card and that’s it.

Where do you work?
I’m an Iraq vet, and I work at Wendy’s.

How did you get involved in IVAW?
Veteran’s Affairs told me they had no money for me. I always knew the war was fucked up, but that motivated me to say something about it. The government throws us away. They did the same thing after Vietnam.

Why do you think people should get involved in the antiwar movement?
Because it’s gotta stop. Innocent people are getting killed. Bush says we have to stay the course and that it’s hard work. Bush doesn’t know what work is.

Anything else you want to say?
Yeah. The news here is controlled. The military lets information out that serves their purposes. We slaughtered a sovereign nation. Reporters got killed.

When I was growing up, everyone thought I’d be a criminal, but they were wrong. I’m gonna be one of the leaders of the revolution.

But who can believe that a man who had been through what MacBeth claims to have been through would spend so much time “protesting” rousting bums (like himself) from the johns of a coffee shop? (Which was probably the real cause of this "protest.")

It is just hilarious that the leftwing lunatics fell for this obvious fraud.

But they never could resist liars.

[Mr. Silverback]

The movie is called "The Last Starfighter," and it was a barrel of fun.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

You know, you could have submitted yourself for a Purple Heart.

No, by accidentally starting that grease fire, I submitted myself for a week of burning out latrines.

Our first sergeant told me Vietnam was dangerous enough without adding my own foolishness to the mix. He bitched me out really good, and made sure I understood that he did not want to have our CO write any more letters home than absolutely necessary.

Wasn't happy about getting chewed out.

But, looking back, I learned something important from it.

[VeniVidiVici]

I was in...Sang Bang... Dang Gong... I was all over the place, a lot of places What unit? I was with the Green Berets, Special Unit Battalions... Commando Airborne Tactics... Specialist Tactics Unit Battalion. Yeah, it was real hush hush. I was Agent Orange, Special Agent Orange, that was me.

[devolve]

Benning Bump

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks.

These lying POS's cause special pain among those whose loved ones paid the ultimate sacrifice and served honorably.

[TheSpottedOwl]

I forgot about Jimmy Massey. What a scumball! Even the most marginally performing GI that I have ever known, would sooner die than talk trash like that.

[roaddog727]

Phony for sure.

If you saw pics of him, he wore his beret backwards and rolled his sleeves lake a Navy squid.

This guy is NO Ranger.

Special Forces Ranger my sore behind!

Special School Rump Ranger is more like it.

[\/\/ayne]

About the most danger I was in was when I accidentally started a grease fire.

I was thrown out of McDonalds once for starting a grease fire. I threw a match in the cook's hair! - Steve Martin.

[Petronski]

I bet he spells it "badass d00d."

[Petronski]

Then he left his wife in Baltimore, Jack and went out for a ride and never came back.

LOL

*giggle*

[Petronski]

I was in Banga Gong...got it on, banged a gong.

[Petronski]

Like a river that don't know where it's flowin', he took a wrong turn and he just kept goin'.

[Space Wrangler]

The Last Starfighter was the name of the movie.

[Tribune7]

Yeah. LOL.

[Our man in washington]

A rump ranger, maybe.

[potlatch]

And a "thank you hero" prayer bump for Brian Cody!

[kingu]

Actually, that was the Army spokesperson - guess they don't want people to consider the Army to be full of almost criminals.

[Americanexpat]

Know what you mean, I was back from Vietnam five years before I found out I wasn´t the only Legg grunt(non airborne) that served in Vietnam.

Most of these guys would say, "I was an _______________ (you fill in the blank) and I was dropped in behind enemy lines in North Vietnam."

When you aksed them what they did they would always come back with "Can´t talk about it, it´s classified."

A$$holes like this guy cause us Vietnam vets years of embarrassment with their "War stories" and lies.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

Know what you mean, I was back from Vietnam five years before I found out I wasn´t the only Legg grunt(non airborne) that served in Vietnam.

Hell, I think I'm the only cook.

(If I was, sorry I burned your pancakes.)

[umbagi]

How appropriate that his name is MacBeth.

Well, just to be fair to lil Jesse-the-Ranger, maybe someone should ask the Army about possible service under his "born" name, Jesse Adam Al-Zaid...

Arizona name-change order

"Al-Zaid? Which army?" you might well ask...