Meet a Human Shield--Everything you’d expect and more

National Review ^ | 3-3-03 | Mark Goldblatt

[SJackson]

Granted, there is a certain entertainment value in the merry band of "human shields" now scurrying around the Iraqi countryside, trying to deter the United States from bombing strategic targets by parking directly in the line of fire — it is, after all, the ultimate Jackass stunt. Saying that, however, it's still worth knowing a little something about their leader, a former Marine and Gulf War Veteran named Ken Nichols O'Keefe.

In his website's mission statement, which reads like a first draft the Unabomber might have written and discarded as too delusional, O'Keefe declares, "I have announced plans to bring serious charges against the United States. . . . You and your government are vile disgusting killers and people like myself have been and will continue to be attacked because we refuse to acquiesce or participate in your wretched policies."

Like many paranoids, O'Keefe — who has the word "ex-patriot" etched into his right hand and who claims "Hawaii" as "the nation of my allegiance" — is afflicted by an overriding sense of his own significance: "Your 'intelligence services,' primarily the FBI, have for years had every incentive to monitor me. I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the FBI does have quite a lengthy file on me. . . . I am what you call an 'enemy of the state,' and indeed, I am an enemy of any state that puts power and greed above all else, even human life. Naturally, it was merely a matter of time before I would become a political target."

Despite such persecution, O'Keefe won't be discouraged, for his mission is, in a larger sense, messianic: "Fight I will, and my greatest weapon? The Truth. Indeed it is the truth that has set me free, and I will till my death and beyond continue to help free others."

And what is O'Keefe's Truth? "What I am ultimately stating . . . is already known to thinking people (not 'educated') around the world, and the people on the receiving end of your bombs or economic oppression are difficult to brainwash, so it is that these people know the truth I speak. Aside from the comparatively wealthy Western societies of America and Western Europe, whose populations (to a great degree) have been lulled into a morally comatose state of existence, the United States is regarded as a hypocritical rouge nation that is tolerated only out of fear of reprisal. A rouge that is completely out of control. Drunk on its own Power. A rouge that seriously threatens to destroy all life as we know it through its global rape of the natural world and sheer insanity in developing weapons of mass destruction."

America . . . the nation that gave us the nightmare of Maybelline!

All right, one last quote from the site: "Dear Ken, I'm very impressed to find out about what you are doing, and would like to express my strongest support and encouragement for these brave actions." — Noam Chomsky, January 5, 2003.

Enough said.

— Mark Goldblatt, a writer in New York, is author of the novel Africa Speaks, now available in paperback.

[AppyPappy]

Just what we need in the world. More paranoid nuts.

[EggsAckley]

rouge nation

LOL! What a maroon!

[BlueLancer]

"...the United States is regarded as a hypocritical rouge nation that is tolerated only out of fear of reprisal. A rouge that is completely out of control. Drunk on its own Power. A rouge that seriously threatens to destroy all life as we know it through its global rape of the natural world and sheer insanity in developing weapons of mass destruction."

I'll have you know that I NEVER use rouge.

[Spruce]

i wood like to aks mister O'Keefe wear i can get rouge. Is their a govermint office witch gives me sum? how cum I don't half rouge?

[Mo1]

Like many paranoids, O'Keefe — who has the word "ex-patriot" etched into his right hand and who claims "Hawaii" as "the nation of my allegiance"

"who claims "Hawaii" as "the nation of my allegiance" ... ????? .. what does that mean

[TontoKowalski]

It's going to be really funny when the bombs start dropping, and Iraqi nationals beat the crap out of the idiots for trying to halt their liberation.

[Sloth]

Well, at least he supports states' rights... LOL

[TontoKowalski]

From another article, I understand that he does not recognize Hawaii as a part of the United States. He believes Hawaii is, in fact, an independent nation.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Nut. With a Messianic Complex, with a Death Wish on top of it! LOL!

[RushLake]

This makes sense. There is a movement in Hawaii that is against being part of the US. I picked up some of their propaganda when I was there a few years ago. Basically they hate all non-ethnic Hawaiians. They want us interlopers out. I guess when we leave we take the USS Arizona, the USS Missouri, the occupants of the punch bowl, and our tourist dollars. I hope we can leave the bums that sleep on the beach.

[Mo1]

I understand that he does not recognize Hawaii as a part of the United States

Hmmmmmmmm ... OK ... LOL

[Jonah Hex]

Sounds like a group Michael Rivero would join...

[BlueLancer]

"Sounds like a group Michael Rivero would join..."

Or Justina Raimondo.

[Mo1]

So is O'Keefe still there, or did he run for the hills also?

[LibertarianInExile]

No kidding. I'll be the first to have the U.S. pack up and leave Hawaii if we can pack up ALL the stuff we brought, and everyone that ain't 100% Hawaiian blood has to leave, too. I have no issues with Hawaii going back to a pristine natural state of spears and rocks and huts. They'll be gone in a generation. Contrary to their little fantasy world, there are not too many native Hawaiians left. And the women will be plenty tired after a few years of childbearing. Not that they'll have any other source of entertainment, what with the entire toy store in Hawaii consisting of 'pick up sticks,' 'pick up rocks,' and 'pick up sand.'

Tom Clancy's approach to this was best. Turn those cretins' clocks back to a natural state and see how long they think it was better. They'll be swimming for LA before the Sunday funnies.

[Junior]

A rouge that is completely out of control.

Red baiting?

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I see these human sheilds and think " where are the torture groupies of yesteryear?"

[KellyAdmirer]

Idiots like him never stop to think that if the US government hates him so much, and he is still breathing and able to vent his vile paranoia, that says tons of good things about the US government. He surely wouldn't still be breathing if he were in Iraq and unleashed his attitudes against Saddam.

[rocky88]

Why is it that these human shields from the US can't be prosecuted like John Walker Lindh? Granted, they aren't technically "taking up arms" against the US - but they are traitorous nonetheless.

Any thoughts on this from someone more educated than myself on such matters?