Posted on 11/06/2006 11:57:48 AM PST by Keyes2000mt
Boise, Idaho -- Police arrested 24-year old Michael Burkett of Boise early Sunday morning after officers with Capitol Mall Security reported spotting him vandalizing two flag polls on the grounds of the Idaho Statehouse.
The flags are memorials to soldiers who lost their lives in the war on terror.
"It's certainly upsetting, not just to officers but for any citizen of this county who knows somebody who lost their lives in Iraq or Afghanistan," Lt. Ron Winegar said of the ongoing investigation.
Burkett was charged with resisting arrest and Malicious Injury to Property. He and his 22-year-old brother, Tom Burkett, also charged with the vandalism, are the sons of state Sen. Michael Burkett (D) of Idaho's 19th district.
Michael Burkett told Fox 12 News he had no comment on the matter except to say his sons were involved in a run-in with police last night. He also denied the fact that run-in had anything to do with vandalizing flags.
"For someone to desecrate a flag, I mean that's not only is it dishonorable, it's downright ignorant," said Tom Titus, whose son Brandon was killed in Iraq two years ago.
The flagpole with Brandon's name on it was bent so badly that police say the flag was laying on the ground.
"It hurts knowing that a flag was taken down with my son's name on it. And I hurt for the other families whose flags were desecrated," Titus said.
The decorated Vietnam vet says he's no stranger to this kind of vandalism. In fact Titus says someone ripped up a flag from a pole in his front yard. The flag was hand delivered to him by U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo's office the same week his son died.
"They were the only (elected officials) that visited me after Brandon died," Titus said. "You can't put a price on that flag."
Since that incident, Titus has taken steps to protect his keepsakes from vandals. That includes installing motion detector lights in his front yard and treating a stone, engraved with Brandon's name, with an anti-graffiti film.
And even though his son's flag at the State House has been bent back to normal, Titus thinks the Burkett's and their father should make a personal apology to the families affected by their alleged vandalism.
"If they want to go out and have some fun, if they think it's fun, then maybe they ought to have fun when they meet somebody like me," Titus said.
Damage to each flag is estimated at approximately $200.
The other flag that was pulled out of the ground has also been replaced. It had Army Spec. Carrie French's name on it.
The son of a bit...I mean DummiecRat....of course he is a vandal. His father is a deviant.
This is one of the reasons I carry the tagline that I do.
District 19: North and East Boise
Senate: Mike Burkett. With his lawyer's eye for legislative detail and eight years in the Senate, Burkett has the intelligence and experience for the Legislature. His consistent Democratic views fit his district well.
By contrast, Republican Charles Seldon centers his race on trying to return the Bible to public schools and criticizing Burkett's American Civil Liberties Union membership.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/101/story/58639.html
Will this DUmmie's father get re-elected ?
Here in Fresno a couple of weeks ago a member of Peace Fresno harrassed the mother of a Marine who had died in Iraq earlier this year. Asked her how many kids her son had killed and other really disgusting stuff. There are members of the left who hate our troops.
Twenty-four-year-old Michael Burkett was arrested and 22-year-old Thomas Burkett was cited for allegedly damaging flags and flagpoles on the grounds of the Idaho Capitol building this morning.
Police say Michael Burkett also resisted and obstructed officers.
Boise Police say one flag pole had been bent so the flag was lying on the ground, the other had been pulled from the ground.
Their father is Boise Senator Mike Burkett, a Democrat facing Republican Charles Seldon in Tuesday's election.
As one who grew up in Idaho, it's religion, farming and sportsmen-conservationists (who have no love for the Kennedy family meddling in Idaho's land use decisions), military and entrepreneurs that keeps it mostly sane. And the water is excellent there.
Senator Burkett says he thinks his sons are innocent, while the boys' mother, Sharon Burkett, says the entire event was a "misunderstanding."
What horrible little pukes! And their father, too! I'd like to beat them with a flag pole!
Sounds like a plan to me.
Those two are too old to be pulling such "pranks." 24 and 22 is out of college-/into the work-force-age.
Liberal Democrat Family values.....
But they DO support the troops, right??
Burkett's American Civil Liberties Union membership.
"(D)"
Say's it all.
They support the troops...
just not our troops
Or a parent who supports the actions of his sons?
Shaking my head here. I would be so ashamed if any of my sons did this. I sure wouldn't be saying it was a misunderstanding. Maybe this behavior is learned at home, I don't know.
How disrespectful. They've caught IKS (Ischemic Kerry Syndrome)!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.