Matthew Rothschild: “Impeach Bush” Defendant Tells His Story

[marmar]

from The Progressive:


“Impeach Bush” Defendant Tells His Story
August 16, 2007 By Matthew Rothschild


By day, Kevin Egler is a substitute teacher in Kent, Ohio. By night, he puts up posters at busy intersections and over highways. He is part of a group called Freeway Bloggers. Go to www.freewayblogger.com. The motto of the website is “Free Speech: Use It of Lose It.” Egler was arrested on July 25 and ticketed for “advertising on public property.” The city dropped that charge and now is going after him for littering. I posted an item about his case a few days ago. http://progressive.org/mag_wx081307. Here now is his story, as he gave it to me in a phone interview on August 16.

In October of last year, I decided to take up a project called freeway blogging. I had gone to peace rallies, I’d written letters to all my elected representatives, and I just didn’t see that it was doing much good.

I can’t idly sit by as the slaughter of innocent people goes on. The estimated casualties in Iraq now total more than 1 million. Proportionally, that would be like 11 million people here dying. I had to do everything in my power to do something about it.

The only way we’re going to end this war is through impeachment, and there’s plenty of cause there. The Downing Street Memos show that diplomacy was a lie; Bush was dead-set on going to war. Then there’s the out and out disregard for civil liberties: They can listen in to our phone calls, take our e-mails, freeze our assets.

I love this country. So I had to do something. This seemed like a good, inexpensive way to get the word out and influence people.

Over the last ten months, with a few friends, I’ve put up about 450 sign all over Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and a little part of West Virginia. What we like to do the most is overpasses over major freeways. We put up our signs during the wee hours of the morning so they are there for the morning rush hour.

But what I got in trouble for wasn’t a large “Impeach Bush” sign over a freeway. It was actually a yard sign much like you would see at any election time, about two feet by two and a half feet. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.progressive.org/mag_wx081607