[Letter to Ann R. Brown, Ann R. Brown Executive Director, U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, dated June 13, 2016]
Ms. Brown,
As a law-abiding 74-year American citizen, I never had been put in handcuffs until Sunday. It was carried out under your orders, done illegally and forcefully on your behalf by a bullying coward — VA police officer M. Perez (Badge No. 2140). He is unworthy of any rank or merit.
Prior to your new assignment at the Los Angeles VA a few months ago, you were employed in Chicago, our nation’s most crime-ridden city where murder, violence and mayhem are a way of life.
This is West Los Angeles, a peaceful, civilized area, aside from the white-collar crime that runs rampant at the most corrupt VA in nation carrying out the biggest land-fraud swindle in American history that leaves thousands upon thousands of disabled Veterans homeless and hungry at skid row and back-alley squalor.
For more than eight years, the Old Veterans Guard has maintained peaceful and non-violent Sunday Rallies. We carry out our mission to bring an end to the widespread mismanagement, malfeasance and misappropriation of Veterans property at the Los Angeles VA and to stop the abuse and inhumane treatment of our fellow Veterans.
Now, you’ve brought your Chicago mob-boss mentality to West Los Angeles and it’s time to bring it to an end.
Last week under your unilateral directions, the main entryway to the VA Wadsworth Hospital was aligned with gay pride banners. After Sunday morning’s massacre in Orlando, you tried to shield possible repercussions of the VA’s banner display by sending four VA police vehicles with armed VA police officers to the front open-gate of the Veterans National Park. They illegally blocked us from our weekly Sunday Rally and posting of the American flag.
VA police officer Davis was barking orders that we can’t put anything on VA property because of what happened in Orlando. He said it forced the VA to remove its own gay pride banner display.
Huh?
I reminded him that the American flag is not “anything,” but is “a living thing.” He tried desperately to equate Old Glory to your gay pride banners.
Sunday was our 433rd consecutive Sunday Rally to “Save Our Veterans Land” and to “Bring Our Homeless Veterans Home.”
Per usual, I was preparing to legally post my American flag in honor of and in tribute to the brave men and women who have defended our nation’s colors when officer Davis illegally grabbed and confiscated it before I could legally and proudly display It.
Then Ted Hayes, aka “Mr. Patriot,” prepared to post his American flag for the same honor when officer Davis threatened him and ordered him not to display his flag. Ted proceeded. Incredulously, Mr. Davis took out his handcuffs and placed Mr. Patriot under arrest.
VA policeman M. Perez showed up as I was photographing all of this activity while standing on the Veterans Freedom Plaza, a designated free-speech area of the National Veterans Park.
M. Perez assertively came straight at me and asked what I was going to do with my film and I said it is evidence, my evidence for trial, and he said “you post photos on blogs” and I said that’s “freedom of the press.” He ordered me to surrender my camera to him or he was going to place me under arrest. Nonetheless, he seized my camera, handcuffed me, placed me under arrest and issued me a citation.
Mr. Rosebrock, director of the Old Veterans Guard, may be contacted at rrosebrock1@aol.com
