Unless you watch Fox News or read the Daily Caller or the Daily Mail you probably don’t know who Chris Marquez is.
Chris Marquez is a Marine veteran who served for eight years in both Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded a Bronze Star for his actions in Iraq.
On November 7 2004, American, British and Iraqi troops began a fierce, unrelenting conflict with insurgents in the Iraqi city of Fallujah – little knowing that the campaign would last two months and become known as The Second Battle of Fallujah.
The fighting was furious throughout, but it was the brutal events of one particular day – November 13 – that would become known in Marine Corps legend as ‘The House of Hell’.
That day, in south-western Fallujah, two Marines on a seek-and-destroy mission found themselves caught in a vicious foxhole. They managed to surprise and kill one hidden insurgent, but in doing so alerted others on the roof to their presence.
A volley of bullets came through a skylight, followed by grenades, wounding both soldiers. US reinforcements arrived but were also caught in the gunfire and trapped.
First Sergeant Brad Kasal, who had arrived outside the building, grabbed another Marine and the two entered to provide support. Kasal was an experienced Marine who had fought in the first Gulf War, and the two managed to neutralize another insurgent before being surrounded and hit in the legs with gunfire.
A grenade was thrown into the room to finish them off and Kasal threw himself on top of his comrade to protect him, suffering further injuries to his legs.
Nevertheless, Kasal was able to pull his comrade out of harm’s way, then draw his pistol and guard them for over an hour while reinforcements fought their way into the house to rescue the men.
Two of the reinforcements that battled their way into the room were Chris Marquez and Dane Shaffer, who carried Kasal to safety. Photographer Lucien Read was also there, and took the picture that would immortalize the three and become an iconic image of the terrible violence being wrought in the country.
Ten years later, Wyoming artist John Phelps would recreate the image as two statues that would be placed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego and Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Here’s a photo of the action:
His and his fellow Marine’s actions were immortalized with a statue
There are two of these statues- one at Camp Pendleton and one in Camp Lejeune.
Marquez was assaulted by three black youths outside a McDonald’s in Northwest DC.
Marquez left the establishment after eating, but allegedly sustained a sudden blow to the back of his head outside the McDonald’s, which knocked him unconscious. When he woke up, his pants were ripped and wallet gone, which contained $400 in cash, three credit cards, his VA medical card, school identification, metro card and driver’s license.
“I remember this group of teens harassing me while I was eating, they surrounded my table and kept on asking me ‘Do you believe black lives matter,’” Marquez told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “Then they started calling me a racist. I can’t recall if they were saying anything else to me at this moment because the blow to my head really screwed up my memory.”
DeAnthony Mason, manager of the McDonald’s, reviewed security footage and told Marquez in a phone call Saturday that when he left the restaurant a teen with a white shirt struck him on the side of the head, knocking him unconscious. The other teens then converged on his incapacitated body, taking his belongings. The head blow Marquez sustained left his memory dazed, but Mason’s review of security footage helped him piece together what occurred.
The Washington Post weighed in and their greatest emphasis was that the motive was not “verified.” Then they added this:
Police could not verify the motive as described by Marquez and said they are continuing to look into the case. Dustin Sternbeck, the chief D.C. police spokesman, said detectives are reviewing surveillance video of the assault but it was not immediately clear what it shows.
Well, here’s the video:
[youtube]https://youtu.be/J7-NGftbESU[/youtube]
I’m no surveillance expert, but I see a black youth follow Marquez outside the restaurant, cock his arm and slam Marquez from behind. Then I see Marquez lying on the ground and getting kicked in the head.
Kim LaCapria at Snopes calls this an “altercation.” An altercation is defined as
a heated or angry dispute; noisy argument or controversy.
Strikes me as this was something more than an “altercation” but it does not surprise that leftist snopes and its twits largely dismiss the assault. LaCapria’s primary concern was that the altercators not be identified as being part of the Black Lives Matter movement and nothing else.
It is sad commentary that the legacy news outlets have ignored this story and the few left wing outlets that have touched it are more concerned with the possible fallout that could damage the politically correct narrative than they are with the crime itself. These are the incidents that never seem to matter.
There is a Gofundme account for Marquez here.
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 40 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 45 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter who is in the field of education.
DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.
Except for liberals being foolish.
It was Marquez’s fault. He is a Veteran and must have done something to provoke the poor youths. They are the true victims, not Marquez. The video was obviously altered in some way as part of the cover up.
@another vet: Is it true that our President called Marques to tell him the justice department was going to investigate the incident as a hate crime? Did the President read Marquez his rights?
How long have the “new black panther members” been getting away with racially motivated muggings before they chose someone the media cared to report about?
These poor black men where just trying to make a living and to attack them as black or racist is just wrong!! NO black man can be a racist, just ask Al Sharpton or Obola!!
@another vet: the IAD force was called and they refilmed it to the states liking… then the secretary disavowed any knowlege of the operation…
either that or this was the black national socialist TEEN spetsnaz team…
Notice that the “vibrants” always attack from the rear.
@Common Sense: I nearly forgot that, why these young socialists were just practicing wealth redistribution. Had the Vet succeeded in defending himself it could have made national news with pictures of the victim of a government trained killing machine a lethal timebomb waiting to explode from PTS, he would be in a cap and gown with his plans for the future preached by Jackson and Sharpton. If Obama had a son….
@Artfldgr: @Artfldgr:
They are just victims of society. In the land of hope and change, no one is responsible for anything especially their own actions. Unless of course, they don’t tow the line of the collective.
Look at what the “venerable” Snopes had to say: http://www.snopes.com/marine-attack-blm-claim/
Trying to cover for the BLM movement.
Blame McDonalds for allowing harassment of customers by gangs, as they went to 5 guys they were not eating at the McDs
and the credit card company can tell you where it was used.
Snopes indicates this mans word is not good enough for them.
Come on! These dindu nuffins are true Sons Of Obungler.
He should have announced his BLM support loudly.
It’s a shame DC does not have concealed carry.
Bernie Getz, anyone?
@another vet:
It’s edited!! Just like the Planned Parenthood videos to show these poor, innocent black youths, on their way to school, being lured into a fight by this right wing reactionary (as all returning veterans are) as falsely being the cowardly aggressors.
Oh, but he did!
Then he called for BLM to meet with him AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
Then this:
What does she want?
Supposedly,
But, in reality, she wants to rejigger the judicial process so that justifiable shootings by police result in the firing, indicting and imprisoning of many good police in this country.
Has anyone noticed there is a lack of posting by liberals and trolls on this conversation?
@Randy: SOP
@another vet: There is absolutely no way to condone what was done to Marquez—lock up the perpetrators.
Motive for the robbery beating—racial-maybe
Fact he’s got $400 cash–maybe–likely
@another vet: Had to blame it on something other than racism, right?
@Richard Wheeler:
Oh, so they screened him to determine he had $400 on him?
@Richard Wheeler:
Tell us one more time just how those attackers knew what he had in his wallet prior to taking it from him. Their justification was ‘he had $400 cash in his wallet’. Only from Richie.
He probably took out his wallet to pay the cashier. Thugs have an eye for such details as a fat wallet—a good thing to keep in mind in any urban environment. They can also have accomplices who tip them off—say, a friend behind the counter. Most likely they were there watching for a target.
@Randy, #14:
I was wondering how long it would take for someone to wiggle the line. One definition of the word trolling actually does fit the bill.
@Greg: “Thugs”? “THUGS”?!?
Isn’t that racist?
Here’s a bit of good news:
Mike Tikoyan, the owner of NT Auto Body in Alexandria, Virginia, reached out to Marquez in hopes of helping him out.
Tikoyan and his brother gave a $5,000 check to Marquez Friday night to help with his recovery and expenses in the aftermath of the attack.
The GoFundMe account is already more than half way to its goal:
https://www.gofundme.com/m6p4me6c
The white brunch swarms are just like these guys who attacked Marquez.
They size up the group and lay in wait for any who seem well- heeled.
Actually, this tactic harkens all the way back to those New Black Panthers in Oakland who used to try to shut down small markets (who refused to pay protection money).
Eventually they not only set a few markets on fire but they murdered the one reporter who was doing an investigative report on all of it.
@Bill, #22:
No, it isn’t racist. Thugs is not race specific term. It has to do with a person’s behavior. In this case it’s an appropriate description. While they’re black thugs, black is not the problem. To suggest that black is the problem would be racist.
Randy-DJ-RT Why did they heist his wallet–just askin?
Thanks for the laugh
BTW–Did I say it wasn’t racially motivated?:
Nan you and rt–are at least consistent–if Blacks are involved–it’s always racial–robbery nothing to do with it–lol
Maybe they were Trump supporters who incorrectly profiled Chris Marquez as an illegal alien rapist who’d come in to spend his ill-gotten drug money.
I just heard the South Carolina projected results. Rubio is coming in ahead of Cruz, but Donald has grabbed the brass ring.
@Greg: Hmmm… well, it WAS racist when the “thugs” began burning down Ferguson and Baltimore. Do you not remember how the left accused anyone using the term “thug” as meaning, specifically, blacks?
So, let’s be sure not to inject race into the episode.
Oops. It happened.
@Richard Wheeler:
Black on white never is racist, is it? Not even black on white Hispanic.
@drjohn: Don’t you just love to give these lefties enough rope and watch them hang themselves. They are so predictable! I could write their responses.
@Richard Wheeler:If a bunch of whites or Hispanics did this to a black person or a bunch of blacks did this to a black person, what was in his wallet would be a non issue. In the case of the whites or Hispanics, the left would claim racism and immediately blame it on Republicans and conservatives and there would be a full DOJ investigation. If it was black on black, they would simply ignore it because there would be nothing to make themselves feel good about in their accusations.
@drjohn: @another vet:Dr J. I never said that. Ofcourse Black on White can be racist
So you folks just immediately pull the race card on this? Acting like those you deride.
Dr j and AV Thought you better than that.
Nan RT–Expected
Randy An Army Col should know better
@Richard Wheeler: tell me again where I mentioned ‘racism’.
@Greg:
The brass ring as in at least 37 (or as many as 50) of South Carolina’s delegates, Greg.
What difference does 2nd or 3rd make if you get only a few (or none) out of 50 delegates?
Congrats to those that thought Trump would fail in South Carolina. Shows that they are not aware of what’s going on in this country. People are sick and tired of the same old crap being fed to them from Washington. They’ve decided on ala cart instead of the same old menu.
@Richard Wheeler: @Richard Wheeler: Again, if a bunch of whites or Hispanics would have done this to a black, you would have been one of the first ones here screaming “racism” and inferring that conservatives were to blame even if it was a simple crime to get the wallet which this case may have been. You did it before with Martin and “Hands up don’t shoot” Brown despite the fact that the facts came out proving that to be wrong. And that was determined by Obama’s DOJ which headed up by a racist at the time. If it was black on black violence, you would have paid no attention to it. Perhaps on Monday you can post here venting your anger at the blacks who were killed in Chicago over the weekend by other blacks. I’ve yet to see a single lefty here post outrage when some 11 year black kid gets wasted by a black gangbanger. There is ample opportunity because it happens every weekend in Chicago. I guess there is no political gain in that. Sorry to say, blacks and their plight are a means to end for the left in this country. As long as they are committing crimes and killing each other in grossly disproportionate numbers, they can be used to push for more gun control and more government handouts in order to “solve the problem”. Some blacks have realized that they are being played for dupes. They are commonly referred to as “Uncle Toms”.
@Richard Wheeler:
I do not doubt for one second that race was part of this attack, if not the entire motivation to rob. I think it’s incredibly naive to think otherwise.
@DrJohn: Of course you have a right to that opinion. IMO if it was that clear cut why would they even bother to rob him—we agree all participating should be locked up.
If all you guys and gals wanna make this strictly race motivated how are you any different than the Ferguson folks you rightly deride?
AV I never said the guy in Ferguson–Brown– was innocent.
Martin—tragic ending—certainly don’t think the rent a guard was without fault though not criminally liable.
@Richard Wheeler: You never brought up the race issue in Ferguson or with Martin? That is my main argument here. The race issue was immediately brought up in both cases even after it was proven to be bogus. Both Zimmerman and Wilson acted in self defense although Zimmerman never should have gotten himself in that predicament to begin with. He bit off more than he could chew. Contrast that with this incident. The first response is to downplay and even deny the race factor. The victim’s statement clearly shows it was an issue even if they were after his wallet. Just looking for some sort of consistency here.
@another vet: Consistency–exactly. Why make this so clearly Black on White or Black on Latin —when to me it’s a robbery first–don’t care if it’s purple on green–lock em up.
Honestly I didn’t see Ferguson or Fla. through racial lenses. Would have preferred to see both cases go to court rather than two dead teens.
So, basically, you’re admitting that when blacks go into a restaurant and pick out non-black customers then scream, ”don’t black lives matter?!” to those customers all they’re really doing is CASING the joint.
If this were the case, all BLM ought to be arrested whenever they case a joint, be it a restaurant, park, school ground, concert parking lot, etc.
Are you good with that?
You attribute bad motives to ALL BLM’ers by saying that these BLM’ers were merely interested in robbery.
They were not.
They were interested in intimidation and de-gentrifying their neighborhood.
Funny how it is the BLM’ers who are insisting on SEGREGATION.
And, to a certain extent, they are getting it:
http://downtrend.com/71superb/uconn-is-building-blacks-only-dorm-and-youre-racist-if-you-think-thats-segregation
@another vet:
While I agree Zimmerman shouldn’t have gotten into his situation, if I recall correctly it was Martin that bit off more than he could chew.
Anyhow, race was certainly a factor since they just assumed if anyone was going to have money in his wallet, it was the white guy.
@Redteam: Martin definitely bit off more than he could chew (attacking someone with a loaded weapon) but Zimmerman is lucky that Martin is the one staring at dirt and not himself. He lost control of the situation he put himself in and therefore bit off more than he could chew.
If race played no part in the assault, what was the purpose of the initial question about if Marquez thought black lives mattered? I would opine that they thought Marquez was white and targeted him on that basis. The $400 was a bonus.