Joshua Sparling

Joshua Sparling is a "disabled 82nd Airborne Division veteran" wounded in Iraq in 2005 "who says he was mistreated by anti-war protestors at a Jan. 29 [2007] rally in Washington, D.C.," Myron Pitts wrote February 8, 2007, in The Fayetteville Observer.

"Sparling and a few dozen others went to the National Mall to stage a counterprotest amid the tens of thousands of people denouncing U.S. involvement in Iraq," Pitts wrote. "Sparling says he was cursed at, called names and threatened with physical harm."

"Since then," Pitts wrote, "calls and letters have come in from the other side. A number of blogs and Internet sites have detailed Sparling’s activities, too. ... All together, they paint a different picture of Sparling: It is a picture of a seasoned political activist, maybe even a conservative plant, who went out of his way to provoke anti-war protestors."

Sparling told Pitts that "he was a friend of conservative radio and TV commentator Sean Hannity. That was by way of explaining how he wound up on Fox News, where he gave his side of the protest and also proposed to his girlfriend.

"He is not exaggerating his connections. He has been linked not only to Hannity but to conservative figures Ann Coulter and Oliver North, and has participated in rallies with both. A steady stream of stories has detailed his alleged run-ins with liberal activists," Pitts wrote.

After returning from the January 27, 2007, counterprotest in Washington, D.C., Kristinn Taylor&mdash;co-founder and spokesman of the Washington D.C. Chapter of the conservative group Free Republic and future Gathering of Eagles media contact, reported that Sparling was spat at by protesters. The post was picked up by Michelle Malkin and garnered over 600 replies.

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * Gathering of Eagles
 * war in Iraq

Profiles

 * Joshua Sparling in the Wikipedia.

Articles & Commentary

 * Brian Kilmeade, "Insult to Injury," Fox & Friends, December 5, 2005.
 * "'Dear Joshua, I hope you die!' -- J. Sparling (Walter Reed patient)," Fox & Friends (Free Republic), December 5, 2005.
 * Michelle Malkin, "Good Wishes for PFC. Joshua Sparling," MichelleMalkin.com, December 23, 2005.
 * Michelle Malkin, "PFC. Joshua Sparling Speaks," MichelleMalkin.com, January 22, 2006.
 * "Yale native gets chance to attend State of Union address," The Huron Daily Tribune (Mich.), February 1, 2006.
 * "Joshua Sparling Discusses His Progress On Sean Hannity Show (AUDIO)," Expose the Left, February 4, 2006.
 * Michelle Malkin, "PFC. Joshua Sparling Update," MichelleMalkin.com, March 8, 2006.
 * Ian Urbina, "Protest Focuses on Iraq Troop Increase," New York Times, January 28, 2007.
 * Kristinn Taylor, "Wounded Iraq Vet Threatened, Spat on by 'Antiwar' Protesters (D.C. Chapter Report on 1/27/07)," D.C. Chapter Free Republic, January 28, 2007.
 * Michelle Malkin, "Spitting at a war hero," MichelleMalkin.com, January 28, 2007.
 * digby, "Spitting Image" and "No Spit Zone," Hullabaloo! Blogspot, January 28, 2007.
 * KoKo01, "Iraq War Vet Josua Sparling (Amputee) Spit Upon by Anti War Protestor!" Democratic Underground Discussion Board, January 28, 2007.
 * "Questions for the NY Times about the alleged spitting incident during anti-war protest," Media Matters for America, January 29, 2007.
 * digby, "More Spittle," Hullabaloo! Blogspot, January 29, 2007.
 * "Still more questions for the NY Times regarding the alleged spitting incident," Media Matters for America, January 30, 2007.
 * "Joshua Sparling Abused and Threatened At Peace Rally," Euphoric Reality Blog, January 30, 2007.
 * "The Top 10 Conservative Idiots, No. 277: Joshua Sparling, Democratic Underground Journal, February 5, 2007. Scroll down to number 8.
 * Myron Pitts, "Veteran’s account called into question," The Fayetteville Obeserver (NC), February 8, 2007.
 * "Tonigth: SPC Joshua Sparling and Kristinn Taylor on The Front Line," Euphoric Reality Blog, February 16, 2007.