Stephen Pearcy and Virginia Pearcy and Free Speech in Sacramento

This is something of a mini documentary highlighting an event that occurred during the fascist political climate that evolved under the corrupt Bush administration.

See also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20pJIaDZxbo

In February 2005, Stephen and Virginia Pearcy, placed a bold anti-war display of a U.S. soldier on their home. The Sacramento media, led by KCRA and Fox 40, initially portrayed the Pearcys as being unpatriotic for using their home to display the powerful anti-war message. The media and conservatives initially referred to the display as an "effigy" even though the soldier was clearly depicted as a victim of an unjust war.

Conservative talk radio and TV hosts incited right-wing listeners and viewers to go to the Pearcys' home and take action to intimidate them. When the media's spectacle over the display reached its peak, right-wing vandals were emboldened. In broad daylight, as TV cameras rolled, vandals climbed onto the Pearcys' home and destroyed and stole their displays. Up to six displays were unlawfully taken. TV news crews from Fox 40 even interviewed some of the vandals while the crimes were being committed and asked them if they'd like to pass along any messages to the Pearcys.

After the vandalisms were shown on the local news, one vandal turned himself in to police, but they wouldn't arrest him. Conservative District Attorney Jan Scully publicly announced that nobody from her office would prosecute any of the vandals because, she said, "there was insufficient evidence that a crime was committed." This was in spite of the video evidence (see link below). The DA's announcement emboldened others to come out and attack the Pearcys' property.

As the events continued to get media coverage, local TV and radio stations began receiving thousands of calls and emails from people who opposed the war just like the Pearcys and who were outraged by the reporting bias. The media quickly began to retract its original spin.

The events culminated one evening in February after right-wing fringe group, Move America Forward, organized a vigil across the street from the Pearcys' home. In response, the anti-war and free speech community mobilized and stood guard at the home. A line of police stood in the middle of the street from one end of the block to the other. TV crews and satellite vans broadcasted live images. Cindy Sheehan and her husband Pat also joined the anti-war group (before her famous trip to Crawford, Texas). With intermittent periods of heavy rain, about 500 hundred people gathered in what police said was the largest protest event ever at a private Sacramento residence. The media was initially expecting mostly Iraq war supporters to show up, but the anti-war movement was overwhelming. After that evening, there was relative silence from the right.

The Pearcys replaced their display and it remained up for over a year before they decided to remove it themselves.

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