Joshua Sparling

Last updated

Joshua Sparling (born 1981) is a Corporal in the U.S. Army from Port Huron, Michigan, who was wounded in the War in Iraq. Since December 2005, Joshua has received significant publicity for being the victim of multiple incidents of aggression, attributed to his status as a veteran of the War in Iraq.

Contents

Injury

Joshua Sparling was injured in Iraq by an IED on November 20, 2005, and returned to the U.S. on November 24, 2005, where he underwent multiple surgeries to treat his wounds, including severe injuries to his right leg. According to a letter written by Sparling's father, on the day he arrived at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Sparling received a letter from the Red Cross that turned out to be anonymous hate mail expressing the wish that the soldier reading the card would die.

Spitting incident

On 27 January 2007, at an antiwar protest at Washington DC, a protester wearing an Airborne jacket spit near him, according to the New York Times. Sparling spat back, according to the NY Times report, an allegation that Sparling denied during a Hannity and Colmes interview on the Fox News.

Supportive publicity

Sparling's experiences have been featured by numerous media outlets and weblogs supportive of the Iraq War effort. Media coverage of the death wish triggered an outpouring of over 20,000 cards and gifts to wounded soldiers at Walter Reed. Sparling was championed by Fox News commentator Sean Hannity, who gave him gifts of several movies and an iPod. [1] He has also appeared and spoken at Oliver North's "Freedom Alliance" concerts. [2] Additionally, Sparling and his parents were invited to and attended the 2006 State of the Union Address as guests of J. Dennis Hastert. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox News</span> American conservative cable news channel

The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owned by the Fox Corporation. It is the most-watched cable news network in the U.S., and as of 2023 generates approximately 70% of its parent company's pre-tax profit. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan. Fox News provides a service to 86 countries and territories, with international broadcasts featuring Fox Extra segments during advertising breaks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geraldo Rivera</span> American attorney, journalist and talk show host (born 1943)

Geraldo Rivera is an American journalist, attorney, author, and political commentator who worked at the Fox News Channel from 2001 to 2023. He hosted the tabloid talk show Geraldo from 1987 to 1998. He gained publicity with the live 1986 TV special The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults. Rivera hosted the news magazine program Geraldo at Large, hosts the occasional broadcast of Geraldo Rivera Reports. He served as a rotating co-host of The Five from 2022 to 2023. As of February 2024, Rivera retains the spot of correspondent-at-large with NewsNation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media coverage of the Iraq War</span>

The 2003 invasion of Iraq had unprecedented US media coverage, especially cable news networks. US media was largely uncritical of the war, with many viewers falsely believing that Saddam Hussein and Iraq were involved with the 9/11 attacks. British media was more cautious in its coverage. The Qatari Al-Jazeera network was heavily critical of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Hannity</span> American television host and political commentator (born 1961)

Sean Patrick Hannity is an American conservative television presenter, broadcaster and writer. He hosts The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show, and has also hosted a self-titled political commentary program on Fox News since 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westboro Baptist Church</span> American primitive baptist church and hate group

The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is an American, unaffiliated Primitive Baptist church in Topeka, Kansas, that was founded in 1955 by pastor Fred Phelps. It is widely considered a hate group, and is known for its public protests against gay people and for its usage of the phrases "God hates fags" and "Thank God for dead soldiers". It also engages in hate speech against atheists, Jews, Muslims, transgender people, and other Christian denominations. The WBC's theology and practices are widely condemned by other Christian churches, including the Baptist World Alliance and the Southern Baptist Convention, and by politicians and public figures, including former U.S. President Barack Obama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Malkin</span> American political commentator (born 1970)

Michelle Malkin is an American conservative political commentator. She was a Fox News contributor and in May 2020 joined Newsmax TV. Malkin has written seven books and founded the conservative websites Twitchy and Hot Air.

<i>The Sean Hannity Show</i> American talk radio show

The Sean Hannity Show is a conservative talk radio show hosted by Sean Hannity. The program is broadcast live every weekday, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET. The show is produced in the New York City studios of radio station WOR and is transmitted via ISDN from Hannity's home in Florida, or on location if Hannity's commitments to Fox News Channel take him out of the New York area. The show is now syndicated by Premiere Networks, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, on terrestrial radio affiliates across the United States, on Sirius XM Patriot channel 125. and on American Forces Network's AFN 360 PowerTalk and The Voice channels. The primary focus of the program is the politics of the day, with interviews of liberal and conservative commentators. After conservative radio show The Rush Limbaugh Show ended its run following Limbaugh's 2021 death, The Sean Hannity Show became the most-listened-to commercial radio talk show with an estimated 16.25 million listeners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse Lee Peterson</span> American radio and TV host and political commentator

Jesse Lee Peterson is an American conservative talk show host, political commentator and Christian minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Move America Forward</span>

Move America Forward is a nonprofit military charity based in Sacramento, California. Howard Kaloogian, Melanie Morgan and Sal Russo established the organization in 2004. The organization supports front-line United States Armed Forces troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. On March 20, 2024, the charity announced it was changing its name to Troopathon, after the annual fundraising event that it holds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Levin</span> American lawyer, radio and television personality

Mark Reed Levin is an American broadcast news analyst, columnist, lawyer, political commentator, radio personality, and writer. He is the host of syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show, as well as Life, Liberty & Levin on Fox News. Levin worked in the administration of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese. He is the former president of the Landmark Legal Foundation, an author of seven books, and contributor to media outlets such as National Review Online. Since 2015, Levin has been editor-in-chief of the Conservative Review and is known for his incendiary commentary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fallujah during the Iraq War</span> American bombardment of Fallujah, Iraq

The United States bombardment of Fallujah began in April 2003, one month after the beginning of the invasion of Iraq. In April 2003 United States forces fired on a group of demonstrators who were protesting against the US presence. US forces alleged they were fired at first, but Human Rights Watch, who visited the site of the protests, concluded that physical evidence did not corroborate US allegations and confirmed the residents' accusations that the US forces fired indiscriminately at the crowd with no provocation. 17 people were killed and 70 were wounded. In a later incident, US soldiers fired on protesters again; Fallujah's mayor, Taha Bedaiwi al-Alwani, said that two people were killed and 14 wounded. Iraqi insurgents were able to claim the city a year later, before they were ousted by a siege and two assaults by US forces. These events caused widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis in the city and surrounding areas. As of 2004, the city was largely ruined, with 60% of buildings damaged or destroyed, and the population at 30%–50% of pre-war levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox News controversies</span> Allegations of bias at Fox News and other controversies

Fox News is an American basic cable and satellite television channel currently owned by Fox Corporation. Since its inception by Rupert Murdoch's original News Corporation in 1996, it has been the subject of several controversies and allegations.

RedState is an American conservative political blog.

Melanie Morgan is an American radio personality, formerly with KSFO in San Francisco, where her husband, Jack Swanson, was VP of News and Programming. She was laid off from KSFO due to budget cutbacks and declining ad revenue, returned to host the morning show, then once more left the station as of July 10, 2013. She has also previously worked as a reporter for KGO-TV in San Francisco. She is the Chairman of Move America Forward, a non-partisan, non-profit, charitable organization that supports the U.S. armed forces and their missions in the War on Terrorism. She is known for her advocacy on behalf of the American military, defense of the War on Terror and criticism of American liberals.

The Walter Reed Army Medical Center neglect scandal refers to a series of allegations of unsatisfactory conditions, treatment of patients, and management at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington, D.C., culminating in two articles published by The Washington Post in February 2007. Several cases of patient neglect and shoddy living conditions were reported as early as 2004. "Soldiers suffering from traumatic brain injuries or stress disorders, others with amputated limbs, have languished for weeks and months on end in vermin-infested quarters waiting for a decision on their military status and a ruling on the level of benefits they will receive if they are discharged and transferred to the civilian-run Veterans Administration (VA) healthcare system." When the scandal broke, soldiers were pressured to keep quiet and punished with daily inspections for speaking to the press. Significant public and media attention was generated, which in turn prompted a number of congressional and executive actions, including resignations of several high-ranking officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Phelps-Roper</span> American lawyer and political activist

Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper is an American lawyer and political activist. She was the lead spokesperson of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, an organization that protests against homosexuality conducted under the slogan "God Hates Fags" until a power struggle within the organization reduced her status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iran–PJAK conflict</span> Armed conflict between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Kurdish rebels

The Iran–PJAK conflict is an armed conflict between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Kurdish rebels of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), which began in 2004. The group has carried out numerous attacks in the Kurdistan Province of Iran and provinces of Western Iran. PJAK is closely affiliated with the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the primary opponent of the Republic of Turkey in the Kurdish–Turkish conflict. PJAK has been designated as a terrorist organization by Iran, Japan, Turkey, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tea Party protests</span> 2009–2010 series of protests in the US

The Tea Party protests were a series of protests throughout the United States that began in early 2009. The protests were part of the larger political Tea Party movement. Most Tea Party activities have since been focused on opposing efforts of the Obama administration, and on recruiting, nominating, and supporting candidates for state and national elections. The name "Tea Party" is a reference to the Boston Tea Party, whose principal aim was to protest taxation without representation. Tea Party protests evoked images, slogans and themes from the American Revolution, such as tri-corner hats and yellow Gadsden "Don't Tread on Me" flags. The letters T-E-A have been used by some protesters to form the backronym "Taxed Enough Already".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fallujah killings of April 2003</span> By U.S. Army soldiers in Iraq

The Fallujah massacres of April 2003 began when United States Army soldiers from the American 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division fired into a crowd of Iraqi civilians who were protesting their presence at a school in the city of Fallujah, killing 17 protestors. Human Rights Watch inspected the area after the incident, and found no evidence of shots fired at the building where U.S. forces were based.

References

  1. Hannity Gifts, Retrieved January 30, 2007.
  2. Freedom Alliance. Archived 2007-02-07 at the Wayback Machine , Retrieved January 30, 2007.
  3. State of the Union Invite Archived 2007-06-13 at the Wayback Machine , Retrieved January 30, 2007.