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US Marine Andrew Tahmooressi took a wrong turn in San Diego with legal guns in his vehicle and has been held in a Mexican jail for almost two months.
He was charged with weapons trafficking.
The 25-year-old Marine Reserve sergeant was reportedly held in four-point restraints at the Mesa Prison in Tijuana and received death threats from other inmates. He’s also been chained to his bed.
On April 6, guards at the Mexican prison said the South Florida Marine tried to scale a wall topped with barbed wire and escape. The escape attempt was reportedly prompted by death threats Tahmooressi received from other inmates inside the Mexican jail. Tahmooressi is “mentally and physically crippled” according to his mother.
“There is absolutely no indication that he’s going to get out of jail, and of course, no indication as to when. My nights are miserable, my days are miserable,” Jill Tahmooressi, the Marine’s mother, said. She started a White House petition to garner awareness about her son’s imprisonment and to foster support for his release.
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Andrew served in the US Marine Corps in Afghanistan. According to his mother, just 10 days before the wrong turn in San Diego led to the arrest in Mexico, her son had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Tahmooressi was in California getting treatment for his condition.
Tahmooressi was sent a heartfelt virtual message by an American patriot organizer: “Help is on the way.” John Harrington of Shield Tactical is planning a biker ride to the Mexican border to force pressure on authorities to release the United States Marine.
Americans all over the country are comparing the extraordinary actions the Obama administration took to recover accused Army deserter Bowe Bergdahl with the perceived inaction to bring home Tahmooressi. Shield Tactical owner John Harrington has had enough of the debate and is issuing a call for action to “bring our Marine home.”
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An impassioned post by John Harrington published on the Shield Tactical Facebook page reads:
“I can’t stand by any longer! All of you over the years who have said you’d stand with me… Those of you who have asked me to lead… I’m calling on YOU! Where are you? We need YOU! Time to see who’s ready to walk the talk. If Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi isn’t free in 7 days, I’m leading a ride on the Mexican border. … I cannot stand by any longer and observe the treason taking place in MY America, my grandfather’s America! It is time we STOPPED waiting for traitors and usurpers to put America first. It is TIME for US to take her back. I’m starting with this Marine. I don’t care if it costs me my business! All the success in the world is empty and pointless when all your heart can do is weep for your once great Country. If Sgt Tahmooressi isn’t free by 6-12-14 we’re going to do WHATEVER it takes to get him home!”
Off The Grid News conducted a phone interview with Harrington about the ride and about a host of other events that Harrington and his followers have participated in across America
OTG: You have been involved with a multitude of patriot events and constitutional rights incidents. Do you have a military background?
John: Actually no, although many people assumed that I do. I’m nothing special, I am just a guy with a 10th grade education who loves his country. That is kind of the point. If I can get up off the couch and give more than lip service and complaints to the problems going on in our country, anyone can.
OTG: You have been involved in the protests against the BLM out west and the Ride on Washington, D.C. last year, as well as numerous unpublished incidents of moral and fiscal support to citizens embroiled in a battle for their constitutional rights. What do you and those who join the Ride for Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi plan to do after arriving at the Mexican border?
John: We hope that riders will be able to stand tall and stop the flow of tourists and their wallets into Mexico. Merchants on the other side of the line heavily rely on American dollars to survive. We feel that pressuring Mexican officials from within will push them to release Sergeant Tahmooressi and finally send our Marine home where he belongs.
OTG: Your heartfelt Shield Tactical post emphasized both a sense of urgency and a lack of patience with inaction. You received many pats on the back from supporters and “I wish I could go” type comments. What motivated you to give the virtual lecture?
John: So many people think that they do not have the time or the money to get involved. When we offer funds to cover the cost to go on a ride, one excuse often turns into another. “I can’t get off work” is a common one. I own two companies and am getting ready to take over a third. If I can find the time, others should be able to as well. What kind of employer will not give you a couple of days off work to go do something you are passionate about and will help your country? “If only it wasn’t so far away” is another common statement. How close does it have to get? Your neighborhood? My neighborhood stretches from the Canadian border to the Mexican border. Until we all start thinking that way, our country will continue to suffer.
OTG: The concern for Marine Sergeant Andrew Tahmooressi has mounted in recent weeks. Once alleged details about Bowe Bergdahl and his disappearance from his outpost in Afghanistan began to emerge, comparisons regarding government action to retrieve the two military men became abundant. You work with many former members of the Armed Forces. What are they saying about the two situations?
John: Unfortunately, the military is being divided by the government and politicians just like the rest of the country. There is a military code, they are a tight knit bunch, and even though they may not like one another individually or compete amongst the branches, they always come together and have each other’s backs — it’s a true brotherhood. They are loyal to the government chain of command. To come out so strongly against Bowe Bergdahl highlights how strongly they fell about him being a traitor. They are angry that they have a true brother who took a wrong turn and has been left to rot.
OTG: What do you think has led to the apathy and “words only” response to issues in the United States?
John: Too many people care about all the wrong things. It is a cultural problem that we must fix. Turn off the Kardashians, stop thinking that getting off your butt every two years to vote is doing your parts, and learn what the Constitution stands for, honor it and work to protect it. Our lives, and those of our children and grandchildren depend on what we do today.
What do you think about the Obama administration’s apparent inaction on Andrew Tahmooressi? Tell us in the comments section below.
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