Despot Shots: Resident of Bakersfield California aim paint-ball gums at Saddam
By Tim Bragg
Saddam Hussein came to Bakersfield and got shot Wednesday. Okay, that's a bit misleading. It was three images of Saddam, blown up to gigantic proportions on a Rosedale Highway Billboard. And the guns shot paint-balls, not real bullets, at the Iraq's leader's pictures when someone aimed and pulled the trigger. But for the people doing the shooting - donors to a fund for the families of local reservists who have been deployed in support of the war in Iraq - it was the next best thing to actually shooting at the man whom the U.S. Government is fighting to remove from power.
""I wish it really was him"" Travis Parcher said after watching pink colored paint-balls splatter across one of the images of Saddam. ""We don't need people like Saddam in power"", he said. ""We need to get rid of him.""
Representatives of the news talk radio station KERN 1410 AM, who organized the "'Go Insane on Hussein"" event, said that the paint-ball potshots being taken at Saddam were a good way for people to release their aggression while raising money to support the military families. ""I think people have some pent-up anger and frustration with Saddam Hussein and the situation with Iraq"" said Tracey Peoples, promotions director for the station.
KERN morning show host Scott Cox was to live in a trailer under the billboard until the station raised over $5,000 for military families but Peoples said the event may be extended because close to $3,000 had already been raised as of mid-morning on Wednesday. The shooting was directed only at Saddam, not the Iraqi people or any other groups, Peoples said.
Nonetheless, one man complained to the organizers that shooting the Saddam pictures was in bad taste, she said.
Tim Linscott, with the Golden Empire Detachment of the Marine Corps League, said the money raised through the radio station event will be held in a trust fund to help families of deployed local military reservists with emergencies.
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