Juggalos Rally for Scott Olsen, Critically Injured Iraq Vet Who Has Insane Clown Posse Tattoos
Juggalo well-wishes for Scott Olsen
It's been less than a week that the world has known Scott Olsen, the 24-year-old US Marine and Iraq veteran critically injured during last Tuesday night's Occupy Oakland debacle. A peaceful protestor hit in the head by police-fired teargas canister, the young Midwesterner has quickly become a rallying point for the global Occupy movement--even cited as the movement's possible Kent State moment. Though Olsen isn't currently able to speak, he's expected to make a full recovery and did offer a thumbs-up to all the well-wishes he's received. Like support from polarizing filmmaker Michael Moore, former Black Panther Angela Davis, and ScottOlsen.org sign-holders. But another group of Scott Olsen supporters who hasn't gotten as much notice? Juggalos.
Olsen has two Insane Clown Posse tattoos on his upper arms, his roommate Keith Shannon told the Associated Press. The AP, in turn, used the detail to illustrate how Olsen wasn't politically minded before his Iraq tours:
The lanky man with a dry sense of humor and sarcastic wit did not show a lot of interest in politics as a teen -- he has two tattoos for the group "Insane Clown Posse" on his upper arms, Shannon said.His tours of duty in Iraq made him more serious, Shannon said.
"He wasn't active in politics before he went in the military, but he became active once he was out ... the experience in the military definitely shaped him," Shannon said.
Whether or not Olsen still identifies as a Juggalo is unclear--he was wearing fatigues and a Veterans For Peace T-shirt the night he was hit--but Juggalo sites like TrueJuggaloFamily.com have claimed him as their own. "Please keep this ninja in your thoughts/prayers (if ya pray)," True Juggalo Family's Mr. Hatchet posted. "He's a fellow juggalo and war vet." (We reached out for clarification to Shannon, who's since posted a note on his Facebook page asking the media to "please stop calling.")
This is strangely timed development, considering that last week the FBI officially declared Juggalos a "non-traditional gang" in its 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment report. "I guess the FBI would consider this war vet a gang member as well?!" scoffed Mr. Hatchet. Unfortunately, probably, yes.
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