Lauren Maggi Guilty in "Spit On Soldier" Case

(Syracuse, New York) Last November, 35-year-old Lauren Maggi was charged with harassment for spitting in a soldier's face at Hancock Airport. Reportedly, out of the clear blue, Maggi walked up to 21-year-old Jason Jones, a Ft. Drum soldier, and spit at him without provocation.

Yesterday, Maggi pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment and explained her actions.

Lauren Maggi had been verbally abused on the phone by a male acquaintance who is in the military at Fort Drum, and she "displaced her anger" when she encountered the victim as she walked through the airport, defense lawyer Louis Mannara said.

"I was crushed that people saw this as an anti-uniform, anti-war gesture," Maggi said. Maggi said she is a registered Republican who twice voted for President George W. Bush and supports the administration's war effort and the soldiers who are carrying out that mission.

Her punishment for the offense wasn't reported.

Frankly, I'm skeptical regarding her "displaced anger" explanation and her stated loyalty to the troops because it just doesn't make much sense. It's not logical that someone with a healthy regard for the United States military would arbitrarily show such base disrespect for the uniform. Leftists, on the other hand, have repeatedly shown their disrespect by hawking lugies at soldiers and others they disagree with.

One has to wonder what would have happened if Maggi were to have a "displaced anger" moment with a Muslim imam by spitting on him in the airport.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.