Veterans peace group blocked from D.C. parade »
Posted By bubba2 1 year, 5 months ago in NewsVeterans for Peace, a group that opposes the war in Iraq, has been blocked from marching in a Memorial Day parade in Washington after being told its plans, which once included a casket representing war dead, would be too political for the event. The group dropped the casket plan when the producers of the parade objected, but they were still barred
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tchef1 year, 5 months ago
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mark-stevens1 year, 5 months ago
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ETproductions1 year, 5 months ago
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Voltaire's biographer, Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." That sentiment is enshrined in the US Constitution in the 1st Amendment.
BOTH sides have the right to free speech. Baring either side is a direct violation of their 1st Amendment rights. In this case, you only need to Bar the oposition to the war to turn the Parade into a political speech in favor of it.
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fourthtunz1 year, 5 months ago
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McPhearson said the group does not dishonor veterans. The parades, which highlight wars waged for political ends, are inherently political, he said.
"It is ridiculous to say we have this political objective when the whole thing is about politics," McPhearson said.
MAYBE YOU DIDN'T READ TO THE END?
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dunkirk1 year, 5 months ago
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"Teolis said the group dropped the casket plan when the producers of the parade objected. But he said the Veterans Center still barred the group from the parade"
Except they dropped the "political" (Im still trying to figure out how honoring the fallen is political) part the parade organizers objected to. SO it seems there is more going on here.
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winstonsmithredux1 year, 5 months ago
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After listening to extreme - and even some moderate - right-wingers shout to the effect that those held in Gitmo are the worst of the worst, proven criminal terrorists and whatnot, can someone tell me why they and the administration they claim to worship have not been asked to explain the releases of sooooo many? With no charges having been brought? With allied countries welcoming them back with open arms?
Why is that? Do you think CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC and the media in general are still shilling for BushCorp?
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libsRfunnyComment removed: Hard Banned7 Replies
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Poulenc1 year, 5 months ago
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When is the "political" not political?
When it disturbs no one who might otherwise be given cause to think about the motives of those in power.
The notion that, because no pro-war marchers are allowed, anti-war marches shouldn't be is a canard: what does a veterans march mean, in the largest sense, if not war works?
To have a pro-war contingent would be redundant.
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Aidenag1 year, 5 months ago
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This same thing happened in Washington state last week in the City of Bellingham. Vets for Peace was blocked from participating in that parade. Though they still showed up and walked the parade route after the parade had technically ended, but people were still lining the steets.
Got tons of attention on my local news. Mostly for the fact that the "Support our troops" crowd who went to the parade were calling combat vets who don't want to see anymore young men killed such nice things as: scum bags, traitors, commies, terrorists and more than a few things i won't repeat here... Was pretty disgusting.
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Ciera-Marie1 year, 5 months ago
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Aidenag I'm glad that the citizens of Bellingham WA stayed after the parade was done to support Vets for Peace.
It saddens, but doesn't surprise me, that people attacked the Vets for Peace. Anyone, including combat vets, that dare speak out against the war, question this administration, seek the truth, is considered the enemy by the right. That's the nicest thing I can say.
I guess the people calling them the names are afraid of what the truth really is.
I am proud of them. Hope they continue to march in other ciites.
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walden31 year, 5 months ago
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Ciera-Marie1 year, 5 months ago
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raats6662Comment removed: Retracted by user19 Replies
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ningyo1 year, 5 months ago
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Beau78901 year, 5 months ago
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MRCOFFEECAKE1 year, 5 months ago
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Yeah, everything we've been doing just so well should never ever change, right?? You can come out of your cave now!!
LET US NEVER FORGET!
Memorial day is to watch pretty fire engines, have cookouts and kick off the un-official beginning of the summer.
We wouldn't want to make anybody rethink its true meaning!
Give it the respect it has earned..
Get out your hibachi!
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1-2-Oscar1 year, 5 months ago
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MRCOFFEECAKE1 year, 5 months ago
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It is not a political statement. It is humanist statement, unless you really believe that marching bands, horse crapping in the streets and cookouts is an appropriate "memorial" to war..
They are trying to memorialize all those who have been lost to protect the rights of those who want to prevent more deaths..
Get it?
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sumptuousdigs1 year, 5 months ago
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"...unborn living, living dead. Bullet strikes the helmet head. Yeah, it's all over, for the unknown soldier..."
_Doors
Why not strive to keep politics out of wars? When political negotiations are not persued, war is often inevitable. If the politician urges war before exhausting every reasonable alternative, he is not a statesman, but a warrior, and needs to be in the front ranks. "Peace with honor" is but another jingistic euphemism for "keep on fighting, my pride (vanity) is at stake".
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JohnQPublicComment removed: Retracted by user5 Replies
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joeblowe1 year, 5 months ago
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Although I can see that it SEEMS horrible to exclude ANY veterans from marching in a parade intended to HONOR those fallen in war, perhaps it would be more appropriate for these PARTICULAR vets to march in a VETERANS DAY parade. Clearly, if they are able to march, they have not been killed in a war. Not that I don't agree that they SHOULD be seen and heard, but MEMORIAL day is for honoring those LOST in war, not for rallying anti-war sentiment. I suppose an argument COULD be made that the best way to honor the dead would be to see that no more were killed, but then you'd have to let in the group that wanted to send in MORE troops to get killed so there would be more to honor next year. Best to leave the politics OUT of this particular holiday event to the extent possible, I'd say.
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walden31 year, 5 months ago
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I'm sure there will be plenty of patriotic chest thumping at the parade.
"It was a time of great exulting and excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and sputtering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest depths of their hearts..."
http://www.lexrex.com/informed/otherdocuments/w...
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koranagirl1 year, 5 months ago
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If they're going to do that, they have to do it in a way no one will object.
Our Girl Scout group has built and painted a wonderful float for Memorial Day parade in our local neighborhood. We won first place last year.
How did we show our support for peace? Well, first of all we weren't anti-war or anti-anything. That does no good.
Second, we painted hearts, flowers and angels all over four 4 x 8' pieces of plywood and stood them up on a flat bed. It was wonderful. (Maybe we should post this as a story for Propeller?) We wrote love, peace, love, Goddess, angels all over the float. We painted more signs. We painted foam board signs with love, peace and angels. The kids carried those.
Never got in any trouble and won two awards for the float. No one said anything, even the Veterans judging the parade. They just thought it was "cute"
See? They could have done it this way too.
You just can't argue with love, peace, hearts and flowers and angels.
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koranagirl1 year, 5 months ago
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Maybe kids, moms and Girls Scouts can get away with messages no one else can?
We even did a new mock up of a US flag with hearts and flowers on it where the 50 stars would go, the blue was changed to orange and the red stripes were changed to pink.
very cute. very heartwarming.
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tgrnry1 year, 5 months ago
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The purpose of Memorial Day is to remember those who fought in wars.
Those fighters who were killed and who are now being remem-
bered memorialize the human costs of engaging in war.
What greater demonstration in parades remembering our fallen can there be than marchers for peace so that such a waste of life will not occur again?
This is so well exemplified when slackers such as Bush and draft-dodgers such as Cheney have falsely led our country to murder thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children and criminally caused the deaths of thousands of American warriors who died for lies and other's greed and now lie wasted in graves we so proudly hail.
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memestryker1 year, 5 months ago
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The good news is, they can't be denied a permit to gather peaceably, so they can still hold a rally that doesn't directly interfere with the parade in a a central area with lots of visibility.
As long as they stay on sidewalks or in crosswalks as they walk along, anyone can carry a sign or wear clothing with most messages any time (they can't threaten public officials' lives, for example).
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emailkyloe1 year, 5 months ago
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If Memorial Day is designed for the rememberance of any specific war or succession of wars of any given country, then everything moral/unmoral these wars were attributed to should be identified by which the causes that had, in first to last instance, driven and motioned for their existance to a military conclusion/persuasiveness.
By democratic right, any veteran populous affected will therefore freely partiscipate in such an opportunistic event.
Else, in a republic you can simply opt for a show of power and unity under a strictly controlled atmosphere; such as the one currently looming. If all is good, then all will continue to go well...
Either way, "Lest We Forget".
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BB641 year, 5 months ago
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I'm a vet and my wife is currently serving in Qatar and Iraq. I don't feel having a peace group belongs in a Veteran's Day parade. I feel they have a right to protest but this isn't it. This is a day where we reflect on the buddies we've lost, thank those still with us and pray for those currently serving. You have 363 other days to protest and make your voices heard, this isn't it.
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Will13131 year, 5 months ago
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MRCOFFEECAKE1 year, 5 months ago
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You are entitled to your opinion, but so are they. If you could save some lives by precautionary measures and better planning, wouldn't you favor that??
Isn't compounding a grievous atrocity because you prefer to be
a rule follower kind of stupid and even more irresponsible?
This is an opportunity to make a statement to saves lives. I'd rather harm some people's feelings than destroy their families..
Are you supporting political correctness now??
(I didn't think so)
Can we all stop living in a cowboy world??
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koranagirl1 year, 5 months ago
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Does this mean that church groups can't be in a Memorial Day parade and put peace, love and angels signs on their floats?
Can they quote Yeshua who said "blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God/dess?"
Just wondering.
And I apologize in advance if I have more questions than answers.
Maybe life has more questions than answers.
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hdthehn1 year, 5 months ago
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Makes one wonder what those veterans who sacraficed life and limb were fighting for? I thought it was for freedom. It appears the organizers of this parade, and some posters on this thread, do not see it that way.
Why do they hate freedom?
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sumptuousdigs1 year, 5 months ago
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It's my opinion that for some it's a reaction to insecurity. I know that when I'm secure about my position, or my 'cause', I have no trouble tolerating detractors. Those that are just cranks, I can ignore. Those that have positions that can refine mine, are a welcome asset. And those that can shed light on my oversights can be the most valuable.
For some others it's a cover for an agenda. Racism, bigotry, theocracy, some notion that we are a super race, or maybe God's chosen people. All of these fantasies of infallibility are pretty good signs of deep fear, a profound insecurity. What do you think?
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SwampFox-82ndComment removed: Retracted by user2 Replies
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