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#1
11-09-2007, 08:07 PM
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Anti-war vets banned from Calif. parade
Anti-war vets have been banned from marching in the 11th Veterans Day Parade in Long Beach.
A participation application filed by Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace and Military Families Speak Out was turned down because organizers want Saturday’s parade free from politics. “They do not fit the spirit of the parade, the spirit being one of gratitude for what the veterans have done,” said Martha Thuente, coordinator for the nonprofit Veterans Day Parade Committee. “We do not want groups of a political nature, advocating the troops’ withdrawal from Iraq,” she added. Some veterans and anti-war groups were unhappy. “It’s a violation of democracy, the whole concept which we are allegedly dying for,” said Adrian Novotny, a Vietnam vet and local president of Veterans for Peace. He said it was particularly frustrating because the group was allowed to march in the parade last year. Iraq veteran Jason Lemieux, a Marine who served three tours of duty in Iraq and is now against the war, said he had planned to march as a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. “I wanted to march like the rest of the Iraq veterans,” Lemieux said. “I served my country. I’m a veteran of a foreign war. I think I deserve that respect.” The anti-war groups complained to the City Council this week, but City Attorney Bob Shannon said Wednesday that the parade committee was a private, nonprofit organization that had a right to choose its participants. “These veterans groups certainly have First Amendment rights,” Shannon said. “But the parade committee also has the First Amendment right to exclude whoever they wish if (the entry) does not keep within the theme.” Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/20...banned_071108/ |
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#2
11-11-2007, 03:58 AM
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Re: Anti-war vets banned from Calif. parade
"“These veterans groups certainly have First Amendment rights,” Shannon said. “But the parade committee also has the First Amendment right to exclude whoever they wish if (the entry) does not keep within the theme.”
Ridiculous. The "theme" of the parade is VETERANS DAY. These men and women are VETERANS. They should be allowed to march no matter their politics. The city and the organizers of the parade are playing politics by not allowing the Vets Against the War to march. It is censorship pure and simple. You can't pick and choose what is or is not allowed in a free nation. Freedom is a mess. Allow these people to march or be shamed. For SHAME!! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!! Shame on the city of Long Beach for denying the right of these vets to march and express their feelings about the Iraq War. They put their lives on the line and they can't MARCH IN A PARADE? SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LONG BEACH! SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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#3
11-11-2007, 12:22 PM
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Re: Anti-war vets banned from Calif. parade
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Why even the "Gay and Lesbian Iraq Veterans Against The War and DADT" should be allowed to march to get their message that the Iraq War is bad and the US government is evil because it won't allow openly practising homosexuals to serve in the military. On the other hand, if you don't think that the members of the Westboro Baptist Church should be disrupting memorial services because they feel that their "message" is important, and if you don't think that gays and lesbians should be disrupting memorial services because they feel their "message" is important then why do you feel that "veterans" should be allowed to disrupt memorial services because they feel that THEIR "message" is important? |
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#4
11-12-2007, 05:06 PM
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Re: Anti-war vets banned from Calif. parade
The only reason these people wanted to march in the parade was to disrupt it, keep the political hate from things like this for the sake of the men and women who serve and have served.
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#5
11-13-2007, 09:37 AM
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Re: Anti-war vets banned from Calif. parade
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Just because they have freedom of speech does not entitle them to use someone else's stage. The committee organizes and sponsors the parade...they can invite whoever they want.
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The Voice of Reason Guardian of Freedom and Justice, My nation's Sword and Shield, Its Sentry and Avenger. C:<enter>:###
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#6
11-13-2007, 11:12 AM
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Re: Anti-war vets banned from Calif. parade
While I do believe they should have been allowed to march in the parade, the organizers do have every right not to let them do so. It is unfortunate that was the choice they made but, in their opinion, I am sure that having those organizations in the parade would detract from the message they were trying to evoke with thier parade.
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God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy. -Billy Currington You really need to take a class in logic, reasoning, and deduction because with your logic, you say that if you start with C and add 3 you get elephants and that just isn't so. "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts...for support rather than illumination." -- Andrew Lang (1844-1912) Lord of the Pings |
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#7
11-13-2007, 04:33 PM
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Re: Anti-war vets banned from Calif. parade
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Just curious...does anyone know what they did last year? Apparently they marched last year...was it their conduct last year that led to this? I didn't see any of that in the article...
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The Voice of Reason Guardian of Freedom and Justice, My nation's Sword and Shield, Its Sentry and Avenger. C:<enter>:###
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#8
11-13-2007, 04:46 PM
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Re: Anti-war vets banned from Calif. parade
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__________________
___________________ Read carefully, think, then write thoughtfully…………………………….. |
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#9
11-13-2007, 06:33 PM
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Re: Anti-war vets banned from Calif. parade
This article gives a little more info. While they didn't march, they did have signs saying "End the War Now." Apparently they weren't disruptive this year and stood there quietly;
http://www.presstelegram.com/newss/ci_7430435 According to this article, they were allowed to march last year (and 8 years ago) because the coodinators failed to review their application fully. This year they said "They do not fit the spirit of the parade. The spirit being one of gratitude for what the veterans have done. We do not want groups of a political nature, advocating the troops' withdrawal from Iraq. Parade coordinators work hard to keep the event free from politics." http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_7400588
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God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy. -Billy Currington You really need to take a class in logic, reasoning, and deduction because with your logic, you say that if you start with C and add 3 you get elephants and that just isn't so. "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts...for support rather than illumination." -- Andrew Lang (1844-1912) Lord of the Pings Last edited by ringjamesa : 11-13-2007 at 06:37 PM. |
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#10
11-14-2007, 12:22 PM
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Re: Anti-war vets banned from Calif. parade
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Would you think that ANY group of veterans should be allowed to broadcast their message in the midst of a remembrance ceremony - if that message differed from "remembrance"? How about a bunch of Baptist veterans? How about a bunch of Republican veterans? How about a bunch of Jewish veterans? How about a bunch of Japanese veterans? How about a bunch of veterans wearing their KKK uniforms? How about a bunch of veterans wearing their neo-Nazi uniforms and carrying signs reading "KILL THE JEWS"? Last edited by The Universal Curmudgeon_guest : 11-15-2007 at 02:29 AM. Reason: Can't see to tell the difference between "[" and "]" |
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