Veterans groups banned from Veterans Day Parade

[Neptune]

From CBS

quote:(CBS) LONG BEACH, Calif. Antiwar veterans who attempted to march in a Veterans Day Parade Saturday in Long Beach were banned by organizers who said the parade was to thank veterans and not be political.

Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace and Military Families Speak Out were prevented from joining the annual parade down Atlantic Avenue and restricted to a nearby parking lot.

Organizers said the groups were trying to push a political agenda at an event to honor veterans. Earlier this week, the Veterans Day Parade Committee rejected their applications to participate, according to the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

"This is not a political event, this is a time to come and just say thank you to all veterans," said Long Beach City Councilman Val Lerch, who also was on the parade committee.

Ann Wright, an Army veteran, said that although the annual event is organized by a private nonprofit organization, it doesn't reflect the true spirit of the holiday because they "just invite the veterans who agree with their point of view."

"That's not really what being a veteran is about," Wright said.

[sgrizzle]

I like the "if you're not with me, you're against me" point of view. They weren't siding "for war" or "with bush".. the protesters were the only ones bringing politics into it.

[Neptune]

Even though most of the other groups have been decidedly pro-War?  Yeah, you're probably right, if you have a political point of view, you're not a veteran.  Not a veteran anyone gives a crap about anyway.  Well, then again, we don't particularly care for any of our veterans do we?  We just like to see them in parades, and funerals.  March, die, or go away.  Interesting motto.  

Bah, it's nothing.

[Conan71]

Why should organizers of a parade meant to honor veterans allow a protest group or three to march in the parade?  That really sullies the message of appreciation for vets and active duty.

The anti-war veterans should start their own Veteran's Day observation or parade if it's something they feel strongly about they have the freedom to do that.  Why glom onto someone else's program and stir up ****?

[Neptune]

I think Long Beach is one of the few left, that actually ban them.

But you're right.  Not all Veterans are equal, gotta hate some of them.  We'd do better just leaving all the veterans over seas, then we wouldn't have to deal with their crap.

[iplaw]

Maybe one day we can get back to understanding that we don't always have to have a say in EVERYTHING.  It's incredibly selfish of these people to protest on veteran's day.  

Do they have the right to protest...probably, should they have the decency not to protest on veteran's day...common decency says yes.

We are a society of rights with absolutely no responsibility or civility to balance those rights.  We're supreme narcissists, and these people wanting to protest are a perfect example of what we've become.

[Neptune]

No one has a right to some "sanitized" version of the Vets.  Vets are who they are.  

It's total crap, that a so-called "Veterans Parade" would ban Veterans.  Any Veterans.  That's not common decency at all.

[iplaw]

quote:Originally posted by Neptune

No one has a right to some "sanitized" version of the Vets.  Vets are who they are.  

It's total crap, that a so-called "Veterans Parade" would ban Veterans.  Any Veterans.  That's not common decency at all.

What if a segment of the Vets decided to pull a Fred Phelps and march with God Hates Fags signs?  Would you still feel that they deserved to march with the other vets?

[Renaissance]

quote:Originally posted by Neptune

No one has a right to some "sanitized" version of the Vets.  Vets are who they are.  

It's total crap, that a so-called "Veterans Parade" would ban Veterans.  Any Veterans.  That's not common decency at all.

You're completely wrong.  What if a Labor Day parade include Right to Work activists?  It still concerns labor, right?

They're not banning veterans, they're banning activists.  Refusing to allow a small group to turn a parade into a protest is perfectly fair.  Go picket somewhere else.

[guido911]

quote:Originally posted by Neptune

No one has a right to some "sanitized" version of the Vets.  Vets are who they are.  

It's total crap, that a so-called "Veterans Parade" would ban Veterans.  Any Veterans.  That's not common decency at all.

Spoken like a true non-veteran.

[Neptune]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

What if a segment of the Vets decided to pull a Fred Phelps and march with God Hates Fags signs?  Would you still feel that they deserved to march with the other vets?

Don't know.

It's hard to say how being bigots, or even racists, relates to the Military.  There are more rules for the Military, than there are for most of Christianity.

Yeah sure, why not.  Just let the Rainbow Military march, it's all good.

[Neptune]

quote:Originally posted by Floyd

You're completely wrong.  What if a Labor Day parade include Right to Work activists?  It still concerns labor, right?

Labor Day, is kind of joke.

Sort of like our policy on Vets.  

http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm

23% of all homeless people are Vets?  Seriously?  And you think some sanitized celebratory BS, that absolutely ignore Veterans is a good idea?

It's this concept, that somehow our lily-white, crisp, clean Veterans don't have lives or opinions, that makes our policy towards Veterans fail.  We stick our heads in a hole, and dream a little dream.

[cannon_fodder]

You are right Neptune, those Vets do have a right to express their opinion.  They also had the right to organize and pay for their own parade to do so.    Likewise, those who did organize the parade had the right to control it and chose to exclude anyone hading out a political message.

You can argue that they should or should not have excluded them or that they should or should not be protesting, but it is not an issue of having the "right" to march in some parade or not.

[Conan71]

Sheesh Neptune, are you going to pull the First Amendment out next and say the protesters have a protected right to march in the parade, being the Constitutional law expert you are pretending to be on another thread?

[iplaw]

quote:Originally posted by Neptune

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

What if a segment of the Vets decided to pull a Fred Phelps and march with God Hates Fags signs?  Would you still feel that they deserved to march with the other vets?

Don't know.

It's hard to say how being bigots, or even racists, relates to the Military.  There are more rules for the Military, than there are for most of Christianity.

Yeah sure, why not.  Just let the Rainbow Military march, it's all good.

Glad to know that you don't mind seeing Veteran's Day parades or other solem, respectful activities turned into sideshows.