Veterans For Peace Not Welcome At Veterans Day Parade (Maine)

[matcom]

<snip>

PORTLAND, Maine --Maine's biggest Veterans Day parade won't feature the group Maine Veterans for Peace if organizers get their way.

Portland's American Legion Post 17 informed the group that it's not invited because of concerns that its presence would cause other groups to drop out following a flap over the American Legion's "Adopt a Flag" program.

City spokesman Peter Dewitt said it's the American Legion's call because the parade permit is in the group's name. The post's executive committee plans to meet soon and the Portland City Council is scheduled to take up the issue at its Oct. 16 meeting.

Veterans for Peace has participated in the parade for the past 15 years, but relations became strained last month.

Legionnaires set up a program in which people could be memorialized with an American flag and a plaque for $100. Veterans for Peace sent in a check in the name of an Iraqi boy who was killed. The check was returned.

A spokesman for Portland's Harold T. Andrews Post 17 confirmed the letter.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2006/10/10/veterans_for_peace_not_welcome_at_veterans_day_parade?mode=PF

[Monkeyman]

1. American Legion is a right wing front

Commander of the Legion supports Bush's War and cuts to our benefits. He also claimed in a speech that the ACLU is behind all the attacks on out freedoms.

[jonnyblitz]

3. They have a history of this going way back to the early days

of "red" baiting.

[DBoon]

8. They started by beating the crap out of labor organizers

after WWI

[jonnyblitz]

11. even farther back than i thought..

thanks for the info! :D

[DBoon]

14. See this about the "Centralia Massacre"

http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5605

[jonnyblitz]

19. interesting read.

they went after the IWW no less. I also found it curious that the "Elks Club" was mentioned. My dad is a member of that in his small town in Maine. I often wondered if the "elks" were ever "political" or just a benign organization. thanks for that link.

[AX10]

6. 100% Correct!

[malmapus]

12. Cancelled my membership a while back but still get the #%@ Publication

Most crap I could ever find compressed in a few pages, few months back had a big ole photo of Condi on the front cover :puke:

[saigon68]

37. The queen of sleaze

[coalition_unwilling]

18. Weren't there ties between American Legion and John Birch Society?

I can't seem to find any documentation for afore-mentioned, but have a strong anecdotal memory of having read or heard of it somewhere.

[Kikosexy2]

25. Only war-mongering...

Bush whores need apply...not a member of Reich-Wing party (GOP) then you don't belong in this parade...

[IndianaGreen]

28. Founded by white supremacists, headquartered in my hometown

American Legion supported Nixon and opposed Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Nothing has changed!

They also hate LGBTs, and they went bonkers when one of their members announced he was transgendered while running for post president.

American Legion blackmails Kennedy High School to deprive students of first amendment right to free speech
by Brandon Madsen

High school student anti-war activists plan to hold press conference and demonstration after school today in protest of school administration’s refusal to guarantee free speech

Bloomington, MN - Under pressure from the American Legion, the Bloomington Public Schools Superintendent Gary Prest has banned Kennedy student anti-war activists from setting up a counter-recruitment table today, while allowing military recruiters unfettered access to their fellow students.

For weeks the students in Youth Against War & Racism had been planning to set up an anti-war information table today (February 23), when the military recruiters are scheduled to table at Kennedy High. They had obtained permission and reserved a table. But Tuesday morning their principal got a visit to his office by representatives from the American Legion, who informed him that unless he stopped them from tabling, they would cease donating money to Bloomington Public Schools. Principal Simmons also got a call from the District Superintendent, who had also met with the American Legion, who also instructed him to shut down their organization’s action.

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=2005022319461980

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. How much money can an American Legion be donating to

a public school? We get flags from our local chapter. And we wouldn't hurt at all if they pulled back their support. The flag in my classroom has been flying there for 10 years and still doesn't need replacing.

I really don't understand why money from an American Legion would be such a great loss to any school. How much money would they even have to be giving away? There is more to this story - like maybe the supt or the principal are members of this American Legion branch?

[saigon68]

31. A part of the Legion is a bunch of Hateful Right Wing War Mongers

They are drunken louts who revel in tales of killing Nazis and yellow slant eyed Japs

No surprize this group sent the $100.00 back.

[uppityperson]

2. Didn't read restrictions on who named on flags,good for VFP to chose him

Bah to ALP17 for rejecting them on this feeble excuse. The least they could do is reject them for politicizing war or something like that that is more accurate. NOTE I am not saying VFP should be rejected at all, but at least give a decent excuse. Good for VFP to donate money for a flag for an Iraqi boy.

[Wilber_Stool]

4. The American Legion is nothing but

a bunch of drunks that have never done anything better than join the army.

[lse7581011]

5. And Maine's Slogan As You Enter the State

"Welcome to Maine,the Way Life Should Be"!?!?:sarcasm:

[NorthernSpy]

9. Excuse me? It's the American Legion who are excluding VFP, not Maine!

Typical...


:eyes:

[Parche]

23. maine

Why are you getting mad at everyone?

If Maine had a little guts it would kick them out.

[Judi Lynn]

21. You're kidding! Aw, it sounds like you're just trying to scare us!

No doubt a thousand English teachers have driven off the road within yards of seeing those signs!

[Parche]

7. portland

I am glad I live in the 'better' Portland, Oregon!!!!!!

[NorthernSpy]

13. pray tell, are you a product of "the better Portland's" school system?

You should have read the article more carefully. It's the American Legion's parade, not Portland's parade. And it's the Legion people -- not the people of Portland, Maine -- who are having a spat with Veterans For Peace.


:eyes:

[Parche]

20. parade

But they are having it in Portland ME......


Shoot the messenger

[eShirl]

15. exsqueeze me?

[MaineDem]

17. Gee, thanks.

:(

[Gormy Cuss]

32. Nope, not by a long shot.

Unless you have also spent considerable time in Portland, Maine (the source of the name of your city in Oregon, BTW) you are not qualified to make such a statement.
I've been to the one in Oregon many times and worked in the public schools, public housing developments, and low income neighborhoods. It may be the city of roses but there are plenty of thorns.


If you knew anything about Portland, ME you'd know that the Andrews post has just bought itself a heap of trouble with this exclusion.

[mainegreen]

33. As if.

Ours is more liberal, has better food, has real seasons, and is prettier to boot!

:P
Nothing like a little competition, eh?

[MethuenProgressive]

10. Thanks Matcom, I've sent this post to the Maine Forum

and an R from me, too!

[MindPilot]

16. The American Legion also doesn't like veterans who don't

believe in God.

[Judi Lynn]

22. This could really burn people up, being barred by someone else.

Absolutely unacceptable. From the article:

"I think they're really being irrational and silly. They don't own Veterans' Day," said Doug Rawlings, who leads the peace group.

Just like last year, Maine Veterans for Peace planned to march behind a long banner accompanied by a tally of civilian and military war deaths from the past 100 years.
(snip)

The Legionaires shouldn't have the last word on this. They are being little tyrants over something which is not theirs to hog. Typical MEpublicans.

[bamacrat]

24. Well of course, veterans want war, to reflect on the good ole days.

Right wing fanatics have taken over everything, veterans should be the largest peace group, since they have seen the carnage of war.

[Rex]

26. Peace is a liberal word, funny how more people ain't liberals.

We sure do know that Republican means pro death no matter what the condition. Sure, they care about the unborn, but the dead? Fuck them and the vets? Yeah, fuck them too. They don't matter IF they want peace. Imagine the stupid fuck who thought this made any sense?

Fuck the Legionnaires. March in the Parade! For Peace for Chirstsake!

[stepnw1f]

29. No One with Real Balls (nt)

[HuffleClaw]

27. wow, that is some offensive.

god forbid veterans might be in favour of PEACE!! *snicker* returning the cheque was doubly offensive. what would the response been had their name been 'veterans for FREEEDOM'? and can someone explain to me how the legion gets the final word on this? its taxpayers money that pays for the streets to be closed, so therefore its a public event and to bar one group over another is simply not legal.

[stepnw1f]

30. I Will Let Every Elderly PERSON I KNOW, Know about This

This is outragious... fuck the American Legion.

[mainegreen]

34. I'm sure they'll get protested silly this year because of that.

Portland is a protest happy city to begin with. I see at least one every week.

[proud2BlibKansan]

35. I have always had a lot of respect for VFP

and even more so now that they are taking this stand.