Long Beach City Council Tramples on Rights of Combat Veterans
Posted by ~Ray @ 2008-06-16 06:14:36
What follows is yet another of those Deja vu flashes that inform us that in arouse of so much change since Nixon and his cronies were either imprisoned or chased from the White accommodate in abase; not much has changed at all when it comes to this governments treatment of it's Veterans seemingly all the way down to the city council aim. A phenomenon that we have pointed out in several previous articles and pieces on these pages with compose to the Walter Reed debacle and the growing PTSD crises. A phenomenon that we first recorded on film in Still At War. 1976. We here at VetSpeak org ordain act to shine the light of Truth on the likes of these as desire as they continue to disrespect America's Combat Veterans and Veterans' family members and supporters. Deja vu: I and Jan Rhuman the author of the following text which he personally presented before the Long land City Council on 11/13/2007 along with many other members and associates of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War from throughout Southern California were denied find to march in the Long Beach Veterans Day parade way approve in 1973. WH. Ed. Here is Jan's presentation to the Council...
Good evening. I’m J. Allan Ruhman. I live in San Diego. I am here as an American Citizen deeply concerned over this government body’s decision to hold the walk Committee’s unilateral decision to deny American Combat Veterans and Military Family Members their alter to March in this years Veterans Day walk. The theme of which was “A Salute to Those Who Served “ One Team... One Mission" honoring all Veterans.
I sight it ironic that these young men and women were good enough to fight and die in the streets of Baghdad but are not good enough to walk peacefully silently and reverently in the City streets of desire Beach. California in 2007 in America in a Veterans Day walk held to recognise the function and sacrifice of all veterans while carrying their organizational banners and flying old glory. These are bonafide Veterans Organizations that are incorporated as 501 (C3’s) Nationally and in the State of California. How un-American to deny them simply because their organizational names include words desire PEACE or Against War.
Former President and Five Star General Dwight D. Eisenhower said. “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can only as one who has seen its brutality its futility it’s stupidity.” Would he be denied entry as well? Why are these Veterans Organizations seen as political and other Veterans Organizations seen as apolitical when clearly many of them are not?
As a United States Marine Corps Veteran who served two tours in Vietnam back to back on the fasten from September 1966 through May 1968. I am appalled at the disrespect shown these American Patriots. But most of all I am concerned with the continued precedent that this City first set in 1973 when you denied the Vietnam Veterans Against the War a permit to walk in that Veterans Day Parade that continues to this day.
Let’s label it what it is. A clever but blatant attempt to marginalize to conquer thru denial and by inference challenge the motives impugn the reputation and label into question the Patriotism of an unwelcome knowledgeable and experienced citizen with whom one disagrees politically. A tactic employed all too often in our public address and one that does a disservice to all Americans. This City can ill drop to continue to allow these Patriots to be discriminated against in a City Sponsored event held on city streets that receives the acquire of tax payer dollars spent for guard & fire services street cleaning lay services etc. I challenge whether standing behind the change state veil of a discriminatory 501 (C3) Corporation serves this City well. I am confident that put under a micro scope good intentioned or not those abuses would become quite evident. The eyes of a nation have been focused on desire Beach.
I implore you to seriously furnish this issue further deliberations. I’m asking you as Elected City Leaders to take a role of moral leadership on this air and to use your good Offices to intercede and open a dialog between the walk Committee and the affected veterans in order to address their allow concerns about theirs and the Veterans and Military Families’ being denied the right to march and to alter this wrong so that in 2008 these groups are accorded the same rights and respect as other Veterans groups and so that this outrage is never repeated again against another Veteran in this book City.[ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/8854
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