Still Think You've Got Freedom of Speech?

Still Think You've Got Freedom of Speech?

www.blacklistednews.com

A veterans 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.

Veterans for Peace was initially granted a spot in the May 26 parade that is scheduled to travel down Constitution Avenue, past landmarks that include the Washington Monument and the White House.

But the American Veterans Center, a nonprofit that organizes the parade, has pulled that approval, saying it does not allow the expression of political viewpoints.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Remember that when they do this to one American, they are doing it to all of us. These are not just some lunatic fringe protesters--they are veterans who know better than most exactly what happens in a war.

www.blacklistednews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

kevin Spencer is off the air because it is beeing termed racist to people like Kevin .

People like Kevin are in the Army , they dont mind the TV show its the people who hate the army who dont want the program on .

10 seasons back on the air soon 7 dayz a weeks .

reply to post by jokerdazey2


Wow... I understand your mental connection, joker, but your cartoon does not even compare to this scenario in the article. I don't know full content of your little cartoon, but I'm guessing it isn't relevant to this either. Correct me if I am wrong...

That said, this is kind of BS, but according to the article...

"We don't allow groups in the parade that are projecting an opinion. That goes for pro-mission as well as anti-war," Roberts said.

I understand the point... they are just trying to have an "uneventful" parade and do not want to cause any problems for the day. As long as NO group is projecting ANY opinion of ANY kind, then I don't see a problem with them not being allowed to march. But are they true to their word? Only those at the parade would know... and even then, it could just be a matter of opinion, if a group is "projecting an opinion" or not.

reply to post by scarlett1125


The headline is misleading and in violation of posting guidelines.

The correct headline for the article is

Vet Group Banned From Memorial Day Parade,

and the gov't did not ban this group. They were banned by the non-profit organization that organizes the parade.

Besides the title, I think that in our nation's capital, there should be more open-mindedness. The parade organizers were not named, so I cannot say who actually has caused this madness. What I can say is this: veterans have a right to speak their minds and on Memorial Day, they, of all people, should not be silenced.

Besides all of that, I'd doubt seriously that any pro-war banners would be eliminated from the parade.

Personally, I'd just like to know when the veterans actually get to speak their truth without someone interfering?

Originally posted by jsobecky
reply to post by scarlett1125

 

The headline is misleading and in violation of posting guidelines.

The correct headline for the article is

Vet Group Banned From Memorial Day Parade,

and the gov't did not ban this group. They were banned by the non-profit organization that organizes the parade.

Thank you for pointing that out. I was a bit misled by the title. Then I read the article and I don't really see a major problem with it.

The group was only banned from marching in the parade, not from setting up on the mall, or organizing elsewhere.

I'm as anti-government as the next guy, but I don't want myself or anyone else to jump to conclusions based upon a sensationalized headline.

reply to post by jsobecky

....which is scared of making waves with the government because everyone knows we are no longer free.
Why rattle THAT cage?

People are being cautious, wonder why?


Nobody wants to be incinerated by them fancy death ray guns on parade day.

Dont you agree?

OK, maybe it was sensational, but it doesn't disprove the fact that we have lost our freedom of speech in a variety of areas. This is just one more example. Protesters are not allowed within 2 blocks of Bush, the fire department is a part of Homeland Security and reports anti-government sentiments and the possession of constitutional materials, and protesters are arrested on a near daily basis just for exercising their constitutional rights.

This still begs the question: who is organizing this protest? What are their connections? And are other displays of political speech allowed?

I'm looking into it because I don't believe that any veterans group would silence other vets.

How exactly would one go about making a pro-war statement in a Memorial Day parade? Perhaps marching with guns, maybe a tank or two rumbling through the capitol?

Personally, I think that carrying a casket on parade is the PERFECT idea for a Memorial Day parade. Really brings home what the day is really about, wether or not your for the war.

EDIT to add: Is Washington going to give them their permit to march outside of the parade then?

[edit on 5/24/0808 by jackinthebox]

First, proceeds from the Memorial Day Parade go to the White House Commission on Remembrance, which was established under Mr. Bush in October of 2000.
White House Commission on Remembrance

Interestingly enough, all contributions are made to the American Studies Center. I have found four versions of this American Studies Center: one is part of the University of Bahrain and another is at Queen Arwa University, which I believe is in Syria, one in Warsaw, and the last one is at the American University in Cairo. Maybe it's nothing, but it does seem odd that an American Veterans organization would be associated with schools outside the US.

Now, I will grant that this may be nothing, and I could be finding sketchy evidence; however, I thought it was worth sharing, nonetheless.

I'm a conspiracy theorist; what did you expect?!!!

[edit on 24-5-2008 by scarlett1125]

*sigh* Freedom of speech is a two way street, I'm utterly dumbfounded at the number of people who fail to grasp this concept. Just like with the Dixie Chicks and the country music stations around the nation who refused to play their music and fans who refused to buy their CDs... not only do people and groups have a right to make politically charged statements, but other people and groups also have the right to not invite people who hold opinions contradictory to their own beliefs and the same ammendment grants the right of everyone and anyone to refuse to provide a forum for beliefs and speech that disagrees with their own.

That is what has happened here. Congress has passed no law restricting this group's freedom to march, speak, etc. The parade organizers, however, (and generally parade organizers are not government agencies or trustees, but private groups and boards) have deemed these people are not representative of what they would like to portray in their parade.

So to answer your question: "Still Think You've Got Freedom of Speech?" Absolutely I do, and so do you!

reply to post by burdman30ott6

Absolutely I do, and so do you!

Yelling like that could be construed as displaying a threatening demeanor, which you can be arrested for.

So much for your freedom of speech.

The Constitution only states that the government can't deny your right to free speech.

When you are a group marching in some other non-government entity's parade, you absolutely never had any free speech to begin with. You don't like it? Start your own parade.

It never fails to amaze (or annoy) me when people get all up in arms because their "freedom of whatever" was violated, and then when you hear the details you find that the Ebil Gubmint had nothing to do with it.

Nobody's free speech was violated here, no more so than if you were banned from having a Girls Gone Wild float at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was banned because in the end, the parade is the expression of its organizers and not its participants. As such, the organizers are the ones who have every right in the world to determine something in their parade is inappropriate.

reply to post by scarlett1125

Originally posted by scarlett1125
The parade organizers were not named, so I cannot say who actually has caused this madness.

This is the group that organized the parade. From paragraph 3 of the article:

But the American Veterans Center, a nonprofit that organizes the parade, has pulled that approval, saying it does not allow the expression of political viewpoints.

reply to post by dgtempe


Well, all I can say to you is...

Thanks for changing your avvie!

Originally posted by jsobecky
reply to post by scarlett1125

 

The headline is misleading and in violation of posting guidelines.

The correct headline for the article is

Vet Group Banned From Memorial Day Parade,

and the gov't did not ban this group. They were banned by the non-profit organization that organizes the parade.

I was about to say this, this isn't censorship by Government...it's not a violation of freedom at all, a privately held non-profit organization stopped them...not Government. It is well within their legal bounds. There are no violation of freedom of speech, this is no different than Wal-mart not selling pornography or some other decision a private company could make to block a "view point"

reply to post by mattifikation

The Constitution only states that the government can't deny your right to free speech.

When you are a group marching in some other non-government entity's parade, you absolutely never had any free speech to begin with. You don't like it? Start your own parade.

Do you honestly think the government would give them the permit? Of course not. And therefore the government would be denying their free speech.

But I agree with what you have posted here otherwise.

reply to post by jackinthebox

Originally posted by jackinthebox
Do you honestly think the government would give them the permit?

Why wouldn't they? There are plenty of "permitted" anti-war marches going on every time there is a war going on. Gov'ts are much less picky than private groups. They have to be, in order to avoid being charged with discrimination.