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More from Tom
Baxter
Thanks
for posting my article on your site.
Except
I'm not a Marine, never was.
I've
been trying to write a sequel, but, I've been busy
Another
one of my articles:
And
now for something completly different.
Anti-Iraq
war veterans pulled from 11 NOV 2003 Veterans Day parade, Tallahassee,
Florida
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If
the parade was a private affair, then Ken Conway was with out honor,
[Got to love Klingons.] when he illegally stopped us from marching in
accordance with our contract, but not worth suing.
If
it was a public affair, then there is a whole world of legal liability
opened up.
We
are doing “public records” requests to determine if they was “acting
under the color of state law” to deprive us of our rights.
We
will apply Monday 17NOV03 for a Veterans Day parade permit for 2004.
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1500
hrs 11NOV03
[news
articles, photographs, legal status forthcoming.]
Well
good things and bad things. Certainly did not go the way I thought.
Filled my form out. Sent them my $10.00, showed up on time and gutless
wonder the parade marshal, tells we not in the parade. He has gotten
complaints from others and decided not to stand up for free speech or
he just does not want anyone questioning the Bush dream [Nightmare for
those who are paying attention.]. The cop says we can walk on the sidewalk,
but not on the road. We decide to split up and form a billboard on the
main . We strolled along
Four
banners were made and displayed, seen by hundreds. Maybe even on TV.
Passed out leaflets. Talked with friendly folks.
Four
media interviews about being kicked out of the parade and why we were
there in the first place.
Things
that went wrong:
Failed
to specify an exact meeting spot. We were separated in three distinct
groups, each a block or two away from each other.
Failed
to plan what to do if we were kicked out of the parade.
Failed
to have a cell phone the day of the press release.
Recommendations
1.
National organizations should fax press releases to the local media.
2.
Contacts should have a cell phone.
3.
Get everything in writing.
4.
Have enough guts to let yourself get arrested.
Item
Below
are articles from the local and Jacksonville papers.
Made
three or four local TV news shows, Tuesday night. It was picked
up by a statewide network, no report. Public radio, Wednesday morning.
We
don’t know if We should give Conroy something nice for being so kind
and kicking us of the parade.
In
my dreams, we never could have got this exposure.
Talked
with police, with little satisfaction. Attended the local ACLU Legal
Panel, of which I’m a member, Wednesday night. We agreed that, I need
to follow up with the police refusing to release public records under
the Sunshine Law.
Got
photos. Will post to the web soon.
Tallahassee
Democrat
The
day was not without a bit of controversy. Two local groups, Veterans
for Peace and Vietnam Veterans Against the War, had entered the parade.
But when the groups showed up Tuesday morning, VFW parade marshal Ken
Conroy refused to allow them to march.
"We
just can't have this problem," Conroy said. "Half the (participants
in the parade) said they don't want to be in the parade with (the protesters),
and I don't blame them."
The
antiwar veterans instead held up banners along the parade route, expressing
their opposition to the war in Iraq. The slogan of Vietnam Veterans
Against the War, which counts about 35 members, is "Support the warrior,
not the war."
"We're
not anti-veteran," said organizer Bob Broedel, a Vietnam veteran. "We
just think soldiers who are supposed to protect us from the next Adolf
Hitler are being used to overthrow countries on the basis of lies."
Some
veterans agreed with the protesters.
"I
appreciate their message," said veteran Glenn Salsburg, 80, who served
in World War II. "I think, from what we're reading now, that we were
premature in starting this war. It's not un-American, it's not unpatriotic
to say what (the group) is saying: 'Honor the warrior, not the war.'"
Article
from the Times-Union, Jacksonville, Fl.
I
think JT was overimpressed with my ‘been there,’ medals. Never claimed
or said I was an officer. Officers don’t bend wrenches.
He
got the press release.
As
for hard looks, maybe they were looking at my medals. I stare at others
ribbions. ROTC and VFW & Als wearing theirs upside down or mixed
up, just annoys me.
Anti-Iraq
war veterans pulled from parade
By
J. TAYLOR RUSHING
Capital
Bureau Chief
TALLAHASSEE
-- A group of 30 military veterans critical of the war in Iraq hoped
to use Tuesday's Veterans Day parade to call attention to the increasingly
deadly conflict but instead found themselves fighting for something
much more fundamental.
Members
of Veterans For Peace and Vietnam Veterans Against the War were yanked
off a downtown Tallahassee street, directly in front of the Old Capitol,
while marching in the holiday parade they had legitimately registered
in.
As
organizers allowed the parade to roll on -- including veterans from
various wars, several high school marching bands and even a group of
young women from the local Hooters restaurant -- the anti-war veterans
were ordered onto sidewalks where they passed out leaflets and displayed
a banner reading, "Honor the Warrior, Not the War."
"There's
a war going on that's based on lies, just like Vietnam," said veteran
Tom Baxter, an Army equipment maintenance officer in Vietnam for 16
months in 1967-69. "They were lying then, and they're lying now."
Parade
chairman Ken Conroy, a Korean War veteran, said he ejected the anti-war
veterans because they were offensive and because Tallahassee police
also wanted them removed. He offered to refund their $10 registration
fee and said he was not suppressing the group's free speech rights.
"They
can have their free speech, just not in the parade," Conroy said. "They
belong on the sidewalk."
The
six-block parade circling downtown Tallahassee was sponsored by the
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3308.
Baxter
said about 12 of the 30 anti-war members at the parade were walking
in line when they were kicked out about 20 minutes into the hour long
event. He said the parade applications were filled out fully and correctly
but must have gone unnoticed by organizers.
"They
said we were offensive, but we heard no boos or anything," he said.
"A few harsh looks from some of the active-duty guys, but that's about
it."
Tallahassee
police Sgt. David Folsom denied police played any role in the situation
and said Tuesday was the first time he could recall anyone being excluded
from the parade.
"We
don't police the participants," Folsom said. "We don't have an opinion
on who's in it, as long as they're not walking around naked or drinking
in public. It's just not a police decision."
Parade
spectators were surprised to hear the anti-war veterans were ejected.
"I
don't think it's right," said LaToya Jackson, a JROTC member from Rickards
High School. "They said they were supporting the troops, just not the
war."
Marc
and Khristina Munday of Tallahassee suggested the veterans have earned
a special right to have their voices heard.
"They
were in Vietnam, which may or may not have been a just war," Marc Munday
said. "And quite a few people feel the way they do about the war in
Iraq. They shouldn't have been kicked out of the parade. America is
about free speech."
But
others said the anti-war veterans simply didn't belong.
"We
don't care where they are, as long as they're somewhere else," said
Charles LeCroy, an Air Force personnel superintendent in Vietnam and
second vice commander of American Legion Post 13 in Tallahassee. "It's
disrespectful, that's what it is, and I just can't stomach or tolerate
or conceive of it."
According
to casualty records from the Associated Press, a total of 393 Americans
have died in Iraq since March 20.
Col.
Michael Spak, a retired colonel in the U.S. Army reserves and professor
at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, noted the U.S. Supreme Court considers
free speech less protected at privately sponsored events than those
that are held publicly.
"The
court has held they can't stop you from picketing, but they can stop
you from marching in a private parade," Spak said. "There's a difference.
If it's a city event, that's one thing, But if it's private, they have
a right to bar a group."
jt.rushing@jacksonville.com,
(850) 224-7515, ext. 11
---
Speak
Truth to Power
Tom
Baxter, USA 66-69, Vietnam 67-69
Tallahassee
Network for Justice and Peace http://www.TNJP.org
Progressive
Librarians http://www.libr.org/PL/index.html
VVAW
http://www.vvaw.org
Veterans
for Peace http://www.veteransforpeace.org/
PO
Box 10358, Tallahassee, Florida 32302
W
850-414-3300 H 850-893-7390
When
you absolutely, positively have to know, ask a librarian.
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