VeteransForPeace rejected from "Loyalty Days" Parade

Loyalty to the country, always.
Loyalty to the government, when it deserves it.
-paraphrased quote from Mark Twain

Lincoln County Democrats invited our VeteransForPeace Squadron13 bus to march with them in the "Loyalty Days" parade which took place on Saturday May 5th, 2007. The parade organizers were informed ahead of time that a bus would be included in their entry and permission was granted. When we showed up 2 hours prior to the parade start to get our registration number we were met with confusion and bureaucratic mumbo jumbo. Initially a Lincoln County Sheriff showed up and told us that we could not take part in the parade. Unable to counter our insistence that our bus was registered he called for the parade organizer, Patty Louisiana, who would make the final determination. Patty showed up and did her best to explain why we could not be in the parade. On camera she said our message of peace "doesn't support the spirit of our community" (yes she really said that - see the video!).
Pro-military, pro-war entries in this parade were abundant. Pro-peace messages were completely absent, so it seems clear that beautiful Newport Oregon is a supporter of the illegal war, the deaths of thousands of young soldiers, and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens whose only crime was to be living in a country with a wealth of oil.
This is a classic example of suppression of free speech. A city-wide event that is supposed to be open to anyone, yet is not. The Peace community, on behalf of the American public that opposes the war is left voiceless and castrated by the organizers of this pro-war parade. Soldiers marching in formation, military Humvees, a recruiters office in full sidewalk sale operation with climbing wall and mobile trailer parked in a nearby war-supporting Staples Office Supply store to entice our innocent youth into the All-American sport of killing fellow human beings for corporate profits, complete with a Coast Guard helicopter flyby down the parade route amply demonstrated what the the spirit of Newport Oregon seemed to be about - killing and death.

MORE ON THIS EVENT:
Read Dr. Jack Dresser (former U.S. Army - Vietnam era) editorial on this event - CLICK HERE
Read comments and letters that were submitted from across the country regarding this successful political action - CLICK HERE

XXXXX--- Please Sign the petition ---XXXXX
pledging to spend your vacation dollars somewhere other than Newport Oregon,
until Free Speech there is restored for all - CLICK HERE

...and/or,
Send your comments to the local Newport newspaper "letters to the Editor"
The News Times welcomes and encourages letters to the editor on topics of general interest. Letters should be about 300 words or fewer.
The News Times reserves the right to reject or edit letters for content and length.
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Mail to:
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Other Political Actions we've been involved in:
IVAW-Deployed and Squadron13-Deployed support Lt. Watada - CLICK HERE (story and dozens of pics)
Lt. Watada's Trial (Kangaroo Court!) - CLICK HERE (pics only)
Squadron13-Deployed opposes the Department of Energy's Nuclear ambitions at Hood River - CLICK HERE (story and great pics)
Early days with the Eugene Civil Resistors - CLICK HERE (many stories and many dozens of pics)
Squadron13 bus co-owners Gordon and Jack are also the founders of VeteranAgainstTorture - CLICK HERE (positions statements and editorials)

(l-r) Chris Zilca (Vietnam Vet), Alice McCain (local Democrat), Daniel Beck (chair, Lincoln County Democrats),
Dr. Jack Dresser (former Army Captain), Patty Louisiana (parade organizer), unknown parade security officer, unknown Newport police officer.
Patty Louisiana is explaining why the peace bus can't be in the parade while trying unsuccessfully to maintain an appearance of fairness.

Off camera, this local sheriff claimed that two years ago Code Pink women for peace carried "horrible pictures that were a disgrace to the community".
Last year Code Pink was allowed to participate but forced into the very last position. They were refused permission to march in this years parade,
even though like us, they were invited to march with the Lincoln County Democrats.

Here is the video of parade organizer Patty Louisiana telling us that we can't be in the parade.

Daniel Beck (chair, Lincoln County Democrats) issues his formal protest that his free speech rights have been violated.

Patty Louisiana smiling for what reason I can't imagine. This was not a happy occasion for anyone here.
Perhaps she is happy that the "community spirit" has been preserved now that the voices of these anti-war Veterans
(who once served in our nations military to protect our freedoms) have been squelched?
Was our duty to our country in vain? Did our fallen brothers die in vain too?

Here is the video of the Lincoln County Sheriff being mislead by parade organizer.
Sheriff starts to realize it and retreats into private conference and demands that video recording stops.

The Lincoln County Democrats supplied fuel for our journey all the way from Eugene only to see us sit in a parking lot for the whole parade.

Clair McGee (Department of Peace) and Gordon Sturrock (former 165th Military Police Company and bus co-owner) enjoy a moment of satisfaction
from a highly successful action in the spirit of Ghandi. Ghandi said that what we must do is "precipitate a moral crisis."
By refusing to allow our bus and its former military crew to participate in a public parade,
the organizers of the parade and by association the city itself diminished its honor.
We exposed for all to see, the unjust and immoral sentiments that currently dominate the city of Newport, Oregon.

In addition to a cash donation to our non-profit "VFP Bus Project" from the Lincoln County Democrats, a local pastor, Dave Brauer-Rieke,
who makes his own bio-diesel donated 20 fresh gallons for our return trip back to Eugene.
This fuel is waste oil from a local restraunt that is processed into bio-diesel.

Here is Chris Zilca (Vietnam Vet) pouring homemade bio-diesel into our tank.
Jack Dresser (in flightsuit) wants to know why everyone isn't using locally made biodiesel?


Upon being accused of supressing our freedom of speech, Patty says "That's OK", twice!!!	In a written statment submitted to KOIN-TV in Portland, Patty claims that we did not have permission to record her. KOIN broadcast this claim, and we broadcast our video of her doing just that, giving us permission.

XXXXX--- Please Sign the petition ---XXXXX
pledging to spend your vacation dollars somewhere other than Newport Oregon,
until Free Speech there is restored for all - CLICK HERE

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