Showing posts with label Memorial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memorial. Show all posts
Friday, March 7, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
John McCain Confronted About USS Liberty Cover-up Memorial Day 2012
At Alternate Viewpoint, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by Alternate Viewpoint and how it is used.
Log Files
Like many other Web sites, Alternate Viewpoint makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Cookies and Web Beacons
Alternate Viewpoint does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.
DoubleClick DART Cookie
- Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on Alternate Viewpoint.
- Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to Alternate Viewpoint and other sites on the Internet.
- Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.
These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on Alternate Viewpoint send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.
Alternate Viewpoint has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.
You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. Alternate Viewpoint"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.
If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.
John McCain Confronted About USS Liberty Cover-up Memorial Day 2012
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Obama Selfie At Mandela Memorial Annoys First Lady
At Alternate Viewpoint, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by Alternate Viewpoint and how it is used.
Log Files
Like many other Web sites, Alternate Viewpoint makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Cookies and Web Beacons
Alternate Viewpoint does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.
DoubleClick DART Cookie
- Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on Alternate Viewpoint.
- Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to Alternate Viewpoint and other sites on the Internet.
- Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.
These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on Alternate Viewpoint send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.
Alternate Viewpoint has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.
You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. Alternate Viewpoint"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.
If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.
Obama Selfie At Mandela Memorial Annoys First Lady
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Downpours and dancing at Mandela memorial
JOHANNESBURG — A persistent downpour — the sign, say locals, of a great man’s passing — reined in the emotions and the crowds at former South African President Nelson Mandela’s memorial service Tuesday, but couldn’t keep some from engaging in a raucous celebration of Mandela’s remarkable life.
As world leaders, including President Barack Obama, took to the stage to deliver tributes to Mandela, young men — some of them bare-chested — danced and ran through the concourses of the FNB Stadium. Some mourners hoisted newspaper front pages featuring portraits of the man they call Mandiba.
(Also on POLITICO: Obama’s ‘improbable journey’ shaped by Mandela)
While authorities expected all the seats to be filled and arranged for several other venues nearby to accept overflow crowds, rain kept about half of the stadium’s 90,000 seats empty.
But for those who were there, the feelings evoked by the service will linger long after the crowds and the rains have cleared.
Most of the average citizens in attendance gathered in the top tier, which is protected from the elements. As they cheered — and sometimes jeered — speakers, the sound echoed through the stadium.
The audience’s smaller-than-expected size didn’t keep attendees from mounting a deafening roar when President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were first shown on large video screens. Obama also drew boisterous approval during his speech, with some in attendance chanting along in scenes reminiscent of his 2008 presidential campaign.
Some attendees didn’t show a great deal of interest in the official program, but kept their focus squarely on Obama: A crowd gathered in a tier just below his seats, replete with young women who waved and shrieked, “Obama! Obama!” until he obliged with a wave in return.
President Bill Clinton also seemed to have his own set of groupies, waving and gossiping with friends as the former president hobnobbed with world leaders like Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff.
(PHOTOS: Nelson Mandela memorial)
Not all Americans were so warmly received, however. Former President George W. Bush was booed when his face was shown on the big TV screens, according to local reporters. He was in some pretty important company: South African President Jacob Zuma also drew jeers from his own citizens when his image popped up.
The venue was also an evocative one: the same stadium where Mandela addressed the South African people on the day he was released from prison in 1990 after serving more than 27 years.
Many were bracing for the possibility of a marathon ceremony that could extend well beyond the scheduled four hours. But the rain may have also prompted many involved to keep it quick. The event got started about an hour late and wrapped up only 45 minutes behind schedule.
(TIMELINE: A look at major events in Nelson Mandela’s life)
The dozens of foreign leaders in town for the memorial service snarled traffic across the city — particularly after the event concluded, when a kind of gridlock ensued, separating press vans, an ambulance and a security vehicle from Obama’s motorcade as he left the stadium for a hotel in the suburbs.
Motorists stuck in traffic just had more time to ponder the legacy of the veteran anti-apartheid activist referred to by many here as “the father of the nation.”
“Rest in peace Mad’ba,” said one overhead traffic sign outside the city.
Nearby, a huge electronic billboard featured a Mandela quote: “The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement.”
Rain or shine.
Downpours and dancing at Mandela memorial
Monday, December 9, 2013
World leaders to speak at massive Mandela memorial
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa prepared Monday for a massive memorial in a soccer stadium honoring Nelson Mandela, where an eclectic mix of world leaders will eulogize the anti-apartheid icon before a crowd of nearly 100,000 mourners.
As a prelude to the stadium event, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke at an event at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory Monday night.
“What a fantastic gift God gave to us in this Mandela, who quickly became an icon, a global icon of forgiveness, of generosity of spirit,” Tutu said.
“He really was like a magician with a magic wand, turning us into this glorious, multi-colored, rainbow people,” said Tutu.
At the Soweto stadium where Mandela made his last public appearance at the 2010 World Cup, workers busily constructed a stage protected by bulletproof glass for Tuesday’s memorial.
Police promised “thousands” of officers would secure the stadium, though security appeared lax Monday and a security company owner used his small car as a mobile office to hire guards just at the stadium.
Nearly 100 heads of state are expected at the 95,000-capacity FNB Stadium, where some mourners are already camped out to be the first ones inside. Authorities expect overflow crowds to watch the event at nearby stadiums as well, saying they’d shut off access if the crowds grow too large.
Officers will direct traffic, protect mourners and help the bodyguards of visiting dignitaries, Lt. Gen. Solomon Makgale, a spokesman for the South African Police Service, said Monday.
“We will be on hand to make sure people are able to grieve in a safe environment,” Makgale told The Associated Press.
Makgale said a joint taskforce of police, diplomats and intelligence service personnel already have been making plans and talking to the foreign delegations who plan to attend the ceremony.
Makgale said police were prepared for Tuesday’s event, which also will include speeches from Mandela’s family and friends.
“Whether we have 10 heads of state coming or 70 or 100, we do have the capacity and plans in place to facilitate their movement,” Makgale said.
United States President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle left Washington for Johannesburg aboard Air Force One on Monday. In a rare get-together, they were joined by former President George W. Bush, his wife Laura and former first lady Hillary Clinton. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter are traveling separately to South Africa.
A program released by the South African government showed Obama would speak, as would United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao. Others speakers include Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba, Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Cuban President Raul Castro. South African President Jacob Zuma will give the keynote address.
Though security remains a concern, an AP reporter walked unsearched into the stadium Monday by showing only a national press card issued in Europe. It took about three minutes before a security officer asked journalists to leave the stadium’s field. However, reporters freely roamed throughout the stadium and walked the aisles to see the ongoing stage construction.
Officials from the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg also toured the venue Monday, but declined to speak to journalists.
Meanwhile, a private security firm called Sidas Security was still hiring guards for Tuesday’s event on Monday, using a compact car as an office. Sidas manager George Mathabe said the company will have 1,500 guards on duty Tuesday.
“I’m doing this from the bottom of my heart, just to thank Tata,” Mathabe said, using the Xhosa word for father as an endearment name for Mandela. “My son is coming tomorrow as a visitor too. He’s going to live in a free country. He’s going to be able to do whatever he likes thanks to Tata.”
Roads several square kilometers (miles) around the stadium will be closed Tuesday, and people will have to walk or take public transport to the stadium.
Mandela died Thursday at age 95. After the stadium memorial on Tuesday, Mandela’s body will lie in state at the Union Buildings, the seat of government in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, from Wednesday to Friday. He will be buried Sunday in Qunu, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s rural hometown in Eastern Cape Province.
South Africa’s parliament held a special session Monday in honor of Mandela. Kgalema Motlanthe, the country’s deputy president and a member of Mandela’s African National Congress political party, opened the proceedings with a speech describing how the icon’s death caused a “sweeping feeling of sorrow” around the world.
“He belongs to all humanity,” Motlanthe said. He added: “Mandela’s ideals saturate the face of the Earth.”
Helen Zille, the leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance political party, said South Africa inherited “an enormous responsibility” from Mandela to ensure everyone had “freedom you can use.”
“He has handed the baton to us and we dare not drop it,” Zille said.
___
Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
___
Follow Juergen Baetz on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jbaetz.
___
Associated Press writers Christopher Torchia in Cape Town, South Africa, Julie Pace in Washington and Ray Faure in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
Top Headlines
World leaders to speak at massive Mandela memorial
World leaders to speak at massive Mandela memorial
Four years old Bokamoso warms her hands over candles placed between flowers outside of the house of former South African President Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, Monday, Dec. 9, 2013. Scores of heads of state and government and other foreign dignitaries, including royalty, are beginning to converge on South Africa as the final preparations for Tuesday’s national memorial service for liberation struggle icon Nelson Mandela are put in place. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Four years old Bokamoso warms her hands over candles placed between flowers outside of the house of former South African President Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, Monday, Dec. 9, 2013. Scores of heads of state and government and other foreign dignitaries, including royalty, are beginning to converge on South Africa as the final preparations for Tuesday’s national memorial service for liberation struggle icon Nelson Mandela are put in place. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, center, arrives at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, Dec. 9, 2013. Scores of heads of state and government and other foreign dignitaries, including royalty, are beginning to converge on South Africa as the final preparations for Tuesday’s national memorial service for liberation struggle icon Nelson Mandela are put in place.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
A portrait former president Nelson Mandela, placed outside his residence in Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, Dec. 9, 2013. Mandela died Thursday Dec. 5 at his Johannesburg home after a long illness. He was 95. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
A worker trims the grass outside the FNB stadium where the memorial service for Nelson Mandela will take place on Tuesday, in Johannesburg, South Africa Monday, Dec. 9, 2013. Scores of heads of state and government and other foreign dignitaries, including royalty, are beginning to converge on South Africa as the final preparations for Tuesday’s national memorial service for liberation struggle icon Nelson Mandela are put in place. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
A general view of the FNB stadium where the memorial service for Nelson Mandela will take place on Tuesday, in Johannesburg, South Africa Monday, Dec. 9, 2013. Scores of heads of state and government and other foreign dignitaries, including royalty, are beginning to converge on South Africa as the final preparations for Tuesday’s national memorial service for liberation struggle icon Nelson Mandela are put in place. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
| Buy AP Photo Reprints | ||
|
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa prepared Monday for a massive memorial in a soccer stadium honoring Nelson Mandela, where an eclectic mix of world leaders will eulogize the anti-apartheid icon before a crowd of nearly 100,000 mourners.
As a prelude to the stadium event, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke at an event at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory Monday night.
“What a fantastic gift God gave to us in this Mandela, who quickly became an icon, a global icon of forgiveness, of generosity of spirit,” Tutu said.
“He really was like a magician with a magic wand, turning us into this glorious, multi-colored, rainbow people,” said Tutu.
At the Soweto stadium where Mandela made his last public appearance at the 2010 World Cup, workers busily constructed a stage protected by bulletproof glass for Tuesday’s memorial.
Police promised “thousands” of officers would secure the stadium, though security appeared lax Monday and a security company owner used his small car as a mobile office to hire guards just at the stadium.
Nearly 100 heads of state are expected at the 95,000-capacity FNB Stadium, where some mourners are already camped out to be the first ones inside. Authorities expect overflow crowds to watch the event at nearby stadiums as well, saying they’d shut off access if the crowds grow too large.
Officers will direct traffic, protect mourners and help the bodyguards of visiting dignitaries, Lt. Gen. Solomon Makgale, a spokesman for the South African Police Service, said Monday.
“We will be on hand to make sure people are able to grieve in a safe environment,” Makgale told The Associated Press.
Makgale said a joint taskforce of police, diplomats and intelligence service personnel already have been making plans and talking to the foreign delegations who plan to attend the ceremony.
Makgale said police were prepared for Tuesday’s event, which also will include speeches from Mandela’s family and friends.
“Whether we have 10 heads of state coming or 70 or 100, we do have the capacity and plans in place to facilitate their movement,” Makgale said.
United States President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle left Washington for Johannesburg aboard Air Force One on Monday. In a rare get-together, they were joined by former President George W. Bush, his wife Laura and former first lady Hillary Clinton. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter are traveling separately to South Africa.
A program released by the South African government showed Obama would speak, as would United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao. Others speakers include Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba, Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Cuban President Raul Castro. South African President Jacob Zuma will give the keynote address.
Though security remains a concern, an AP reporter walked unsearched into the stadium Monday by showing only a national press card issued in Europe. It took about three minutes before a security officer asked journalists to leave the stadium’s field. However, reporters freely roamed throughout the stadium and walked the aisles to see the ongoing stage construction.
Officials from the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg also toured the venue Monday, but declined to speak to journalists.
Meanwhile, a private security firm called Sidas Security was still hiring guards for Tuesday’s event on Monday, using a compact car as an office. Sidas manager George Mathabe said the company will have 1,500 guards on duty Tuesday.
“I’m doing this from the bottom of my heart, just to thank Tata,” Mathabe said, using the Xhosa word for father as an endearment name for Mandela. “My son is coming tomorrow as a visitor too. He’s going to live in a free country. He’s going to be able to do whatever he likes thanks to Tata.”
Roads several square kilometers (miles) around the stadium will be closed Tuesday, and people will have to walk or take public transport to the stadium.
Mandela died Thursday at age 95. After the stadium memorial on Tuesday, Mandela’s body will lie in state at the Union Buildings, the seat of government in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, from Wednesday to Friday. He will be buried Sunday in Qunu, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s rural hometown in Eastern Cape Province.
South Africa’s parliament held a special session Monday in honor of Mandela. Kgalema Motlanthe, the country’s deputy president and a member of Mandela’s African National Congress political party, opened the proceedings with a speech describing how the icon’s death caused a “sweeping feeling of sorrow” around the world.
“He belongs to all humanity,” Motlanthe said. He added: “Mandela’s ideals saturate the face of the Earth.”
Helen Zille, the leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance political party, said South Africa inherited “an enormous responsibility” from Mandela to ensure everyone had “freedom you can use.”
“He has handed the baton to us and we dare not drop it,” Zille said.
___
Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
___
Follow Juergen Baetz on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jbaetz.
___
Associated Press writers Christopher Torchia in Cape Town, South Africa, Julie Pace in Washington and Ray Faure in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
World leaders to speak at massive Mandela memorial
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Rally at World War II Memorial Spills into Street
NBC Washington
October 13, 2013
Members of the Million Vet March were planning on gathering at the World War II Memorial on Sunday despite the memorial being closed due to the government shutdown, but that protest has taken a more political tone.
According to a statement on the group’s website, they feel military personnel and veterans are “being used a political pawns in the ongoing government shutdown and budget crisis.” Organizers say they are not a political leaning group, but call the shutting down of memorials “a despicable act of cowardice.”
This article was posted: Sunday, October 13, 2013 at 10:17 am
Print this page.
Rally at World War II Memorial Spills into Street
Rally at World War II Memorial Spills into Street
NBC Washington
October 13, 2013
Members of the Million Vet March were planning on gathering at the World War II Memorial on Sunday despite the memorial being closed due to the government shutdown, but that protest has taken a more political tone.
According to a statement on the group’s website, they feel military personnel and veterans are “being used a political pawns in the ongoing government shutdown and budget crisis.” Organizers say they are not a political leaning group, but call the shutting down of memorials “a despicable act of cowardice.”
This article was posted: Sunday, October 13, 2013 at 10:17 am
Print this page.
Rally at World War II Memorial Spills into Street
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Memorial circus outrages visitors...
A somber memorial has been turned into a political sideshow this week — and tempers are rising.
The World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., has become a victim of the government shutdown, drawing attention-hungry lawmakers (and the media) throughout the week to a quiet place where respect is paid to honor those who had died serving their country — and the commotion is frustrating veterans and the volunteers who help them.
“I’m pissed off,” said Gary Kelch, a furloughed federal employee and a veteran who was visiting the memorial. “It’s all just political theatrics. I don’t mind being furloughed if it gets attention [from Congress]. I’m good with losing a couple weeks of pay. But this is disgusting.”
(Also on POLITICO: GOP: Why are monuments closed?)
Barricades set up on the first day of the government shutdown drew the wrath of vets from around the country who had come to visit. That quickly became fodder for Republican lawmakers seeking to use the closure to cast blame on President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats, though members of both parties were at the memorial this week, greeting veterans and posing for photographs.
“I think it’s trashy politics if a politician is coming down to get publicity at a memorial that they have closed. I’m talking about both sides,” said Colonel Al Appling, a Vietnam War veteran visiting with his wife, Joan, from Miramar Beach, Fla.
Indeed, several members have visited to specifically meet with constituent veterans who were in town. Honor Flight, a group that brings veterans to D.C., frequently reaches out to lawmakers’ offices to let them know veterans will be visiting. But in the days since the shutdown, the memorial has been used in a far more public and political context.
“It was really disturbing to see congressmen out here grandstanding, using this as a political device when it was in fact Congress — the House — that was responsible for the shutdown,” said Dave Smith, a furloughed EPA employee who was visiting the memorial Friday.
(Also on POLITICO: Palin: ‘Barrycades’ at WWII Memorial)
Others believe that all the attention being paid to the memorial is a distraction from the lack of action in Congress to end the shutdown that resulted in the closure of the memorial to begin with.
“Oh yeah, they’re going to show up, they want to make themselves look like they care and they’re doing something. What are they doing?” said Gary Gillest, a Vietnam veteran who has visited D.C. several times with his friends in the Charlie Company 25th Infantry Division. “And look, there are tea party activists over there! I mean, they’re idiots.”
“They just want to get re-elected,” said Thomas Lepisto, who was traveling with the same group as Gillest.
Ken Belcher, who served in the Navy for six years and was in town visiting from Jackson, N.H., also voiced his belief that politics had no place at the memorial.
“This is my dad’s place, he was a vet. This is their place,” he said. “The politics of this is horrible.”
His father-in-law, John Wright, a 91-year-old WWII veteran, is also frustrated by the political use of the monument.
“This belongs to us, not them,” Wright said.
The memorial was opened in 2004, taking about 11 years to complete from its authorization in 1993 to its completion. The total cost of the project was about $ 182 million dollars, and it attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year.
D.C. resident John Aucott, who was at the memorial Tuesday when the first veterans moved the barricades, agreed that the political visits to the site and photo-ops are in bad taste.
“I’m so disgusted with that,” he told POLITICO. “I think the politicians who showed up here have some audacity.”
Aucott came back to the memorial Wednesday with a sign: “Our vets did their job. Congress, please do yours.”
“I’m being silent. I’m not shouting,” he said, explaining that his intention was not to disrupt the veterans’ visits. “I just want to send a message to Congress, since they’re here, that they have a responsibility to fix this.”
Kelly Opdahl, a D.C. resident and volunteer with Honor Flight, expressed her displeasure with the commotion at the memorial. She noted that a group of vets from Illinois visiting earlier this week was trying to steer clear of politics.
“Today’s about them. It’s about the veterans,” she said.
Memorial circus outrages visitors...
Friday, October 4, 2013
Tom Hanks Praises Vets for Charging WWII Memorial
Actor Tom Hanks has jumped into the national dialogue over the government shutdown, praising military veterans who stormed the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. earlier this week.
“Good for the veterans. Good, go see it. We should all have access to them all the time,” he told a journalist at a screening of his new movie, “Captain Philips,” adding, “Sorry that they didn’t have it.”
Story continues below video.
The memorial, which Hanks helped to fund after he starred in “Saving Private Ryan,” was closed as part of the shutdown.
But a group of veterans broke through the barricades around the monument on Tuesday, and it now remains open to visitors.
“Did they assault it with helicopters? Landing craft? Did they bust through in a jeep?” Hanks, who has often spoken up for veterans, joked.
When he learned that they had help from some congressmen, the two-time Oscar winner said, “Good! We should all have access to our national monuments and parks. It’s as simple as that.”
A park ranger told GOP Rep. Randy Neugebauer of Texas at the memorial site on Wednesday that it was “difficult” to have to deny access to veterans and apologized for the closure.
Neugebauer was part of a group of lawmakers that gathered at the memorial after reports it had been closed as a result of the shutdown.
Referring to veterans, he asked, “How do you look at them and say— how do you deny them access? I don’t get that.”
Related stories:
Rep. Jeb Hensarling: ‘Disgusting’ for Obama to Use WWII Vets as Pawns
Ed Asner: Hollywood Mum on Syria Over Fears of Appearing Racist
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
Tom Hanks Praises Vets for Charging WWII Memorial
Video: Fox And Friends: Obama Sent More Security To WWII Memorial Than Benghazi
On Fox & Friends, the hosts attacked the federal government’s decision to send a number of security personnel to ensure that tourists and veterans do not access sites like the World War II Memorial during the government shutdown. Echoing Rand Paul’s tweet on Wednesday, the hosts observed that the administration sent more security personnel to the Memorial than they did to Libya during the September 11, 2012 attack on an American consulate.
“Loophole” from Obama’s IRS: Protect your IRA or 401(k) with gold and silver… click here to get a NO-COST Info Guide >
Please share this post with your friends and comment below. If you haven’t already, take a moment to sign up for our free newsletter above and friend us on Twitter and Facebook to get real time updates.
Video: Fox And Friends: Obama Sent More Security To WWII Memorial Than Benghazi
WWII Memorial Barricade Wired Shut
JOHN MCCORMACK
The Weekly Standard
October 4, 2013
On Tuesday morning, seven National Park Service employees were seen erecting and tending to a barricade around the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. One NPS employee was operating a forklift. There usually aren’t any NPS employees working at the World War II memorial.
A couple hours later, when an Honor Flight of World War II veterans arrived, accompanied by Democratic and Republican members of Congress, the fences blocking the memorial were easily moved away, allowing the veterans to enter.
But the barriers are still at the memorial, and they’ve been reinforced. This morning, I walked by the memorial and noticed that wires had been used to tie the fences together:
Meanwhile, the barricade in front of a memorial to World War I veterans a couple blocks away still looks like this:
Who is ordering the National Park Service to go to such great lengths to shut down the open-air World War II memorial that is usually unguarded? On Tuesday, Carol Johnson of the National Park Service told me that the White House’s Office of Management and Budget “sends everything down to all other departments. We are part of the Interior. Interior gives us our instructions.”
This article was posted: Friday, October 4, 2013 at 9:58 am
Print this page.
WWII Memorial Barricade Wired Shut
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Vet Showdown: More guards at WWII memorial than Benghazi
Paul Bedard
Washington Examiner
October 2, 2013
The National Park Service is sending so many officials out to shut down federal parks from visiting Americans that at this rate it might have to suspend furloughs if the government closure continues.
Two examples:
– At the World War II Memorial on The Mall in Washington, where veterans have been staging protests to keep it open, Washington Examiner’s Charlie Spiering reports that at least seven officials were dispatched Wednesday morning to set up a ring of barricades to block tourists from the memorial. That is two more security officials than the State Department had in Benghazi a year ago on the night of the terrorist attack that killed four, including the U.S. ambassador.
This article was posted: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at 11:43 am
Tags: domestic news
Vet Showdown: More guards at WWII memorial than Benghazi
Obama Protects WW2 Memorial From Vets More Than He Protected Americans from Benghazi
Veterans defy Obama and continue breaking down WWII Memorial barricades
Julie Wilson
Infowars.com
Oct. 2, 2013
In what is seemingly the worst PR ever for Obama and his administration, the president has still persisted in attempting to keep vets from visiting their memorial by threatening them with arrest.
Social media posts have accused Obama as ‘protecting’ the vets from the WWII Memorial more than he protected Americans from Benghazi, in which four were killed including US Ambassador Christoper Stevens in what Infowars exposed as a coverup by a “State Department hired jihadist security outfit in connection with an arms transfer to al-Qaeda mercenaries in Syria.”
Yesterday, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, helped distract park police while military veterans pushed past the barricades to the WWII Memorial, and knocked down fences allowing them to enter.
The National Mall and its memorials were closed after the government shutdown forced staff to be furloughed, however Obama found it necessary to employ National Park Police to keep people out, including veterans who risked their lives in WWII and rightfully earned the memorial.
The veterans cheered once inside, many emotional and breaking down into tears. The majority of the veterans are in their 90s, and it may very well be their last chance to see the memorial that they fought so desperately to win.
The veterans were touring the memorial on the National Mall as part of the Honor Flight program, which covers all expenses for vets to travel from around the country to visit the memorial. More than 900 veterans are expected to arrive during the next five days to visit the National Mall, which has been closed due to the governments’ inability to reach an agreement on Obamacare.
The attack on the veterans via the threat of arrest was reportedly ordered directly by Obama and supported by the Democrats. Outraged Americans took to social media to vent their anger.
One of the most clever comparisons was made in the tweet below:
Twitter flooded with tweets from Americans who supported the veterans “I won’t take no for an answer” attitude.
Some veterans from Mississippi even managed to take home a trophy in remembrance of their feat.
This article was posted: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at 11:48 am
Tags: activism, constitution, government corruption, war
Obama Protects WW2 Memorial From Vets More Than He Protected Americans from Benghazi
WWII Vets Return to Their Memorial
Sterling Beard
National Review Online
October 2, 2013
The Park Service has announced that all Honor Flights are being granted access to the WWII memorial to “conduct 1st Amendment activities.”
Yesterday, a group of World War II veterans entered their memorial in Washington, D.C., knocking over the barricades apparently erected on the orders of the Office of Management and Budget, an executive branch agency that set spending priorities during the shutdown.
The veterans had been flown into the nation’s capital from Mississippi by Honor Flight, an organization founded with the mission of bringing veterans to their memorials. Upon arriving yesterday morning, roughly 80 vets knocked over the barricades and entered after Representative Steve King (R., Iowa) distracted a Park Police representative. A bagpiper led the vets into the memorial past an applauding crowd.
More Honor Flight vets are arriving this morning, and NRO’s Betsy Woodruff is on the scene — you can follow her updates on Twitter.
This article was posted: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at 12:09 pm
Print this page.
WWII Vets Return to Their Memorial
Monday, May 27, 2013
"Let Us Not Forget," Obama Says As U.S. Marks Memorial Day
President Obama speaks during a Memorial Day ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.
Joshua Roberts/Getty Images
President Obama speaks during a Memorial Day ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.
Joshua Roberts/Getty Images
Americans gathered at cemeteries, memorials and monuments nationwide to honor fallen military service members on Memorial Day, at a time when combat in Afghanistan approaches 12 years and the ranks of World War II veterans dwindles.
President Obama laid a wreath Monday at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington.
“Let us not forget as we gather here today that our nation is still at war,” Obama said.
“When they give their lives, they are still being laid to rest in cemeteries in quiet corners across our country, including here in Arlington,” he said. He told the stories of three soldiers who had died. Each had been devoted to their mission and were praised by others for saving lives.
Earlier in the morning, he and first lady Michelle Obama hosted a breakfast at the White House with “Gold Star” families of service members who have been killed.
Another wreath-laying ceremony was planned at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in New York City. The park is a tribute to President Roosevelt’s famous speech calling for all people to enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.
At the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, about 30 bicyclists clustered around World War II veteran and museum volunteer Tom Blakey, a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division who jumped at Normandy on D-Day — June 6, 1944 — and in May 1945 helped liberate the work camp at Wobbelin in northwest Germany.
“Most of us wondered why we were there, killing people and being killed,” he said. “We didn’t do anything to deserve it. When we got to that camp and saw what was there, the lights came on.”
The cycling group makes regular weekend training runs, and on Monday started a Memorial Day ride about seven miles away at the national cemetery in Chalmette, where the Battle of New Orleans — the last in the War of 1812 — was fought.
“I’m glad I took this ride to hear a personal story,” Scott Gumina, 41, said. “Hearing one man’s account of his personal experience was pretty impressive to me.”
Across much of New England, several days of heavy rain gave way to sunny skies for parades in towns large and small.
In Portland, Maine, kids and even pets displayed the Stars and Stripes as veterans, youth groups law enforcement officials and civic organizations paraded to Monument Square to the tunes of a marching band, sirens from a police car and the rumble of motorcycles.
“It’s a very important day, not only for the Veteran of Foreign Wars but every veteran organization, every branch of the service, and every patriot in general — every American. This day is hugely significant and should never be forgotten,” said David Olson, 66, of Portland, the VFW’s state senior vice commander.
He said he was pleased to see a large turnout of youngsters, both in the parade and along the parade route. “As they get older, they’ll realize exactly why we do this,” he said.
For some veterans, it was a somber event.
Richard Traiser, a Marine injured when his tank came under attack in Vietnam, helped deliver a three-volley salute with the Marine Corps League.
Memorial Day gives those who served an opportunity to get together and remember friends who didn’t make it.
“I think about them a lot, especially the people I lost in my platoon,” Traiser said. “A couple of kids were 19 years old. I don’t dwell on it in a morbid way, but it’s on your mind.”
In Connecticut, a Waterford man who was killed in the Vietnam War was honored with a hometown park area named for him. Arnold E. Holm Jr., nicknamed “Dusty,” was killed when his helicopter was shot down on June 11, 1972. A group of at least 100 dedicated the park this weekend.
In suburban Boston, veterans gathered in a park to mark Memorial Day this year rather than hold a parade because of failing health and dwindling numbers. The city of Beverly called off its parade because so few veterans would be able to march. The parade has been a fixture in the town since the Civil War.
In Atlanta, a dedication of the History Center’s redone Veterans Park was scheduled for early evening. Soil from major battlefields will be scattered by veterans around the park’s flagpole.
The holiday weekend also marked the traditional start of the U.S. vacation season. AAA, one of the nation’s largest leisure travel agencies, expected 31.2 million Americans to hit the road over the weekend, virtually the same number as last year. Gas prices were about the same as last year, up 1 cent to a national average of $ 3.65 a gallon Friday.
"Let Us Not Forget," Obama Says As U.S. Marks Memorial Day
Friday, February 15, 2013
Extremists Hold a Mock Memorial For Woman Who Died From Abortion Complications
Anti-choice activists held an anti-funeral Monday outside the clinic where a 29-year-old woman died from abortion complications last week in Germantown, Maryland.
Hiding behind the façade of a “memorial service,” more than 150 anti-abortion crusaders exploited the death of a young woman to advance their hateful agenda. The anti-vigil draws comparison to the Westboro Baptist Church’s notorious funeral picketing. But, whereas the WBC overtly spreads their repulsive message, these anti-choice activists use far more insidious tactics.
“We understand how horrible this situation is,” said Michael Martelli, executive director of the Maryland Coalition for Life. “And really, we can’t imagine what the family is going through. The family is in no way any type of target.”
Yet, the protesters had no problem plastering the deceased woman’s face on signs brandished with the message: “Pregnant? Scared? We can help!” Apparently, the activists’ respect for family doesn’t go so far as not using a dead loved one as a political prop.
“We will not rest until this clinic is shut down and the license of [clinic leader] LeRoy Carhart is revoked. God let it be so,” said the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition.
Mahoney’s invocation of the Almighty in a protest disguised as memorial represents the height of hypocrisy. Psalm 52:2 best describes the reverend’s words: “Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.”
Petula Dvorak, a columnist for the Washington Postnotes that the protesters—by discussing intimate details of the woman’s medical records—could be violating federal privacy laws. Dvoark asks:
So how on earth did protesters get all of her medical records? How did they get enough detail to make huge posters of her face, give details about her marriage and employment, and make claims about what went on inside her body?
If Dvorak is right, then not only will these anti-choicers dishonor a dead woman for seeking an abortion, but they will break the law to do so. And this wouldn’t be the first time. Dvorak reports that groups associated with the protest, “have also bombarded the neighborhood of the landlord who leases space to the clinic, Todd Stave, with gory, Nazi-themed fliers. And they tracked down the school that Stave’s children attend and picketed the back-to-school nights.”
Fake funerals. Privacy violations. Harrassing children. Have these people no shame?
Fri, 02/15/2013 – 08:40
AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed
Extremists Hold a Mock Memorial For Woman Who Died From Abortion Complications
Extremists Hold a Mock Memorial For Woman Who Died From Abortion Complications
Anti-choice activists held an anti-funeral Monday outside the clinic where a 29-year-old woman died from abortion complications last week in Germantown, Maryland.
Hiding behind the façade of a “memorial service,” more than 150 anti-abortion crusaders exploited the death of a young woman to advance their hateful agenda. The anti-vigil draws comparison to the Westboro Baptist Church’s notorious funeral picketing. But, whereas the WBC overtly spreads their repulsive message, these anti-choice activists use far more insidious tactics.
“We understand how horrible this situation is,” said Michael Martelli, executive director of the Maryland Coalition for Life. “And really, we can’t imagine what the family is going through. The family is in no way any type of target.”
Yet, the protesters had no problem plastering the deceased woman’s face on signs brandished with the message: “Pregnant? Scared? We can help!” Apparently, the activists’ respect for family doesn’t go so far as not using a dead loved one as a political prop.
“We will not rest until this clinic is shut down and the license of [clinic leader] LeRoy Carhart is revoked. God let it be so,” said the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition.
Mahoney’s invocation of the Almighty in a protest disguised as memorial represents the height of hypocrisy. Psalm 52:2 best describes the reverend’s words: “Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.”
Petula Dvorak, a columnist for the Washington Postnotes that the protesters—by discussing intimate details of the woman’s medical records—could be violating federal privacy laws. Dvoark asks:
So how on earth did protesters get all of her medical records? How did they get enough detail to make huge posters of her face, give details about her marriage and employment, and make claims about what went on inside her body?
If Dvorak is right, then not only will these anti-choicers dishonor a dead woman for seeking an abortion, but they will break the law to do so. And this wouldn’t be the first time. Dvorak reports that groups associated with the protest, “have also bombarded the neighborhood of the landlord who leases space to the clinic, Todd Stave, with gory, Nazi-themed fliers. And they tracked down the school that Stave’s children attend and picketed the back-to-school nights.”
Fake funerals. Privacy violations. Harrassing children. Have these people no shame?
Fri, 02/15/2013 – 08:40
AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed
Extremists Hold a Mock Memorial For Woman Who Died From Abortion Complications
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)