Posted on 04/11/2010 7:51:45 AM PDT by Saije
Military officials are prohibiting cadets in a high school training program from providing a color guard for an upcoming tea party protest rally in Indiana.
The decision from the Marine Corps JROTC headquarters in Washington to the Portage High School group came Wednesday, just before the district's school board was to have a special meeting to discuss objections to the students' participation.
The tea party event appeared to be a political rally and the military must remain unbiased, said 2nd Lt. Brian Villiard, a spokesman from the JROTC headquarters.
"We want to avoid the appearance of the military leaning towards one side or another, whether it is a conservative or liberal group," Villiard said.
Northwest Indiana Patriots founder Faith Jones, an organizer of the April 14 rally in Valparaiso, said she disagreed.
"We are not a political party," she said. "We are about educating concerned citizens on their constitutional rights. We are nonpartisan."
Jones said veterans would be invited to stand in for the cadets during the rally and called the decision "a missed opportunity for these kids."
School board member Cheryl Oprisko, who objected to the cadets taking part in the rally, said she was "elated" by what she called a common sense decision by the military. She said allowing the students, on a school-sanctioned basis, to participate would put the district in a "bad light."
The cadets were aware of the controversy but "are nonpartisan about these things," said Senior Marine instructor Maj. John Johnston, who leads the Portage High School program.
(Excerpt) Read more at southbendtribune.com ...
Just as long as they are equally barred from attending an Obama rally.
Call the local Boy Scouts.
“Just as long as they are equally barred from attending an Obama rally.”
Like it or not, Obama is the President of the United States and the Commander-in-Chief and can have a military color guard pretty much whenever he wants one.
unbiased
and yet obama can use them as in his words a great backdrop.
what they do in their non working hours is up to them and they should still go ahead with no uniform then.
MMMMMMM Wonder if this order came from the top
I was only half serious.
Going to a Democrat event is fine, just not those darn pro-America non-partisan TEA parties.
They cannot be prohibited from attending if they did not wear any indication they are cadets.
This is a Stupid action on the part of the school. I am sure the directors of the academy will be "contacted" by the alums.
Call the local Boy Scouts
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They would gripe about that one also.
The only group(s) they wouldn’t complain about would be the groups objectionable to the people that are holding and attending the rally.
At least not so very long ago you were ‘required’ to give some sort of balance but now YOU can’t have yours and THEY demand theirs...
They act like a bunch of 4 year olds, you know- a seat can be empty for hours and 1 kid goes to sit in it and then EVERY KID wants to sit in it, complete with the temper tantrum and crying jags.....
Sorry for ‘seemingly’ offending 4 year olds.
why not have the militia provide the services? I am sure there are plenty of vets who would do it ...
This prohibition is and always has been standard protocol for the military. We could not participate in any kind of political activity while in uniform.
This prohibition is and always has been standard protocol for the military. We could not participate in any kind of political activity while in uniform.
Yep, I cannot imagine a better group to "Present the Colors" than a few highly decorated Vets in their uniforms?
God Bless the United States!
Here is where we part company. These young better decide if they want an America to survive or would they rather live under communism. Maybe they would like to join King Obama's brown shirts. Sooner or later America must drop all middle of the road thinking and make a decision. The time is very short. Oh, by the way you young squirts, we have a million army of old vets that will take up the slack if you can't seem to find a backbone. Political correct has long passed. I can bet you that hundreds of thousand of the tea parties are made up of citizens that their liberal bosses could take revenge. They go because they have guts.
They can go, as long as it’s not in uniform.
my guess would be they would be honored ... Just check the local VFW hall ...
They can attend as long as they are not in uniform. There is still freedom of association in this country, as far as I know. Several of my Navy acquaintances are planning on attending the TEA party in DC sans uniforms.
The DNC is a political thing is it not?
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:GdxnWO4YjD0J:www.gwu.edu/~action/demconv/dncday4.html+%22color+guard%22+democratic+convention+junior+rotc&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
The color guard is not proclaiming support for any political cause...... just presenting the colors. Its like saying the military sponsors the Dallas Cowboys or Jimmie Johson for posting the colors at sporting events.
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