Edison veterans get apology after flag removal for India Day

Star Ledger ^ | August 17, 2007

[uxbridge]

Edison officials apologized yesterday to veterans angered by an ethnic ceremony held at town hall earlier this week in which the POW/MIA flag was removed from a pole so the Indian tricolor could fly below the American flag.

"There was never any intention to disrespect or dishonor veterans, or any group of people," Mayor Jun Choi said. "We have enormous respect for the tremendous sacrifices made by our veterans and the servicemen and women currently defending our freedoms."

To mark India's 60th independence anniversary from Britain, Choi, several senior Edison police officials and more than 100 Asian-Indians gathered Wednesday at a granite monument that honors the 49 Edison residents killed in the two world wars and the Korean War.

The Indian flag was raised in the place where the POW/MIA flag normally flies, and the POW/MIA flag was moved temporarily to a nearby pole outside the police headquarters section of town hall. A dozen veteran supporters showed up to loudly denounce the flag-raising.

[uxbridge]

Why, in American towns, are officials raising foreign flags in place of American POW/MIA flags?

[gridlock]

Because they are too lazy to put another couple of hooks on the halyard.

[hershey]

Multiculturalism reigns supreme!

[Clemenza]

Because Edison is 35-40% Indian and the most Indian city in the western hemisphere?

Here in the northeast, we are used to seeing Irish, Puerto Rican, and now Indian flags flying on ethnic parade/festival days, but taking down the veterans flag is not something that even Shiva would tolerate.

[Argus]

Yeah, I grew up in that part of New Jersey and was just back visiting and kind of stunned to see that Iselin could just as well be Bombay (or would that be Mumbai?).

[lilylangtree]

Jeez, b*tch slapping the POW/MIAs.

[Maneesh]

I am a proud American of Indian origin and strongly oppose removing a veteran flag to fly the Indian flag. This is American soil and the US flag reigns supreme. I see no problem with the celebration of the Indian independence day and if they want to fly a flag they can get a separate pole for the duration of the ceremony.

The issue is not whether Indian veterans have made sacrifices to keep India free, that is a non issue. This is the United States of America and even if Edison is 40% Indians, this is still the USA. Multiculturalism is suicidal even regarding Indians who are a model immigrant community. There should be one dominant culture in America which has made it the greatest nation in the world.

[Brujo]

Thanks for your sensible comment. All I would say is that still going to be the USA even if Edison is 100% of Indian origin. Many towns (or parts thereof) seem like Little India, or Little Italy, or Chinatown, or whatever, but they're still 100% USA.

[Clemenza]

Maneesh, great post! I should say that most Indian Americans are an asset to our state. I wish they would change their god-awful politics but, like most immigrant/"ethnic" groups to our shores, they are taken in by the Dem machines from the moment they step off the plane.

Many Indian folks I know are conservatives of the heart, but liberals in the brain. Some of us hope to change that.

[Maneesh]

That is a great point. For the life I can’t understand why most Indians vote Democrat. We all escaped a third world socialist cess pool and then come here and most Indians vote liberal. I have seen first hand the destructive impact of govt regulation, affirmative action, bureaucracy and high taxes which is exactly what the liberals stand for here.

The only issue which makes any sense is their perception that the Republican party is not inclusive of minorities and non-Christians which is blatantly false. The other issue could be the US policy towards Pakistan (our so called ally) which bugs me as well.

However Indians are socially very conservative, very entrepreneurial, family oriented and law abiding which makes them natural Republicans.

And yet the vast majority (80% or so) of Indians vote democrat, I just don’t get it.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Here in the northeast, we are used to seeing Irish, Puerto Rican, and now Indian flags flying on ethnic parade/festival days, but taking down the veterans flag is not something that even Shiva would tolerate.

I'd imagine most Americans of Irish, Puerto Rican, and Indian heritage also have no desire to disrespect veterans or see the veterans' flag taken down. They don't deserve the blame for a goof committed by somebody at the town hall.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

I agree the flags should have separate poles. It’s actually insulting to fly another nation’s flag on the same staff below an American flag; they should be at equal height. State flags or other subsidiary flags like a POW/MIA or Oakland Raiders flag can be flown below an American flag. Don’t people know flag etiquette??

[Coleus]

Dr. Bombay?

[Irreverent]

KISSASS

[Irreverent]

too worried about being deported huh!!

[Clemenza]

Dear Irreverent: You must decide if you are an Indian or an American. YOU CAN'T BE BOTH! Calling someone a "kissass" because they don't believe in your racialist ethnic separatism say alot about you.

And remember, if you and your ilk continue your ethnic separatism, lets just say that you will likely get the rope when the sh-t hits the fan (and I would be more than happy to supply it).

Celebrate your ethnic heritage, lobby for your homeland as an ALLY of the US. Anything beyond that is ant-American and deserving of a bullet to the head, IMHO.

[Irreverent]

ouch!! just there is something in the comment that rubs the wrong way. I mean wahts it going to take to sell US down the drain for someone who called India home a few years back and now calls it cesspool