CLAIM JUMPERS NOT PATRIOTS (Gay Agenda Defiles California Veterans Memorial)

PatriotWatch ^ | Wednesday, August 27, 2003 | PDN News Desk

[comwatch]

CLAIM JUMPERS NOT PATRIOTS

STEALTH, DENIAL and the RULES DON'T APPLY?

• Governor Gray Davis supports the concept...
• The memorial was installed without proper approvals... .
• The Department of General Services didn't approve...
• Legislature's Joint Rules Committee denies they approved...
• Maurice Johannessen, state secretary of veterans affairs denies he approved the project
• Russell Lopez of the Governor's Office said Johannessen did approve the plaque
• Openly gay Assembly Democrats Christine Kehoe of San Diego, Jackie Goldberg of Los Angeles, Mark Leno of San Francisco and John Laird of Santa Cruz behind the plaque.

Assembly members, from left, Jackie Goldberg, John Laird and Christine Kehoe place a wreath Tuesday at the California Veterans Memorial, near the site of the disputed plaque. Sacramento Bee/Randy Pench

Staking a claim Capitol Park memorial honors gay veterans By Jim Sanders -- Bee Capitol Bureau - (Published August 27, 2003) A small marker unveiled Tuesday in Capitol Park was hailed by gay-rights advocates as the first such state-sanctioned landmark honoring gay and lesbian soldiers killed in action. The tiny memorial -- about a foot long -- graces the walkway of the California Veterans Memorial and is engraved with an eagle and the words "In Honor of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Veterans Killed in Action." But while supporters applauded the pavement marker as symbolically historic and long overdue, some veterans groups blasted it as offensive and disgraceful, saying soldiers should not be honored based on sexual orientation. Controversy also erupted over whether the marker truly was state sanctioned.

[nosofar]

Has not the ACLU argued against putting a cross or a Star of David on Veterans headstones? (if not they someday will)

I'm waiting for the lawsuit to bulldoze Arlington's Cemetary because of all the crosses.

[SauronOfMordor]

If it was put there without proper approvals, would it be an offense if it disappeared from there without any approval process?

[U S Army EOD]

I would admit I was gay before I would admit to being a Clemson fan.

[comwatch]

If you vandalized any other plaque at the memorial, you would be charged with Penal Code Section 594 a misdemeanor. I suspect felony hate crime charges would be pressed for if you acted on the Gay Veterans Memorial Association plaque.

By way of a reply to to sole email question our motives, here's the latest update after challening the powers that be:

In part, you wrote, "Procedures are put in place to insure the acceptable standards are maintained." Sadly my friend, I discovered today that is just not the case. In addition, the very people responsible for "veterans affairs have proven themselves unworthy of the task. Those people, like the plaque, should be removed pending a complete investigation of this matter. As I will outline to everyone in more detail soon, I have gone directly to the sources and they have either lied to me or a State Senator's staff.

Cheryl Schmidt, Secretary of Women Veterans is attributed with the approval by Bill Bird in Senator Rico Oller's Capitol Office. When I informed her secretary, Jackie, that this was the reason for my call, she offered to pull Ms Schmidt out a meeting to speak with me. I assured her my interest was keen but I was willing to wait for a return call. Cheryl Schmidt ran for the cover of Andrew Kotch, a mouthpiece for CDVA who called in her stead, was evasive, unwilling to name names and blamed the plaque's unapproved installation on a miscommunication between CDVA and DGS.

We then have the spokesman for the Gay Veterans Memorial Association statement in the Bee. "Tom Swann said he shed a few tears when he saw CDVA Secretary Maurice Johannessen himself signed (sic) the letter." Johannessen's staff firmly denies this.

There are no stewards to protect what CDVA's website describes as "A Place of Dignity, Inspiration and Quiet Contemplations".

I couldn't agree more with your statement: "I do not agree with the manner in which the Gay & Lesbian memorial stone was placed at the California Veterans Memorial." That is the primary case PDN will make in press releases. It follows that the improperly placed plaque be removed pending the establishment of guidelines consistent with the wishes of the living veterans whose service is honored in ANY war memorial.

On our PDN Pages, I have tried to maintain a clear distinction between the procedural issues and lack of accountability I've seen first hand, and not focus on those who might be less tolerant of social issues on either side. Mr. Bill Manes didn't seek our council, Stanford Ross did. To date, the large volume of email PDN has received has all been one sided... the plaque is viewed as inappropriate to a memorial for ALL our veterans and seeking recognition for any one group's personal choices has no place on such hallowed ground. I share that view. Many others are far more direct in their opinions but my charter as "Flunky in Chief" is to represent the majority of our group with as much dignity and respect as I can without my personal views getting in the way.

[PhilDragoo]

Email away.

[ikka]

It is only a foot long, right? Probably made out of granite or some other stone? Walk around with a canvas tote bag. In the bag, a hammer. When no one is around, WHAM! Put the pieces in the tote bag and walk away.

[comwatch]

Please welcome our friends at America Voices! They have linked this post on their website to help us obtain as much feedback as possible.  Frankly, this issue seems to send cold chills of denial through the very people who are supposed to be the custodians of our sacred memorials.  That they must lie or run for cover is disgusting to me. They admit there is no veteran oversight, no formal review committee and claim that a private contractor came on state property to install this plaque without any written authorization from ANYONE! They call it miscommunication yet won't comment on undoing the wrong. According to the CDVA PR guy, Andrew Kotch, two state agencies, CDVA and DGS stood by to supervise, each assuming the other had approved it.

For those haven't yet done so, but would like to communicated directly with the State Senator who is trying to help us, Click Here

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the update comwatch.

Veterans issue bump

[farmfriend]

Sac Area Ping.

[thtr]

"In Honor of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Veterans Killed in Action."

It is an impossibility that a transgendered person has ever served in the US military.

[Clintonfatigued]

All soldiers who made the ultimate sacrafice for The United States deserve to be honored and remembered with gratitude and respect, regardless of their private lives. That includes soldiers who happen to be gay or lesbian. But they should NOT be cited for their sexual orientation or singled out seperately from other the veterans. By dragging political correctness into veteran memorials, these people trivialize the sacrafice and bravery of all veterans. Normally, ultraliberals make me laugh with their absurdities, but this time they've gone too far.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Now that I see the link is also going to a Senator here is what we wrote. We wrote it together. Thanks. Vets
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Senator Oller;

We are both Vietnam Veterans living in California. We are APPALLED that the "sexual preferences" of fallen Veterans would have any place at a memorial honoring our fallen hero's.

One of us flew Medivac and carried out the bodies of many a fallen hero. One of us worked on returning troops and POW's. To think that a group has somehow politicized a memorial to our nations hero's is a disgrace. The plaque that has been installed at the Capital Park that says the words "In Honor of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Veterans Killed in Action" should be removed immediately.

If this was sanctioned by the State, we would like to know by what committee? When? What Veterans group ok'd this? What Capital Park committee..and did they ask Veterans groups what they thought? Or the parents of all the people who lay in graves what they thought? One would think simple statistics might come into consideration when making decisions of this magnitude. Like how many gay people in California died compared to straight people. If you are going to make decisions like this.. you might as well ask questions like this.. then take a vote. I'd say it would have been voted down!!!! The last time I checked.. that is how this country is run. NOT by groups who want to FEEL GOOD about themselves.

If you think we are outraged, you would be correct.

(Names redacted for FR)

[SAMWolf]

Good letter Vets_Husband_and_Wife. Now lets see if all this makes a difference.

[spirit_free]

Thanks so much for the alert on this. I have already made my voice heard on this matter. My father is still living and is a veteran of WWII. The issue of sex in any regard has no place here. Do these people not rest ... they are such perverted individuals ... it is sickening.

[farmfriend]

Standing ovation and thank you for your service.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Thanks. Lets hope someone comes to their collective senses on this one.

Have a safe and happy weekend.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

I hate to say I doubt it will,.. but considering the current climate and how crazy things are getting.

We used to be optimists. That statement alone says a lot, huh?

Off to watch a movie. FRegards FRiend.

[No Dems 2004]

As though some homosexual veterans did anything great for their country. Hah! They were disregarding the laws of their country by serving in an army that has them banned in the first place.

This is like saying that we should go and put a placard up for all the brave alduterers (adultery is also illegal in US Military code) who so gallantly served their country. Come on.

When is California going to wake up to the liberal scum they've elected over their heads?

[Criminal Number 18F]

Tom Swann said he shed a few tears when he saw CDVA Secretary Maurice Johannessen himself signed the letter.

Wait a cotton-pickin' minute here. Didn't they say that this clown was blind from AIDS? Did this MO-reece sign in Braille or something?

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Criminal Number 18F]

They said he was "legally blind." That's probably some scam where people who can actually see are ripping off the taxpayers for something.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F