Uppity Wisconsin

Milwaukee's Veterans Day parade steps off Saturday morning, "Honoring All Americans Who Have Served," its website says.

But once again those who have served but are opposed to war will be excluded.

Veterans for Peace and Vietnam Veterans Against the War, both with active Milwaukee chapters, are not welcome to march.

It appears that this is a parade which honors veterans and glorifies war.

Veterans for Peace lists events its members will be participating in across the country, and -- no surprise -- it includes contingents in many Veterans Day parades.

But in Milwaukee the group will be banned, with this rule being applied:

STATEMENT OF INTENT - All groups please take note

The Veterans day parade of milw reserves the right to review all applications for participation in the parade and will determine each group's eligibility for participation on a case-by-case basis.

The purpose of the 2007 Veterans Day Parade is to recognize military service, not to endorse or support any political agenda. Any individual or group who attempts to use the Parade as a forum for political agendas will be denied participation and will forfeit any expenses incurred.

While the speakers praise veterans and how they have given their lives to protect our freedoms, it's hard not to ask:

"One, two, three, what were we fighting for?"

If you'd like to express your feelings about the parade's narrow-mindedness, I'm told this is the person to contact: 

Mary Ann D'Acquisto, president
PO Box 684, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0684
Phone: (414) 453-8753

Email: infoveteransdayparade-milw [dot] org

UPDATE: Veterans Day intended as a day to promote peace.

UPDATE 2:  It's not just Milwaukee.  Long Beach bans Iraq veterans:

The L.A. chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War was recently denied permission to march in the Long Beach Veterans Day Parade on the grounds that they do not "represent the spirit of the parade."

On November 7, members of IVAW, Veterans For Peace and Military Families Speak Out (whose local contingents were also denied permission to march) spoke before a meeting of the Long Beach City Council and asked the Council to overturn the Parade Committee's decision to ban them from the march.

The Council denied their request.

IVAW-LA and their MFSO and VFP counterparts are conducting a phone campaign to convince the Parade Commissioners and the Long Beach City Council to recognize IVAW's status as a veteran's organization due the same respect as all others.