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A Federal Judge Says: Veterans For Peace Can March in the Auburn Veteran's Day Parade

BY Rachel Belle  on November 12, 2012 @ 5:21 pm (Updated: 7:40 pm - 11/12/12 )

This past Saturday was the big Auburn Veteran's Day Parade, and the anti-war group Veteran of Peace had 40 of their members marching in it.

The group has marched in the parade for the past six years, but this year held a special significance because they were nearly being banned from participating.

"The City of Auburn decided this year they weren't going to let Veterans For Peace 92 in the parade," says Veterans For Peace member, and Vietnam veteran, Mike Dedrick. "So they excluded us and we tried to talk it out with them, and argue for inclusion, and they said, 'No.' So we took our case to the ACLU."

The ACLU filed suit against the City of Auburn and on Friday, a day before the parade, they went to federal court and a judge made her decision.

"Judge Pechman ruled in favor of the ACLU and the Veterans For Peace that the Veterans For Peace organization shall be allowed into the City of Auburn parade," says Auburn's City Attorney Dan Heid. He explains why the city wanted Veterans For Peace out.

"When you say things like 'End the War Now' and 'The loss of life and the cost of the war is not worth it' that demeans the service of those people who are put in that position of having to serve in those conflicts."

Dan says the parade was created simply to thank veterans, not to push any political messages. But Mike says the judge's decision was simple because it's an issue of free speech. He says Veterans For Peace aren't doing anything radical.

"We're marching like everybody else," Mike says. "We carry a peace flag, which is an American flag but in place of the stars is a peace symbol. At the head of our formation is an American flag. We don't solicit the crowd, we don't hand out anything. We just have our presence there to make our point."

According to the "Seattle Times," parade goers were accepting of Veterans For Peace, with the exception of one person who booed and a small group of uniformed men who turned their backs as they marched by. Mike says they've always had the support of the community.

"Almost everybody will clap or wave, come up to us afterward and say, 'Thank you for being here.' That was particularly so this year. Everybody knew about the issue. Even if they didn't particularly agree with our point of view, they agreed with the point of view that we should be included and our voice should be heard."

Mike says Veterans For Peace spend the rest of the year going into schools and talking to students about the reality of war, to counteract the messages from military recruiters.

The group was granted a temporary restraining order, so they could march in Saturday's parade, but the issue isn't 100 percent resolved. But Mike feels confident that the city will recognize their 1st amendment rights and allow them to march in years to come.

"I think that Veterans Day has been so politicized and so hyped that it has lost what it's original intention was; it was Armistice Day, which was a day partially dedicated, not only to veterans, but also to discussions and furthering the cause of world peace. I don't see how you can talk about veterans without talking about peace."

Rachel Belle, Ron and Don Show Reporter
Rachel Belle is a feature contributor and personality on The Ron & Don Show on KIRO Radio (weekdays 3-7pm), and host of Ring My Belle Weekends (Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 3pm).
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Comments (12)


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  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    The city is right
    November 12, 2012 7:35 pm
    Regardless of their "service" they are dishonorable in this action and they know it. It's a day and event to recognize the service and sacrifice of our veterans by the nation, not a political rally. There was a time when people understood and respected this kind of thing and were in return given respect back.
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  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    Eediotic
    November 13, 2012 7:33 am
    You think the way to honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans is to deny a group of veterans the right to march in a parade intended for veterans? Fantastic. They have been participaing in the parade since 2006. And as the judge pointed out in her ruling, freedom of speech is one of the very freedoms that our veterans have fought to defend around the world. This is a group comprised of veterans who have fought in WWII to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Admit it, you don't give a craaap about veterans who don't agree with your point of view. How sad.
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  • Phil B wrote...
    Wait...
    November 12, 2012 7:48 pm
    So a group of people with first hand experience of the horrors of war are doing their part to promote peace and understanding of their fellow man? Hangin's too good for'em.
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  • dexterjibs wrote...
    Absolutely ridiculous.
    November 12, 2012 8:25 pm
    Liberal fay-ags in this country and their accomplises in the courtroom are well on their way to destroying this country. They want to march in a parade, get a permit and have their own parade.
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  • NoiseMan wrote...
    These Are Veterans...
    November 13, 2012 3:07 am
    ...that proudly served their country, were honorably discharged, and believe in means other than battle. I don't get what's so dishonorable about that. Call me what you want, I'm just pointing out what's obvious to me.
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  • Forrest wrote...
    A parade for those who fought for our freedom....
    November 13, 2012 5:45 am
    Yet some want to deny that freedom to a group of veterans. How ironic.
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    The picture here,
    November 13, 2012 6:49 am
    I would question any group, honorable or not, who would choose to deface the American flag.
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  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    This is such a no brainer only those on the extreme right would be against it.
    November 13, 2012 7:25 am
    The only political motive was the city denying their application. There was no good reason. The problem is that some on the right think that Veterans only fight for the rights of those who agree with them. It's pathetic. Oppresing others is hate not freedom.
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  • justanotheridiot wrote...
    This lady continues...
    November 13, 2012 7:46 am
    to get work some how. Lets not mention how the picture shows these vets (debabtable) desicrading the flag with a peace sign. A soldier knows not to f with the flag. This is a liberal anti military agenda set up to ruin a patriotic day. As a vet myself (Strike brigade C. Company 1st Batt 502nd Inf.) I would never destroy what the flag stands for on such an important day.This lady is just another idiot. Ron and Don suck
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  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    Use your rage for something useful a holes.
    November 13, 2012 8:16 am
    Eighteen veterans kill themselves every day in this country. The day a soldier is discharged, he or she has a 50-50 chance of spending two of the next five years homeless. One third of post-9/11 veterans are diagnosed with some form of post-traumatic stress disorder. Veterans for Peace calls attention to these issues everyday of their existence. Apparently the parade stands for suppressing the very rights they supposedly fought for over there. Or perhaps the parade stands for the chickenhawks on tv and radio who want to send our loved ones to war for the profit of the defense contractors. There is nothing worse than armchair patriots and these blogs are full of them.
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  • Forrest wrote...
    Well said, gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood
    November 13, 2012 8:57 am
    I don't see how any of the right wing nut jobs on this site can repudiate anything you said.
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