Saturday, August 17, 2013

A Tragic Reminder

Tip of the North Tower, after the fall


Memo: Amherst Select Board
Re: Annual Request to remember/honor 3,000 murdered Americans

Since the Select Board will not have a "Public Comment/Question" period on Monday, August 19 and since the SB only meets one more time prior to that stunningly sad anniversary, please consider this a formal request to place on the August 26 agenda for public discussion the unresolved issue of allowing the 29 commemorative flags to fly in the downtown on 9/11/13, the 12th anniversary of the most heinous attack on American soil in our entire history.

Furthermore I would request 9/11 be added to current list of six days the commemorative flags fly annually.

I would also point out that one of those approved occasions is Memorial Day, not exactly "celebratory" -- but a national day of mourning and remembrance for those who perished protecting our most cherished freedoms.  

One of which is to "petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Thank you,

Larry Kelley
#####

From: Stephanie O'Keeffe
To: Larry Kelley
Cc: Select Board ; John Musante ; David Ziomek
Sent: Sat, Aug 17, 2013 2:07 pm
Subject: Re: 9/11
Larry --
If any Select Board member supports the request that this be put on the 8/26 agenda, I will schedule it and let you know.

Take care.

Stephanie

#####
From: Larry Kelley
To: stephanie
Cc: selectboard ; MusanteJ ; ZiomekD
Sent: Mon, Aug 19, 2013 7:41 am
Subject: Re: 9/11


Stephanie,

Since I am now getting numerous inquiries could you please announce at tonight's SB meeting
one way or the other whether flying the flags on 9/11 will be placed on the 8/26 agenda? I know tonight's meeting is only a single issue affair concerning the Town Manager's evaluation but I did note the item "Calendar Preview:Upcoming Meeting Plans" on the agenda.And 9/11 is upcoming.
Thanks, Larry

#####
 Somewhat stunning reaction on Facebook, ghost of Jennie Traschen



25 comments:

Anonymous said...

What about the 120,000+ US-caused civilian deaths in Iraq since the occupation began? Should we perhaps fly an Iraqi flag too? Or the nearly 20,000 civilian deaths in Afghanistan? Terrorism is tragic and I mourn the loss of those Americans, but the US engages in terrorism almost every day. Those deaths should not be commemorated with the flag of this country.

Larry Kelley said...

As I just replied over on Facebook:

In a roughly two hour period on a day as gorgeous as today, thousands of your fellow citizens went to work and simply never came home.

That's all I'm talking about.

You sound like the UMass professor who came to 9/10/01 Select Board meeting and branded the flag a "symbol of terrorism, and death and fear and destruction ..."

They'll make everyone a scapegoat said...

"...but the US engages in terrorism almost every day. Those deaths should not be commemorated with the flag of this country."

Ha!

But you'll grow old and take your last, sniveling, self righteous breath surrounded by the family you created here...


Wont you?



(now smarten up)



Walter Graff said...

Humans love to fight. Part of who we are. Flags? I say if you want to commemorate a day fly a flag. Municipalities doing it means little.

Dr. Ed said...

I was there on the evening of September 10th, and even by Amherst standards, even by UMass standards, it was disgusting.

There was an Amherst connection to the terrorists that hasn't come out yet, either...

Anonymous said...

Wow... it's mind boggling that someone can so shallowly pseudo-intellectualize America as an agent of terrorism. However, she is still a child, and presumably will grow up. Richard Marsh.

Larry Kelley said...

Let's hope.

TCC said...

I agree with Ed, as I was there, also.

Anonymous said...

I would be overjoyed to see this go through, but I wish you would get someone else to go before the selectboard. I think it would have a greater chance of success.

Larry Kelley said...

Beginning to look like the Select Board is not even going to allow it on the 8/26 meeting agenda.

Anonymous said...

Larry, why are wasting everyone's time with this? The question has been asked and answered long ago.

Larry Kelley said...

Because it's the wrong answer.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Larry for your consistent efforts to bring attention to what was lost on 9/11.

Perhaps while continuing the effort to have the flag raised, we can comtinue the discussion on what was lost them and what we can keep learning from it.

Anonymous said...

Hmm, an advocate for democracy that when he doesn't get the answer he wants...interesting.

Sometimes the vote goes against you. That's still democracy.

Larry Kelley said...

Actually CAN 10:47 AM, the best form of Democracy is one person one vote.

On 9/10/12 I challenged the Select Board to put the question of flying the flag on 9/11 to the people.

With a simply majority vote the SB can place an advisory question on the annual town election ballot for a direct response by THE PEOPLE.

They refused.

What were they afraid of?

Anonymous said...

That's a silly question They were not afraid of anything. They have the right to vote and they voted no. They vote no on a lot of things. It doesn't mean they are afraid of them. It just means they have a different point of view about what should go before town meeting. If you don't want them to have a votes, why don't you just prepare a petition article?

Anonymous said...

Sounds like one 9/11 loss is that of a persistent feeling of disenfranchisement and that of feeling that one's views are respected by others

Larry Kelley said...

CAN 11:10 AM
Try paying attention. Nothing is more Democratic than a direct referendum vote of THE PEOPLE.

Almost half the Overrides approved by Amherst Town Meeting have been disapproved by the voters.

The Select Board can place an advisory question on the annual ballot as easily as brushing their hair.

I specifically went to the 9/10/12 SB meeting to make that request after they turned down the flying of the flags at the 8/27/12 meeting.

And I promised to live by the result of that vote. Not a vote of the Select Board or Town Meeting, but a vote OF THE PEOPLE.

That election could have used a little excitement considering, you know, a 6.63% turnout.

As you may remember I helped Stan Durnakowski collect signatures to place on the ballot a question to change our form of government (which failed by less than 1% of the vote), and that took TWO YEARS.

CANs say I waste my time as it is, so I'm not going to give them more ammunition by spending another two years collecting signatures on this issue.

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute, I thought this was the issue that you feel so unbelievably passionate about? Now you can't be bothered? Now you are the one making excuses.

Larry Kelley said...

Okay fine, I will take out signature papers to get the issue on the ballot; but in the two-year meantime the flags will not fly this coming 9/11 and next 9/11.

So until then, I will continue to bring it before the Select Board who are keepers of the public ways ... at their 8/27 meeting.

(Whether I'm on the agenda or not.)

And I have yet, in 30 years of experience, witnessed the SB refusing to put an issue on their agenda.

Anonymous said...

Let me ask you why you always bring this up at the last minute? Why didn't you go to the selectboard a month or two ago? Why didn't you get a hundred people to go with you? I think it's because you don't really want to succeed.

You always state that you don't want 9/11 to be forgotten, but there is no evidence that it is being forgotten, even in Amherst. Ceremonies are held every 9/11.

Larry Kelley said...

It's a right of passage. Every Select Board member knows I'm coming in the latter part of August to make my annual request.

I have been doing it for over TEN YEARS nitwit. How the Hell is that last minute?

And I went to them last March to ask they put it on the April 9 annual election ballot.

You know, the one that attracted a whopping 6.63% turnout.

Anonymous said...

It does appear that one bg loss is that of

perspective

Can it be regained?

Anonymous said...

Our dear NSA has inflicted far more damage than the terrorists did on 9/11, in order to 'protect' us. This is the flag we should fly on 9/11: http://desperadowebdesign.com/dont-spy-on-me/

Desk said...

http://dj-esk.tumblr.com/post/59742455318/on-larry-kelleys-9-11-flag-initiative-and-some-of-its

My take on this and a compromise suggestion. Larry, I'm very interested to know what you think of this if you have the time.