Friday, September 9, 2016

And Then There Were 30

With liberty and justice for all

Amherst will remember the saddest day of our -- or any other -- generation this Sunday with the 15th annual 9/11 ceremony at North Fire Station.

The commemorative flags and the BIG flag in town center came down on Tuesday after being up for Labor Day but returned this morning for the sad Sunday anniversary.

And for the first time in history, the commemorative flags number the original 30 that were purchased back in the summer of 2001.

29 of them went up in town center in the middle of August that year on an absolutely gorgeous summer morning but immediately created controversy because they made our little college town look to patriotically festive.

On the night of September 10th -- the Eve of Destruction -- after hearing a UMass professor brand our flag "A symbol of terrorism and death and fear and destruction and repression," the Select Board decided to allow them up for only six holidays annually.

The next morning the world changed, but Amherst did not.

But last year, under the leadership of Chair Alisa Brewer, the Select Board finally came to their senses and unanimously added 9/11 to the annual days the commemorative flags can fly, for as long as the Republic stands.






Old Chapel, UMass Amherst




20 comments:

Anonymous said...

".. after hearing a UMass professor brand our flag "A symbol of terrorism and death and fear and destruction and repression," the Select Board decided to allow them up for only six holidays annually."

Well, this stupid town's first mistake was listening and reacting to what some UMass Professor said. Some of the most educated people in the world are complete morons and I'm sure this person fits that bill.

This town's second mistake is constantly being ready to offer apologies and change policies and bend over backwards to be politically correct any time someone breathes the word "injustice". I'm especially talking about how the town seems to take seriously every professional loudmouth who can't wait to shout "racism" and demand apologies while basking in the spotlight. For crying out loud, fellow citizens, look at WHO we are catering to. Do any of them seem to be legitimate spokespeople for any group? No, they don't. They love the TV cameras and furthering their own agendas and careers on our backs. As for me, I'm a working man who pays his taxes and tries to be a good person. I resent my town using my taxes to pay blackmail and extortion by all of these very special interest groups.

I'm told this used to be a nice town with good common sense values. I think it's still a nice town but it's values are all screwed up because everyone is going through contortions and gyrations to impress these social justice vigilantes. I hope it stops soon. If it doesn't, I will sell my home and move to a town that is not afraid to face down a bully, no matter what color or gender or religion they may happen to be. A bully is a bully... and it's time the good people of Amherst started saying "NO" to all of the horse shit that is going on in our town.

Anonymous said...

Hear! Hear!

Anonymous said...

12:48 I LOVE YOUR THINKING and thanks for stating your thoughts so clearly. I am with you 100%. Enough is enough and the PC B.S. has run its course. Injustice only goes one way here....the way the "social justice vigilantes" and their allies see it. Those who pay the bills just keep "forking it over." They don't seem to recognize what bullies they are.

Anonymous said...

Did the same person leave three comments in a row? Maybe one for each voice in his head. At least they are united.

Anonymous said...

United we stand....

Anonymous said...

Yes "United We Stand," but the Republicans have literally tried to shut down the USA for the past 8 years and have done so a couple of times. Thanks Ted Cruz and friends. Republicans don't want any part of united we stand or any part of USA as strong. They did everything they could to weaken us during the Democratic President's terms. In fact, Republicans should be tried for treason since they worked so hard collectively to harm the USA.

Republicans wanted to divide, divide, divide the country. Guess they only care about Republican concerns and not the USA!

Anonymous said...

This isn't about Republicans and Democrats... it's about people, Amherst's citizens. And how we are being constantly divided and put on the defense by a very small group of professional agitators whose only goal is to wreak havoc on peaceful lives and who are very successful at squeezing out undeserved apologies and extorting money from our budget that could be going to help all the kids in town or to help the police and fire department protect us and themselves in better ways or do things for older members of the community... instead of pissing that money down the rat hole of never ending social justice. This is a way bigger problem than democrats and republicans in our country... it's a small town problem that affects all of our lives.

Anonymous said...

The basic differences between Democrats and Republicans are---If you want the government to decide how your money is spent and what's "best" for you, vote Democrat. If you prefer to decide how you own money is spent and you want to be allowed more independence from governmental regulations, vote Republican.

Anonymous said...

You know what? I'm wasting my time here. The town deserves what it gets. Goodbye.

Anonymous said...

Yeah but the Republicans want to control all the social Issues! They ain't for freedom just for not paying their share. EVERY ISSUE TO DO WITH YOUR BODY THEY WANT CONTROL! Republican deregulation is only about the money!

Anonymous said...

Anon 2:06 your goodbye would mean more if we knew you truly left!+

Anonymous said...

Hear hear! We need to take back our town. Let's start a group called the Take Back Our Town Coalition!

Anonymous said...

Ok anon 8:01 can we meet at your House? Just leave your address.

Anonymous said...

They are right to want Obama's policies to fail. (You call their contempt for his policies "shutting down" the country. Layghable.). He's hurt the country. The R's are correct and in fact feel obligated to shut Him down. For the Sake of the country. The man and his SOS are Marxists. But you see him as " the country." Telling.

Anonymous said...

Are you moving away? Grab a flight with Barbra Streisand.

Rebecca Casa said...

Tnank you Larry for pushing for the flags that were missing to be replaced .

Anonymous said...

Marxist? You still angry about Obamacare? You must have been all set with your insurance. I hope you won't be using Medicare? And no...what you paid in won't cover what you use unless you die young.

Anonymous said...

D's would grow the gov't. R's would shrink it. D's would take your $. R's would let you keep it. R's celebrate success. D's take your $ and give it to those not trying to be successful.

Anonymous said...

Lol. You still duped by the -ahem- affordable care act?

Anonymous said...

You might be deplorable if:
You think that a fetus is a human being.