UPDATE: July 3'rd 2:30 PMThe Republican Reports(and of course the League of Women Voters did not make a contribution to the Parade to offsets significant costs to produce.)
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So after
eight years of constant sniping, brief skirmishes and a few outright battles over the First Amendment “rights” of anti-war protesters to advertise, oops I mean march, in the Amherst July 4’th Parade—privately organized, privately funded and supported by a 9-0 Supreme Court decision (and most recently the local ACLU) to exclude offtopic messages-- it has come to this.
Last year under extreme town government pressure the Parade Committee relaxed the rules to allow
any group to march with a sign designating their name; if that name had an anti-war component, so be it. And what happened?
The local chapter of the 'Iraq Veterans against the War' allowed aging hippies who never served their country to march behind their officially approved banner with signs contrary to the spirit of the Parade.
This year the Town Mangler banned town equipment
unless the Parade was open to
all who wished to march--no matter the spirit of their signage. Even though the Parade Committee wished to honor outgoing Police Chief Charlie Scherpa and Fire Chief Keith Hoyle by making them Co-Grand Marshal’s.
Once again the Parade Committee relaxed the restriction (so the Chiefs' can--and will-- march) allowing additional signage other than just the official name of the group
but they had to “meet with the Parade Committee to ensure that the sign plans are consistent with the spirit of the Parade”.
That deadline was even extended after the Friday 6/5 meeting with SB Chair Princess Stephanie and our good friend SB member Alisa Brewer to well beyond 6/19. And the result?
Only the 'League of Women Voters' (you know that “non-partisan group”) petitioned and was approved to march and their signage concerns voting, universal health care, pro-abortion but
nothing concerning war.
The conflict in Iraq is
over, and
we won. President Bush is
gone, replaced by the second-coming-of-Christ, President Obama who is now tougher than Bush on the war in Afghanistan (where the Son of a Bitch who vaporized the Towers is probably hiding in a hole.)
Just yesterday--under President Obama's orders--the US launched a new major offensive against the Taliban. But not a peep from Amherst liberals.
Hmmm…
Amherst PD motorcycle cops lead the parade.
Immediately followed by VFW color guard
And then Parade Co-Grand Marshal's Police Chief Charlie Scherpa and Fire Chief Keith Hoyle (both BIG men in more ways than one)
Tractors representing Amherst's agrarian youth
Smokey the bear (he too is anti-smoking)
A very, very BIG tractor.
Hadley's colorful Quint (Amherst has one coming soon)
Yeah, the Amherst League of Women Voters carried "approved" signs although I'm told they were pretty aggressive about handing out literature along the parade route and turned off a lot of women and children (my family for sure.)
