The message that the anti-war protesters sent in getting the Vets for Freedom event canceled at Forest Lake High School was that an event with military vets isn't to be tolerated. They aren't the only people that deserve criticism. I'd say that FLHS principal Steve Massey also deserves criticism heaped on him for caving to political pressure from a fringe liberal blog.
Despite the planned event getting canceled, Vets for Freedom did hold an event, stopping at the American Legion Post 225 in Forest Lake. Here's a brief recap from the Forest Lake Times:
After threats of an anti-war protest on Monday forced Forest Lake High School to cancel a visit by the Vets for Freedom national heroes tour, the group successfully made the visit to Forest Lake. On Tuesday, the Vets for Freedom bus rolled into the parking lot at American Legion Post 225 which was selected as alternate site for the tour.Pete Hegseth is the executive director of the organization and a 1999 Forest Lake High School graduate who served with the Army in Iraq. Hegseth said on Tuesday he was disappointed with the school decision to cancel the event as it was an opportunity for students to hear stories from military personnel who have served their country. Hegseth said the high school program would not have taken a position on the Iraq War but would have conveyed a message to students about the importance of patriotism and military service to country.
I've talked briefly with Mr. Hegseth before Gen. Petraeus' testimony last fall. He honorably served his nation in Iraq, fighting to give Iraqis the same basic freedoms we take for granted here. Instead of allowing VFF to give a legitimate presentation about military life, Principal Massey instead chose censorship over enlightenment. He chose to be a weenie instead of standing up for free speech. It obviously didn't dawn on Principal Massey that the VFF rally and ensuing protest by anti-war protesters would've provided a great lesson on the First Amendment to his students.
Had these anti-war protesters just staged a protest, I would've been fine with that. I would've ridiculed them for their beliefs but I would've defended their constitutional rights to the Nth degree. instead of staging a protest, though, these unidentified anti-war groups pressured Principal Massey into cancelling the event. That's censorship, which, unfortunately, isn't uncommon within the anti-war movement.
Their forcing the event's cancellation is proof of their fascist tendencies. Before anyone gets upset by the use of that term, here's the definition I'm referring to:
A reactionary or dictatorial person.Confident people don't resort to that type of fascism or censorship. These anti-war punks are cowering cowards who don't even have the guts to identify themselves. This bunch of punks deserve all the ridicule we can heap on them. What they did today wasn't principled. It was fascistic. That's the mark of a coward.
We can't have that happening.
