Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Public Sector a Willing Participant in the Destruction of American Traditions

11/11/2014

WI School Cancels Vet’s Day Ceremony. Worried About 21 Gun Salute.

Eau Claire

School officials in one Wisconsin town have taken irrational fears of firearms to a new low. According to WEAU, the Eau Claire School District has cancelled their annual Veteran’s Day Program because they’re worried about “uneasiness” over the traditional 21 gun salute.

Keep in mind a Veteran’s Day 21 gun salute uses blanks. And those blanks are fired from show piece guns that are mechanically altered so that they can not fire real bullets. And keep in mind, that 21 gun salute, and those blanks, and those show piece guns are used by military veterans – men and women who would lay down their lives in service to others.

“There are just some conditions that we have to adhere to and the shooting of guns, even with blanks, is something we don’t feel is appropriate given society, and the concerns that we have and that the community has, on school premises.” Said Tim Libham, the Executive Director of Administration for the Eau Claire School District.

Veterans in the Eau Claire area have been performing this ceremony in the schools for more than 80 years. Kaye Olsen, the Vice President of the Eau Claire Patriotic Council says her group has now been forced to move their Veteran’s Day Program to a local Burger King.

“I was hoping maybe we could find a compromise, but when it comes to the weapons, there was no compromise.” Says Olsen.

So just to recap, since the early 1930’s vets groups in the Eau Claire area have held a Veteran’s Day ceremony at a local school. Part of the ceremony includes a 21 gun salute. This year school district officials told the veterans there would be no compromise, if they planned to do a 21 gun salute they would not be allowed on school property. Instead of providing students with a valuable learning opportunity about our nation’s history, the Eau Claire veterans are now forced to hold their Veteran’s Day Ceremony in a fast food restaurant parking lot.

Perhaps it is ignorance on the Eau Claire School District’s part about how a 21 gun salute works. Or perhaps they think bowing down to the irrational worries of a small number of “uneasy” people is better than insulting our nation’s veterans. But whatever the reason, this kind of decision-making should be cause for concern among the residents of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.


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