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Flag should stay up, to honor lost lives
Oh my, what a big flap (pun sort of intended) over the flag being lowered at the Vietnam War Memorial in Montrose (“Battle lines are drawn,” March 15). I hadn’t paid much attention to this flag controversy but I’ve finally gotten sick of the tirades against the Iraq War protesters who object to having the flag lowered because of their protests.
There is no doubt that the volunteer flag attendant is well within his rights to lower the flag, although petty.
I may have missed it, but whose flag and flagpole is it? Whose basic responsibility is it to see that the flag is raised and kept raised to honor those lost in the dreadful Vietnam War, regardless of what takes place beneath it?
The flag is our symbol of the great constitutional umbrella that shelters all those in the United States with many different beliefs and opinions and who have the right to express them.
The flag should not be employed to foment dissension and demonstrate personal bias. Who then really does dishonor the cherished men and women who gave their lives in the fruitless Vietnam War?
Not the protesters, but the man, and those who support him, who refuses to raise the flag over the memorial to our honored sons and daughters.
Whoever owns the flag and flagpole should see that the flag is raised and kept raised to honor the Vietnam War dead, regardless of the opinions expressed by those beneath it.
ROBERT MORRISON
Glendale
Issue is jurisdiction, not Constitution
Regarding Michele Eason’s and Roberta Medford’s recent letters in the Mailbag section of this paper (“Elements of story were disturbing,” Monday, and “American flag isn’t for only one side,” Thursday) asserting that the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights guarantee that a flag on a flagpole at the Vietnam War Memorial will fly overhead their anti-war protest is, in a word, wrong.
Although Eason, Medford and others insist that their constitutional right to dissent, to assemble and to speak freely have been infringed because the volunteer who is caretaker for the memorial has taken the flag down during their anti-war protest, clearly the protest and its protesters are indeed dissenting, assembling and speaking freely at this memorial site at 5:30 p.m. every Friday.
Eason takes Medford’s challenge into the realm of vitriol, however, referring to me and my “ilk.”
I’m not sure to what group Eason has consigned me, but for those who care about the issue regarding whether or not the flag at this memorial will fly during the ongoing anti-war protest, and who possess the capacity to understand concepts subtler than a freight whistle, the reason a written policy regarding the memorial site is necessary is because it is not clear who currently has the authority to address the very concerns expressed by Eason and Medford.
Neither the flagpole nor the flag were provided by the city. The memorial itself was not paid for, designed or maintained by the city.
The responsibility for the raising and lowering of the flag, therefore, is not clear. The responsibility for the flagpole and the flag at the memorial may indeed rest with the Montrose Shopping Park Assn., which provides the funding to maintain the memorial and which administrates the Business Improvement District in which the memorial is located. It is also possible that the responsibility for policy here may lie with the city of Glendale. The memorial sits on a public right of way.
In order to answer these concerns expressed to me by Will Gunell, who first brought the subject to my attention on Feb. 17, I asked our city attorney to make a determination as to what entity has the authority to act here.
Gunell stated in a recent letter to the Glendale News-Press (“Flag should fly over peace vigil,” Letter to the Editor, March 15) that he is waiting for an answer. So am I. Unfortunately, Eason and Medford are shrieking at the wrong person. As an elected official asked by a constituent, Gunell, to look into the matter, I have done so. I have also asked the ever-so-peaceful and patient anti-war protesters and counter-protesters to “cool their jets” until the city attorney has done his research.
I urge those of good character and decency on both sides of this issue to dampen down the extreme rhetoric just a bit. This is a jurisdictional issue, not a constitutional one. There will be plenty of time for those who prefer clenched fist waving, teeth gnashing and venom spewing rather than finding a reasoned solution once the entity responsible for policy determinations over this particular flag is identified. In the meanwhile, rest assured that our nation’s Constitution remains intact even while our city attorney and your humble, local city councilman (and my “ilk”) attempt to get you the answer you requested.
JOHN DRAYMAN
Montrose
EDITOR’S NOTE: Drayman is a Glendale city councilman.
Better attire leads to better looks
This letter is for all the fine young men who attend the high schools of the Glendale Unified School District. Do you want to look great? Would you like to have compliments from family and classmates? If the answer is yes, then do something about it. One way is to dress up once in a while, maybe once a week, by putting on a dress shirt, slacks and a tie.
I realize the athletes already do this the day they have a game. I challenge those of you are not a part of that group to join in.
You will not regret it.
GEORGE ELLISON
Glendale
Oh my, what a big flap (pun sort of intended) over the flag being lowered at the Vietnam War Memorial in Montrose (“Battle lines are drawn,” March 15). I hadn’t paid much attention to this flag controversy but I’ve finally gotten sick of the tirades against the Iraq War protesters who object to having the flag lowered because of their protests.
There is no doubt that the volunteer flag attendant is well within his rights to lower the flag, although petty.
I may have missed it, but whose flag and flagpole is it? Whose basic responsibility is it to see that the flag is raised and kept raised to honor those lost in the dreadful Vietnam War, regardless of what takes place beneath it?
The flag is our symbol of the great constitutional umbrella that shelters all those in the United States with many different beliefs and opinions and who have the right to express them.
The flag should not be employed to foment dissension and demonstrate personal bias. Who then really does dishonor the cherished men and women who gave their lives in the fruitless Vietnam War?
Not the protesters, but the man, and those who support him, who refuses to raise the flag over the memorial to our honored sons and daughters.
Whoever owns the flag and flagpole should see that the flag is raised and kept raised to honor the Vietnam War dead, regardless of the opinions expressed by those beneath it.
ROBERT MORRISON
Glendale
Issue is jurisdiction, not Constitution
Regarding Michele Eason’s and Roberta Medford’s recent letters in the Mailbag section of this paper (“Elements of story were disturbing,” Monday, and “American flag isn’t for only one side,” Thursday) asserting that the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights guarantee that a flag on a flagpole at the Vietnam War Memorial will fly overhead their anti-war protest is, in a word, wrong.
Although Eason, Medford and others insist that their constitutional right to dissent, to assemble and to speak freely have been infringed because the volunteer who is caretaker for the memorial has taken the flag down during their anti-war protest, clearly the protest and its protesters are indeed dissenting, assembling and speaking freely at this memorial site at 5:30 p.m. every Friday.
Eason takes Medford’s challenge into the realm of vitriol, however, referring to me and my “ilk.”
I’m not sure to what group Eason has consigned me, but for those who care about the issue regarding whether or not the flag at this memorial will fly during the ongoing anti-war protest, and who possess the capacity to understand concepts subtler than a freight whistle, the reason a written policy regarding the memorial site is necessary is because it is not clear who currently has the authority to address the very concerns expressed by Eason and Medford.
Neither the flagpole nor the flag were provided by the city. The memorial itself was not paid for, designed or maintained by the city.
The responsibility for the raising and lowering of the flag, therefore, is not clear. The responsibility for the flagpole and the flag at the memorial may indeed rest with the Montrose Shopping Park Assn., which provides the funding to maintain the memorial and which administrates the Business Improvement District in which the memorial is located. It is also possible that the responsibility for policy here may lie with the city of Glendale. The memorial sits on a public right of way.
In order to answer these concerns expressed to me by Will Gunell, who first brought the subject to my attention on Feb. 17, I asked our city attorney to make a determination as to what entity has the authority to act here.
Gunell stated in a recent letter to the Glendale News-Press (“Flag should fly over peace vigil,” Letter to the Editor, March 15) that he is waiting for an answer. So am I. Unfortunately, Eason and Medford are shrieking at the wrong person. As an elected official asked by a constituent, Gunell, to look into the matter, I have done so. I have also asked the ever-so-peaceful and patient anti-war protesters and counter-protesters to “cool their jets” until the city attorney has done his research.
I urge those of good character and decency on both sides of this issue to dampen down the extreme rhetoric just a bit. This is a jurisdictional issue, not a constitutional one. There will be plenty of time for those who prefer clenched fist waving, teeth gnashing and venom spewing rather than finding a reasoned solution once the entity responsible for policy determinations over this particular flag is identified. In the meanwhile, rest assured that our nation’s Constitution remains intact even while our city attorney and your humble, local city councilman (and my “ilk”) attempt to get you the answer you requested.
JOHN DRAYMAN
Montrose
EDITOR’S NOTE: Drayman is a Glendale city councilman.
Better attire leads to better looks
This letter is for all the fine young men who attend the high schools of the Glendale Unified School District. Do you want to look great? Would you like to have compliments from family and classmates? If the answer is yes, then do something about it. One way is to dress up once in a while, maybe once a week, by putting on a dress shirt, slacks and a tie.
I realize the athletes already do this the day they have a game. I challenge those of you are not a part of that group to join in.
You will not regret it.
GEORGE ELLISON
Glendale
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