The elderly veterans piled off the chartered buses in front of the World War II Memorial, some in wheelchairs, some using canes, all determined to pay homage to each other and their fallen comrades from more than half a century ago.
Metal barricades and signs announcing a closure due to the shutdown of the federal government awaited them.
The graying and stooped men, wearing blue baseball caps, red T-shirts and garlands of red, white and blue flowers, surged forward, accompanied by members of Congress — the same lawmakers who, hours earlier, had triggered a government shutdown by failing to pass a budget resolution.
(video on next page)
A shout went up. The barricades had been moved — it was unclear by whom.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said he believed the Park Service opened the gates. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) said the congressmen did it. Rep. Steven M. Palazzo (R-Miss.) said the barricades just seemed to part.
Note the names who were there to try to cleanse their white badge of shame. Michaelle Bachmann was there also shriek lies and to bask in the afterglow of her own stupidity. All of them were celebrating civil disobedience. Bachmann said they would be there every day to escort WWII veterans into the Memorial.
The WWII vets couldn’t call off their trip in time. They had a $80k charter plane. They should have been admitted. I fully support this group being admitted. However, today should be it. The members of Congress, the banana republicans should have been arrested for trespassing and the Park Police should have escorted the veterans from Mississippi around the memorial. The banana republicans have no more right to go in a closed park than I do. Of course, they think they are special.
I simply find the abandonment of Rule of Law by these thugs to be amazing. These hypocrites refused to fund the government and now encourage others to disregard the closures. UFB.
This is nothing less than an invasion of old Christian white men who are afraid of losing their historic advantage in society and, even more so, by those that think they will profit by hitching their wagons to them. In full expectation of condemnation… WWII vets deserve no more consideration than Korean War vets, Viet Nam War vets, Gulf War vets, Afgani and Iraqi War vets, civil rights struggle vets, Workers’ rights vets, women’s rights vets, gay rights vets, advocates for the homeless, handicapped rights vets, and many more. This has become a circus with the Tea Party (Southern White and mostly male) dressed as clowns leading the parade. I have voted Republican in the past and vow to never do that again. I also vow to tell every Republican in the future that these people have cost them my vote.
“I simply find the abandonment of Rule of Law by these thugs to be amazing.”
And yet, you seem to support Obama just fine…….
“Michelle Bachmann was out walking when she heard the commotion”
Yeah, right. What a coincidence.
No kidding.
Hey BS, the WWII vets will NEVER EVER lose their respect by this country if we truly appreciate our freedom. They fought to maintain OUR freedom at the time and no amount of time will ever change that fact unless of course folks like you start rewriting the history books to belittle all the great accomplishments of that heroic generation. Now go peddle your minority BS with the freedom of speech those at the memorial today helped preserve.
@BSinVA
I dont have a problem with letting them in today. They are old, very old, and might not ever have another chance. I expect most of them are in their 90’s. It was a memorial to them…that’s the difference. However, after today, it’s closed.
I still think that the congress folks who decided to grandstand there should have been arrested the instant they crossed into the designated memorial. The park police could have escorted anyone who needed an escort. On the other hand, who was going to escort the vets if the govt hadn’t shut down.
Some members of congress thing they are above the law. It is obvious from crossing barricades to holding a law hostage.
Here is an article about what gets shut down. It is a matter of law and funding. The President does not get to arbitrarily decide. If the funding isn’t there, it isn’t there.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/30/absolutely-everything-you-need-to-know-about-how-the-government-shutdown-will-work/?tid=pm_pop
Someone here, I think Cargo but I could be wrong, said it was up to the President. Well, as the enforcer of laws, yes, but he didn’t chose.
@Second Alamo Second: I will invite you to go to http://www.progressive.org/0901/zinn1001.html. Read the article with an open mind.
Is it just me or do you have something against white males… weird.
This is an open-air memorial, why were there barricades put around it anyway?
Its parkland. The grand Canyon is an open air memorial of sorts. The Skyline Drive is open. You can’t go on it. The road is closed. It is a national Park.
How is this closure affecting the national forests?
So do they barricade all of the memorials after 7:00 PM in DC when most of them are ‘closed’ daily?
Did they barricade any other memorials? I was in DC all day yesterday and drove past several on my way into work and on the way home. I didn’t see any other memorials barricaded. In fact, several joggers were out running the mall around 6:00 AM like they do every day. Why is there no barricade there?
Sometimes they used yellow tape. All I know is the monuments and shrines were all closed if they were part of the dept of Interior. The battlefield here was closed. Can people sneak in? I don’t know. I didn’t try.
@Peterson I have nothing against white males. However, there can be no argument that white males have had an historic advantage in this country from day one at the expense of other Americans. I was taught by my father who flew in B-17’s on bombing missions over Europe during WWII, that as a male born in the United States, that I and my three brothers had a responsibility and duty to serve the country in the military. All four of us did. We did that, not because we wanted hero worship, adoration, or to become idols. We did it because we grew up with the expectation that we must participate in American society. Our mission as males was to defend the country regardless of who or how many joined us on the firing lines. We certainly were not heroes, we were American males. If women, gays, immigrants, atheists, blacks, or the handicapped joined us – all the better. If they didn’t then we still would be there performing our duty without malice toward anyone else. It is the same as voting. Americans have a duty to vote… they are not to be congratulated for voting, they are supposed to do it. White males are not to be idolized because they sacrificed for our country…. they were supposed to do it.
“How is this closure affecting the national forests?” – probably in a good way, no humans to soil nature.
You have a point.
However, the govt. allows all sorts of timber rights within those forests. Mining is allowed on federal lands overseen by Bureau of Land Management. Are thousands of miles of land and forests shut down? How unmanageable.
“The public may visit the World War II Memorial 24 hours a day.” Staffed from 9:30 am to 11:30 pm. http://t.co/9NSCphRYD4
— Morgen (@morgenr) October 2, 2013
The Memorial is open air. It cannot be “closed.” This was done for spite and PR. No “official” presence is needed.
Let me know how you feel about the Grand Canyon and the seashore.
There is still liability. You folks really don’t understand about Rule of Law, do you? If something is closed, it is closed. It doesn’t mean maybe or those who are special. It hasn’t been funded. Therefore by law it cannot be opened to the public.
I don’t have a problem with them being let in yesterday. Today I would. I do have a problem with some of the banana republicans trooping their sorry asses in there looking like they are the great white saviors. I think they should have been arrested for trespassing.
@BSinVA
I agree that the term “The Greatest Generation” is somewhat arbitrary — Tom Brokaw is colored by admiration for his Dad. However your comparisons are somewhat questionable also. The Old Christian white men risked their lives purely in service to others. There was significant self interest among the so-called “vets” for the social causes that you listed. They are not even close to being in the same category as these WWII vets.
As for the WWII memorial, barricading the monument is just a clumsy attempt to create a larger impact from closed government. There will be no emergency response personnel or park personnel to answer questions, but otherwise no one would even notice they were not there. The barricades are an attempt to induce outrage at a government shutdown.
There is also a liability and there is also a risk of monuments being damaged by vandals. How cloak and dagger to suggest the barricades are there to induce rage….especially after Congress came out to glad-hand the delegation from Mississippi. Bachmann was even seen on camera liver-lipping one of them.
There were a bunch of Old White Jewish men and Old Black Christian men and Old Brown Christian men during WWII who also risked their lives. Many didn’t come home. Check out the Stars of David on the tombstones at our national cemeteries. I guess those are also closed to the public.
I do think “The Greatest Generation” is a fitting title for those that were of service age during WWII. The men and women, the young adults of the WWII era had their lives disrupted and put on hold. Their youth was stolen from them while they worked in factories and fought in distant lands for their freedom and ultimately our freedom. Many of those young men didn’t come home. They died horrible deaths in foreign lands. Some were brought home. others lie on foreign soil with their buddies and comrades. My mother indoctrinated us kids from early on about how they didn’t know the outcome and how dire the situation really was. It was also pressed on me what they did without in the way of goods, fuel, foods, and freedoms.
The Greatest Generation is well earned. My own generation comes across somewhat spoiled an self serving in contrast.
The Republicans are alienating me to the point that I will not vote for anyone running Repuiblican, for at least the next 4 years. I am really taking note of what mean, destructive people tend to populate their party. They are acting like children throwing their feces at a wall and enjoying the experience.
People who want to do their jobs are being thrown into financial instability, and the FOX News anchors are gloating and laughing about how wonderful it is. What it is, is disgusting.
@Kelly_3406 “purely in service to others.” Is that why over 61% of those in the military during WWII had to be drafted? By the way, 27% of the WWII vets never served overseas.
The WWII vets are no different from any other Americans who served our society. They are a quaint colorful group… I have no problem with them wandering around the memorial. I think the GOP politicians turned it into a political opportunity not the government. If the vets had gone into the memorial without any politicians, there would have been nobody to stop them. They could have honored their comrades privately and with respect. It would not surprise me to find that the vets contacted the politicians and helped orchestrate the entire circus act which did nothing to honor veterans for service to their country.
I would think that the handful of actual swing voters who do exist are also being thrown off by this.
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@Rick Bentley
Standing ovation, Rick. I totally agree.
I haven’t seen anyone of good conscience stand up and say what is going is wrong from that party.
“I don’t have a problem with them being let in yesterday. Today I would.” – so you would have them arrested if they showed up today?
I would have congress arrested, not the Vets. They shouldn’t come. We can’t pick and chose which laws to obey.
I wouldn’t let them in.
Then your obviously against sanctuary cities, right?
I always support bird sanctuaries. Wild life in cities probably isn’t such a good idea.
Then why wouldn’t you have the vets arrested if you would arrest congress? Isn’t that picking and choosing which laws to apply and to whom?
Obviously I am not really having them arrested. I have no power to do so.
Why? Those hypocrites wont send a clean bill funding the government. Now they are manipulating over it.
Congress knew the monument was closed. The vets are over 90 years old for the most part. They didn’t know. If I find out otherwise, I withdraw my good will to them also.
just saw that park workers are now putting up bigger metal barricades now, they have also added mounted police to guard the memorial.
Marine vet from Woodbridge now at the memorial holding up a sign… “Mr. President, congress, tear down this wall”
This is America. He can be as misdirected as he wants to be. He needs to appeal to Congress to fund the National Parks, not the President.
Carol Johnson, from Park Services, says that they were told directly by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget to close the memorial.
I feel you are leaving something out of this story. Just the WWII Memorial?
They were told to target that monument?
I can’t tell you how pissed I am that those dirtbags are desecrating the WWII memorial with their political filth.
@Kelly_3406
There was significant self interest among the so-called “vets” for the social causes that you listed. They are not even close to being in the same category as these WWII vets.
You’re damn right there’s self interest for those other “vets”. They wanted equal rights….you know, that little piddly issue that too many of you white males take for granted and that most of your countrymen/women wanted as well.
Virginia has a fairly tarnished reputation when it comes to equal rights. It closed its public schools to avoid integration. It outlawed inter-racial marriage. It had separate colleges for males and females. All those people supported the state with their tax dollars and didn’t have equal opportunities to attend its schools. That’s just a small part of the inequality many of Virginia’s citizens suffered. If you didn’t experience that discrimination, you need to consider how little you know when it comes to saying how minor it was.
I still don’t understand why the monuments are being barricaded at all. Last week you could walk through the WW2 memorial any time of the day or night. Why is it barricaded now? It seems like it costs money to close something that was designed to be open. If the government is closed because of no budget then how can they afford to put up the barricades?
I get closing the Smithsonian because that needs a staff, but closing something that is normally open air seems silly.
Tell the Republicans. The government is closed.
DC has baracades for all occasions. The police put them up.
It definitely wasn’t the DC police. There are pictures of the National Park rangers setting up the barricades. I just don’t understand why. If you could walk into the WW2 memorial at 3:00 AM last week, why can’t you walk into it at 3:00 PM today? We can drive on I-95 even though it’s a federal road, right? I’m not trying to make a political point, I’m just trying to understand why they are going out of their way to close parks that are normally open all the time.
Call someone and ask. I have no idea. Why can’t I drive down the Skyline Drive? I suppose if the parks are closed they are closed and unfunded. I am sure there are all sorts of legalities I don’t understand.
I think the answer is not to nitpick over why this is closed and that isn’t, but to get the government funded. It’s really that simply and I am far too grouchy over all of this to try to figure out the whys and wherefores.
@Furby McPhee
You would have to call the White House’s Office of Management and Budget. They specifically directed Parks Services to barrycade the WWII memorial.
I don’t think the WWII memorial was singled out. That makes no sense. The Lincoln Memorial is also closed and barricaded off.
Apparently they have also barricaded the bus turnaround at Mount Vernon as well.
@Moon-howler
Looks like Claire McCaskill (D-MO) showed up at the WWII memorial today, she should have been arrested.
If she trespassed, I thinks she should have been arrested.
What I really hate are these turds politicizing my favorite memorial. Bastards.
Now I’m really confused. The Vietnam & Korea memorials are open. The WWII memorial is closed but people are breaking into it. The WWI memorial is closed except for “1st amendment purposes” MLK memorial is closed. Lincoln memorial is closed. Still trying to find out about FDR and Jefferson.
Any open air park or memorial that is normally open 24×7 should stay open during the shutdown. Anything that normally closes at night should close during the shutdown. That would probably fix the problem at Wallops island too.
Yes, there is a bigger issue of the budget to be worked out, but why is the park service going out of their way to close things that don’t have to be closed?
Because MoFos are trying to make political statements.
People love their parks, monuments, memorials, etc. Its low hanging fruit. Now food stamps and WIC are used by the ‘untouchables,’ You know, people we don’t see.
Vietnam and Korea cannot be ‘closed.’ How would you close them?
“I think the answer is not to nitpick over why this is closed and that isn’t, but to get the government funded”
Absolutely right. The Senate and President need to agree to a one year delay while this is ironed out and allow passage of the CR.
Our laws should never be held hostage. Cargo, let’s talk about what makes a bill a law. You do understand that the ACA is established law? What don’t you get about holding laws hostage? What if some son of a bitch decided they hated Social Security? Should that be held hostage?
I don’t believe in anarchy. You apparently do.
Cargo, this was ironed out. The ACA was passed by Congress, signed by the President, became law, the government was sued over it and the Supreme Court upheld it. I have included the Schoolhouse Rock video on how a bill becomes a law for your edification. You may have forgotten since this Congress does not pass any laws. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nKyihoV9z8
The WWII memorial is now open to vets. I would hope vets means WWII vets.
Its seems to me that rule of law should supercede emotion.
I think the only way Americans will appreciate what ‘the government’ means is to have it not open. Unless the banana republicans are WWII vets I hope they keep their sorry asses out of the War Memorial.
They are dishonest liars. The very idea of failing to assume responsibility for not funding the government. Do they think we are stupid?
@Moon-howler
Not only do they think we’re stupid on the issue of funding the government, but they think we’ll stupidly fall for their giving away their paycheck (our tax dollars) to a charity (whoopee…tax write-off) so that they’ll look sympathetic to the light of those they’ve screwed over. Just effiing refuse the paycheck,and spare us this charitable contribution crapola.
I didn’t realize they were giving their checks to charity. Gag me with a spoon. Why not just let the govt. keep it. What they could do to make ME feel better about them is vote to fund the govt. and quit lying and making up excuses for totally bad behavior.
light=plight
Barricading off open air areas that are typically open 24/7, even when ‘closed’ is just vindictive and trying to produce the most pain and media coverage for this partial shutdown.
The talk of ‘Banana republicans’ taking hostages is disingenuous. The normal process is for congress to pass Appropriation bills, you know an actual budget, and any differences being negotiated in conference. The senate hasn’t passed an Appropriation since 2009 I believe, and has insisted on these CRs to fund the government. They passed the ACA using questionable tactics, without any republican votes. It’s un-Constitutional, know matter what tortured logic 1 supreme court judge invents, and is causing millions to be forced onto the exchanges and millions more to be moved to part-time positions.
The ‘banana republicans’ have already compromised, they are no longer looking to defund it, but instead just give the American people the option to delay the individual mandate, just like the president has done for his corporate buddies (probably illegally also)
“The public may visit the World War II Memorial 24 hours a day.” Staffed from 9:30 am to 11:30 pm. http://t.co/9NSCphRYD4 Sooooooo, when it is unstaffed from 11:30PM until 9:30AM the next day do they put up barricades since there are no paid staff on duty? Of course not, so why put up barricades now? I don’t think the granite minds the loss of income, or the government shutdown for that matter.
@clueless
IF it is so ironed out, then why is it that the President can imperially grant waivers and why would he have to?
Grant us all waivers. Delay by a year so that the administration can actually do their jobs. They have not met a single deadline.
Now the liberals are protesting the vets.
Again…how is barrycading a 24 hour open air memorial supposed to be “saving money?” It’s obviously being done to generate PR and create pressure. Same with barrycading trails.
http://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/essays-and-commentaries/shut-down-fascism-in-the-smoky-mountains
The administration is even closing parks that are PRIVATELY funded.
http://freebeacon.com/shutdown-theater/
Really? Are these the actions of a serious administration or one permanently in campaign mode that seeks to influence public opinion only?
“They are dishonest liars. The very idea of failing to assume responsibility for not funding the government. Do they think we are stupid?”
Exactly right. The Senate thinks you’re stupid.
@Moon-howler
Maybe it’s those magic words about being on federal land that give the Natonal Park Service the authority.
Fully funding the government would solve the problem.
Wow, talk about revisionist history! Having watched, and I mean watched on CSpan, the unedited dry version of BOTH the Medicare Part D and ACA. There is NO comparison. Medicare part D, in comparison, was a blip on the screen of legislative discussion in comparison to ACA. Here is the difference also, the Republicans budged NOTHING, as I recall, on Medicare Part D. No bargaining, no buying drugs from Canada. Period!
During ACA, the Republicans pretended as though, with every time the Dem acquiesced to changing the original legislation, we call that compromise folks, not ONE Republican chose to vote for it. What a bunch of two faces jerks.
The only refutation of the ACA was from John McCain who offered a solution that would have given 3 million people access to health care and screw the other 15 million and NOT address the rising out of control costs.
Illegal my friend was threatening the Actuary for Medicare that he would lose his job if he gave the Dems the real cost of Medicare part D. Which was closer to 750 Billion as opposed to 400 million the Republicans were “selling”. I imagine you also don’t remember the pharmaceutical lobbyist in the Atrium making last minute donation promises. Or the Congressman who was openly bribed for his vote.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/19/republican-budget-hypocrisy-health-care-opinions-columnists-bruce-bartlett.html
Elana, I agree, let’s get rid of both Medicare Part D and the ACA. Pointing out congresses other failings doesn’t change the situation now. In fact, it just disproves the “let it fail…” argument. When has a government program that failed actually been terminated. They just claim to not have had enough money, and throw more money and regulation at the problem. How do you think health-care got to this state in the first place?
CillininVA,
How do YOU think we ended up with the out of control health care cost system we have? Medicare hasn’t failed, in fact, from what I can gather, everyone I know that has access to Medicare loves it!
@Elena
Medicare Part D was part of the complaint that the nascent Tea Party had against Bush….
Conservatives across the web pointed out the high cost.
Yet another point of evidence that Bush wasn’t conservative.
Of course they love Medicare. Who doesn’t like using other people’s money?
Cargo, I don’t know about you but I have paid into Medicare since I first started working. Medicare isn’t all free. Once one is eligible, that person pays around $114 a month for part B. If they were high income when they retired, then they pay a higher tier. Then there is that gap payment which is generally between 200-300 dollars if the person choses to have it. (covers the 20% unpaid from Part B)
After all this, then people on medicare can pay for their medicare D (Rx) policy.
I can’t tell you how insulting I find your remark “Of course they love Medicare. Who doesn’t like using other people’s money?” There are plenty of vintage Americans on Medicare who have paid not only their way but also the way of those less fortunate. I don’t resent it a bit. I paid for my grandparents and parents and then my kids and grandkids will pay for me if you would rather look at it like that but if there is a free lunch out there, I sure haven’t found it.
Medicaid, SS, and Medicare are using the totality of our tax revenue.
It is NOT being covered by the medicaid, etc taxes alone.
Want Medicaid, etc..to be paid for…raise all those taxes so each program is covered. On everyone.
huh?
SS and Medicare have their own funding.