I have to go to an American Legion Meeting tonight

[tinymontgomery]

I hate these meeting but they give my unit support, money and sponsor ship to several good programs. They have all the right talking points. Today was the one about Hillary getting the court nod. I just have to shut my mind down when I'm there. Wish me luck that I don't blow up like usually.

[UTUSN]

1. They should NOT be political at meetings or even in the bar

Here's this other thread about a Teabagger organizing among ACTIVE DUTY personnel. I realize that service organizations are not active duty personnel, but their roles should not be politics.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8144051
It's bad enough that AFTER active duty, services organizations (VFW, American Legion) use military SYMBOLS and paraphernalia as propaganda PROPS for political (almost always wingnut) agendas. During the 2000 Coup, I called the Medal of Honor Society to complain that the half dozen bozos with Medals of Honor stood on Shrub's political stage, with their medals around their necks, and service organization caps, USING and being used (their military decorations). They have every right to VOTE and to campaign in civilian clothes, that is all. Of course, the MoH society's response was just a blank silence. Like, tough shit.

Ex-senator Phil "ENRON" GRAMM was an unscrupulous expert at veterans baiting: All members of Congress get requests from veterans to help them get medals and decorations and other little stuff that they could do for themselves with VA forms, or at most, getting a relative or friend OR the VA to fill out the forms. But the wingnut congress critters LUERVE these kinds of requests, because they are ready-made PHOTO OPS. But ENRON-GRAMM would take it to the limit: He wasn't content with getting his picture with the veteran or on the local t.v. station, in making an "official presentation" of the medals:: He would hold the presentation ceremony at the local RETHUG PARTY HEADQUARTERS.

[MichiganVote]

2. My Dad used to go to those. We used to say he had Legionnaires Disease. Cheap beer you know.