Monthly Archive for May, 2009

My statement to the Bedford Pound Ridge Record Review on Ari Fliescher being asked to speak at Pound Ridge’s Memorial Day ceremonies:

Memorial Day is as close as we come to having a sacred National holiday and it should be free from politics.

The problem I had with Ari Fleischer being invited was that he is and continues to be a political figure. He has been raising money for conservative causes and GOP candidates. He’s been mentioned as a candidate for the House (against John Hall) and the Senate (against Kirsten Gillibrand), and he appears on the cable news networks as a conservative / GOP strategist and commentator.

To be perfectly honest I’d have the same objection if John Hall or another Democratic politician were asked to speak. Memorial Day is about our heros and those who died in defense of our freedoms. It should be free from politics.

As far as the other stuff – Fleischer’s support of torture, the War, his involvement in the Valarie Plame affair, that’s something we can all agree to disagree on. And since I find all that objectionable, when he passed me in the parade I turned my back to him. But that has nothing to do with why he should or shouldn’t be invited.

Taken together, however, all of this put a lot of parents in a very uncomfortable position of having to send their children to march in a parade with someone who’s politics and positions they find objectionable. I think the Town Board should have taken all of this into account and instead have given the honors to someone who really deserved to be honored. I’m sure there are plenty of vets and heros in our Town who deserve the recognition.