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Greetings:
As one who grew up in an America which no longer exists, I am a lover of patriotic tradition.
For me, Memorial Day is the Thirtieth of May, not this weekend, or the last Monday in May.
Memorial Day and Veterans Day are NOT synonmous!
Memorial Day should not be “celebrated”, but solemnly observed, for it is a day for remembering and honoring America’s military dead.
Parades and concerts are inappropriate for Memorial Day.
Veterans Day is the time for parades, concerts, celebration, and honoring the living military veterans.
The fitting occasions for honoring and celebrating our currently serving active duty military personnel are Armed Forces Day (the third Saturday in May) and/or the respective service branch’s birthday (i.e., 14 June is the Army’s birthday, 11 November is the Marine Corps birthday, 16 August is the Airborne’s birthday, et cetera).
Furthermore, there are three hundred and sixty-four days each year in which families can put flowers on Great Aunt Bertha’s grave.
Memorial Day is a MILITARY holiday, and our sole focus on that day should be the graves of military dead.
By federal law, Confederate veterans are now accorded the same status as United States veterans, requiring the graves of Confederate dead to be maintained and respected in the same manner as the graves of United States military veterans.
Most folks are unaware of it, but there is a very large and impressive Confederate Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, and on Memorial Day, it is customary for the President of the United States to have a wreath placed there, and the Confederate Battle Flag is prominently displayed at that memorial.
As a direct descendent of a Confederate soldier, Corporal Jonathan Trueblood of the North Carolina Seventh Regiment, I’m pleased that is the case.
Miss Schlussel, and other Jewish friends will be interested to learn that the largest Jewish military cemetery outside of Israel is located in Richmond, Virginia, where lie the remains of Jewish Confederate soldiers.
Thank you.
John Robert Mallernee
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Washington, D.C. 20011-8400
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[JRM: HERE, HERE! WELL SAID AND AMEN. WILL HAVE TO VISIT THAT CEMETERY SOMEDAY. THANKS FOR THE TIP. DS]

writesong on May 24, 2009 at 8:30 pm

PBS can broadcast all the Far Left crap it wants. It just shouldn’t be allowed to do so with our taxpayer dollars.

NormanF on May 24, 2009 at 11:05 pm

Debbie, you must visit Richmond. It is a beautiful city.
I’m with NormanF–why am I subsidizing PBS for crap I cannot and will not watch?

lexi on May 25, 2009 at 12:41 am

Sorry, it’s a great show. Don’t hate the show, not sure if I could hate the network. I didn’t see this on FOX or CNN.
Gary Sinise is a hero for his support of the troops.
I was more offended by Tom Cruse standing next to General Colin Powell, who is becoming a political hack.

LocalLawman on May 25, 2009 at 12:46 am

General Colin Powell is becoming a political hack? He’s been a hack ever since he endorsed Obama and attacked Republicans. Even a moderate like McCain was no good for him!
PBS is still on the air?
Many years ago, I wrote to Ric Burns, who was doing a multi-part documentary called NEW YORK. I told him that “Big Apple Corner” had been approved by the city council and I was dedicating it, and why NYC is called “the Big Apple” was info his NEW YORK viewers should know. Burns just couldn’t be bothered to write back. Watching the documentary was sickening. Historian Ken Jackson was a talking head who would say, “Oh, New York! It’s just the greatest and the biggest and the best city that ever was!”
Ken Burns (they’re brothers) was doing a documentary on JAZZ. So I wrote to him telling him that I and my American Dialect Society colleagues had researched the origin of the word “jazz,” and again, we’d like to help him for free. Burns told viewers that the word “jazz” comes from New Orleans, probably from a prostitute called “Jezebel.” There is no historical basis for this conclusion.
I stopped watching PBS.
They get taxpayer money to get stuff wrong and not listen (or even respond) to scholars. Good grief!

barrypopik on May 25, 2009 at 3:20 am

Happy Memorial Day!
This cat lady (& no, not 68 years old – not for a while yet) loathes PBS (“Palestinian B. S.,” as I call it). Long ago, I stopped watching or supporting PBS or NPR (same “P,” same garbage). Gary Sinese shld be more discriminating in who he chooses to work for.
And more importantly, American Taxpayers should be able to stop funding this anti-American garbage network.
Various shows on this network spout horrid anti-Semitic and anti-American slurs and lies.
I am not impressed by a couple of patriotic shows twice a year and the occassional recorded program about American Jews (often slanted way, way left and filled with unflattering stereotypes).
I will not be watching Gary Sinese. There are so many good books to read instead.
Thanks to Debbie for this piece!

crazycatkids on May 25, 2009 at 8:00 am

Deb, this is as Alex Jones calls it False Flag Patriotism. It’s as phony as the WWE these concerts given the network it’s on.
In Detroit there is one PBS station WTVS 56 (or whatever channel it’s on because it recently shut down analog 56). And in TOledo, OH acc. to the Detroit TV listings there’s WGTE 30.
In NYC, WE HAVE AS MANY AS FIVE!
WNET-13 (When Edward R Murrow signs your station on in 1962, you know that means TROUBLE!)
WLIW-21 (Long Island’s WNET, in fact they work together)
WNYE-25 (a hybrid of edu., and NYC stuff. Once owned by the Board of Ed)
WEDW-49 (CT Public TV out of Stamford)
WNJN-50 (part of the Corzine Cash Cow Commie Channel New Jersey Network)
Unless PBS can start producing more quality programming other than Antiques Road Show and their cooking programs, DON’T EXPECT ANYMORE FUNDING FROM ME! AND I USED TO WORK FOR AN NPR STATION! BOY DID THAT BITCH TANDI WILDER USE ME! NOW SHE IS IN MIAMI LOOKING PERHAPS FOR A LESBIAN LOVER!

NEPatriot on May 25, 2009 at 9:07 am

Debbie, thanks for shining the light of truth on PBS.
I’m not sure if it is the same cemetery Mr. Mallernee is refering to, but Hollywood Cemetery located in Richmond is the resting place of hundreds of fallen Confederates, including my great, great Grandfather Aaron Mann, 1st Regiment, South Carolina.

Southernops on May 25, 2009 at 9:44 am

It’s interesting regarding the Confederate memorials in and around Arlington. I understand that there is a bit of a flap, supposedly solved by a compromise, regarding President Obama recognizing the soldiers of the Confederacy as have other presidents in the past. Here is an article from the AP outlining that flap with the intro-
” WASHINGTON ñ President Barack Obama sought to dodge racial controversy on Memorial Day, sending wreaths to a monument for Confederate soldiers and other flowers to a memorial honoring more than 200,000 African-Americans who fought for the Union during the Civil War.
”
link- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090525/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_memorial_day
The salient premise of the Civil was was that it was fought to end slavery. That wasnt’ what started it… While slavery was a divisive element of the conflict leading up to and through the war, it really was about individual states’ sovereign rights to govern, and that was part of the the economic goals that divided an industrial north and an agrarian south. Eventually the slavery issue came to be seen as the sum and substance of that war. Lincoln said himself that if he could preserve the union without freeing a single slave he would- not as being sympathetic to slavery but placing the inegrity of the union above all else while recognizing that the states did have individual rights to govern themselves.
My mother was a full blood Cherokee, and claimed (I can’t historically verify it myself to be absolutely sure) that members of her family fought for the south in the Civil War under Stand Watee- the only Cherokee General in the confederate army and the last to surrender at the war’s conclusion.
Not because I have the possible familial connection to it, but because I recognize that the people who fought and died for the Confederacy- most of whom DIDN’T own a single slave, did so because they were dedicated to a cause of freedom as THEY saw it. That is worthy of recognition in and of itself. As much as I am wary, disconcerted and apprehensive about Obama’s intentions, and abiliites to lead this nation, I will extend credit to him for nto falling into the crap pile of populist pressure to not recognize those soldiers just because he is black..

Mistress_Dee on May 25, 2009 at 11:04 am

I was never a fan in the first place of PBS, due to what Debbie revealed in her article. I can’t stand how this network gets funding so they can launch their liberal and biased Bullsh*t. As for Gary Sinise who’s a wonderful person and I do sincerely believe his heart is in the right place. He should be a bit more ontop of his handlers who more than likely book him for these sort of events. And he’s just briefed on it and does it if time permits. Gary has done some great things for our troops and will continue to. And he isn’t seeking any fame from it. I think it’s fine he uses his popularity and being a celebrity to help others and give back.
As for what John Robert said, he’s absolutely correct. And too people just see this day as another long weekend to have a good time. When in fact it’s a time to remember and honor our fallen troops. Anyone who’s in their 40’s would agree this isn’t our America anymore. I wish I know what it is. I definitely can see the direction America is going in. And it quite frankly scares me to death. America is decaying, something that doesn’t have to happen. We have to be more proactive in getting America back on the right path. Not going to be easy, but can be done. G-d Bless our fallen troops and all Americans.

Tenn Scholar on May 25, 2009 at 11:11 am

Ms Schlussel;
Though you are clearly correct in your assessment and condemnation of KPBS, your associated judgement of Mr. Sinise is shortsighted and self serving.
Gary obviously (if I may be so bold and assuming) has a singular mission in his visionquest, and that is to insure the mindnumbingly obvious need to manifest appreciation for those in our military and for those that support these brave men and women.
What Gary practices in his quest is the maturity and ego-less dedication to a mission whose message is far more important than the vehicle used to convey that message.

spartacus92007 on May 25, 2009 at 2:12 pm

Other than Gary Sinise and one or two others, events like these are getting more Politically Correct( Hardly surprising,for those events broadcast on PBS )

OldSchoolW on May 25, 2009 at 2:24 pm

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Greetings:
I did an Internet search, using Google, and here is the URL of the web site for the cemetery on Shockoe Hill in Richmond, Virginia for Hebrew Confederate Soldiers:
http://www.jewish-history.com/civilwar/shockoe.htm
As you can see, it is maintained by Congregation Beth Ahabah, and this is the URL for their web site:
http://www.bethahabah.org/
Thank you.
John Robert Mallernee
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Washington, D.C. 20011-8400
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writesong on May 25, 2009 at 3:39 pm

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Greetings:
I did some more searching, and here is the URL of the web site for the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery:
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/csa-mem.htm
The memorial was designed by a Jewish Confederate veteran, Sir Moses Ezekial, who was knighted by the King of Italy.
Here is the URL for his web site:
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ezekiel.htm
Thank you.
John Robert Mallernee
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Washington, D.C. 20011-8400
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writesong on May 25, 2009 at 4:39 pm

In the past, PBS had some conservative presence. There was Firing Line, the WSJ Editorial Report, Tucker Carlson, and a few others. However, now it’s been purged completely.
That said, these are the good old days in terms of free speech. George Will discussed this in his most recent column. Liberal academics are busily constructing the intellectual foundation for an assault on the First Amendment:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/22/AR2009052202396.html
There will come a day when Debbie is in the dock, facing jail time for “racist incitement” or similar Orwellian crime. Just wait and see.

sonomaca on May 25, 2009 at 4:57 pm

Debbie, don’t overdo the praise for PBS. The first segment about the USMC was very good. The second segment started out as a touchy-feely programme empathizing with Imperial Japan’s Kamikaze pilots. I switched to another channel as soon as I realized what PBS was up to.
[H: THANKS FOR THE REPORT. I DID NOT WATCH, THIS YEAR, SO I APOLOGIZE. IN YEARS PAST, IT’S BEEN A GREAT PROGRAM. DS]

Hook on May 25, 2009 at 7:54 pm

Debbie, I never watch PBS news. I tried watching once in the 80’s and it was boring and then later they invented FOX news so I wasn’t tempted to check back. I do listen to NPR all the time and it is just dreck. The hosts are condescending, as if all problems would evaporate if we could just get behind Obama and gay marriage and throw israel to the wolves. A low point was a few years ago during some IDF action in Gaza. They had an on site report from a guy w/the Guardian who very matter of factly described Israeli soldiers as having sniped a couple of Gaza children who were standing on the rooftop of their home. I wondered if he got his talking points straight from his hosts. I take revenge by listening for free.

Anonymous1 on May 25, 2009 at 11:58 pm