South Vietnamese memorial sparks war of words

Photo credit:  John Wilson, ksvac.info

The headline for the July edition of The Downtowner shouts War Over The Memorial. 

Joe Stumpe's article starts serenely:  "Half hidden among trees along the Arkansas River, Downtown's Veterans Memorial Park has rarely attracted the attention its lofty purpose and quiet beauty deserve."
(I would go so far as the park has "never" attracted this much attention.)

A "pro" letter in this past Sunday's Wichita Eagle by Chris Shaner, commander American Legion Post 419, somehow finds logic in comparing the South Vietnamese veterans with our own Confederate soldiers during the civil war.

Best I can figure on that one, is the south wanted to secede, ergo no longer a "United" States, ergo when war broke out none of the Confederates were any longer "American".  Everything I ever learned of the history of the Civil War caled it brother against brother, American against American.  Still haven't seen anything describing it as American vs Non-American.

Shaner, tries to convince the reader that since (in his view) the Confederacy was nothing but a "rogue government led by wealthy traitors who exploited the disenfranchised, stirred up racism and promoted slavery" those soldiers who wore the gray, were nothing more than "foreign" soldiers, no different than the South Vietnamese army during the Vietnam War.
I asking what is different between the two Shaner writes:  "We honor those who rebelled against the nation, but we don't want to honor those who fought and died alongside us?"

And therein lies the rub for the many veterans who are opposed to the memorial in Veterans park. 

It has nothing to do with not honoring the South Vietnamese, it has everything to do with in keeping the current park reserved specifically for American Veterans. 

No racism, no political correctness, no black, brown, red or yellow of it, just plain, "leave the park for American Veterans who fought in the American Armed Forces".

Douglas Brady in his "con" letter in the same Eagle edition states it very simply: 

"Veterans Memorial Park should be reserved for American military veterans who have taken the oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Why is that so hard for Councilwoman Janet Miller and her following to understand?  Why are they so adament to ignore the wishes of the very Americans who sacrificed so much for their fellow Americans?

Yes, yes, I know.  The South Vietnamese are citizens now and they deserve as much respect as any other citizen.  I agree.  But just asking them to place their memorial in another location out of reverence to the American veterans honored in the park is not showing disrespect, it is asking understanding.

There is no city ordinance that says any ethnic group that raises enough cash can put a memorial to their said groups veterans in Veterans park.  There is no logical reason to purposefully hurt those who have already given so much.  Miller's attitude so far has been "I and my constiuents want it, it should be so, and we don't give a damn if there are veterans against it."  The politically correct lenses that Miller and her ilk view the world through, don't allow for tolerance and acceptance of opposing views.  Their way is the p.c. way, p.c. is absolute, so therefore any opposing veiw must be bigoted or racist.  Their "enlightened" way, or the highway.

There has been an attempt to paint the opposition to the memorial placement as but a small, racist and hateful minority.  And since they are hateful racists their voices require no heed.

Well Ms. Miller, I have news for you.  I know many of these people and they are anything but racist or hateful.  They are however deeply respectful of the sacrifices made by the veterans who have gone before them.  They deserve more than to be brushed off as a gnats at a picnic.  (Forgive me if I feel that a stint on the park board and a seat on the council falls just a bit shy of the service to country these veterans have given.)

You, Ms. Miller may think their voices small and unimportant.  I, on the other hand, feel that if there is but just one voice opposed, that voice has earned the right to carry above all others.

We can only hope that council members without the last name of Skelton and Miller are more receptive to the wishes of actual American Veterans rather than naturalized foreign nationals.

For background and additional information:
Kansas Veterans Action Committee
Independent Home Page