Akron Beacon Journal: Mic cut fallout - American Legion Post's charter suspended, leader resigns

[StarfishSaver]

The charter of Hudson's American Legion post was suspended as its leader resigned Friday after a veteran's mic got cut while he spoke about Black Americans' role in the history of Memorial Day.

The actions come four days after the leader of the Hudson Legion and head of the Legion's auxiliary were involved with cutting retired Army Lt. Col. Bernard Kemter's microphone during a Memorial Day ceremony in Hudson.

"Effective immediately, [American Legion Department of Ohio] Department Commander Roger Friend has suspended [the] Hudson Lee-Bishop American Legion Post 464 Charter pending permanent closure," stated a news release issued by the American Legion Department of Ohio Friday afternoon. "Upon demand, Jim Garrison has also resigned as a Post Officer and we have since demanded that he resign his membership altogether. The American Legion Department of Ohio does not hold space for members, veterans, or families of veterans who believe that censoring black history is acceptable behavior."
...
Both Garrison and Cindy Suchan, who chairs the Memorial Day Parade committee and is president of the Hudson American Legion Auxiliary, had been asked by Friend to resign after the state office's investigation determined the two "intentionally censored Lt. Col Bernard Kemter, US Army (Ret.) during his Memorial Day speech hosted by American Legion Post 464 of Hudson, Ohio." Suchan has not resigned, but Heller said her case is being handled by the American Legion Auxiliary of Ohio. Heller said Suchan also is being asked to give up her membership in the auxiliary.
...
The state Legion said its investigation found Suchan received a copy of Kemter's speech in advance and asked him to remove a portion of the speech where he described how newly freed Black slaves gave an honorable burial to deceased Union soldiers shortly after the end of the Civil War. In its news release, the state Legion said it determined the "censoring" of Kemter's speech was "pre-meditated and planned by … Garrison and … Suchan."

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/06/04/hudson-american-legion-posts-charter-suspended-leader-resigns/7543211002/

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Garrison and Suchan should definitely go, based on their inappropriate actions.

Censorship is never a good thing, and especially when it's concerned with actual history.

A win for the underdog, for once.

[Ocelot II]

2. Good!

I'm sure there will be the usual right-wing outrage about "cancel culture," but who tried to do the canceling in the first place? Guess that's acceptable in only one direction.

[DBoon]

5. Lt. Col Bernard Kemter was the one who was "cancelled"

For trying to state historical facts, his mike was pulled.

[Ocelot II]

10. Exactly my point.

[left-of-center2012]

12. That's what Ocelot II said

[CrispyQ]

25. "Guess that's acceptable in only one direction."

Like so many things, right?

[MerryBlooms]

3. They'll be screaming 'cancel culture', because their indefensible actions brought consequences.

Lt. Col Bernard Kemter, US Army (Ret.), bravely continued with his remarks, and his message was heard loud and clear.
r&k

[mdbl]

11. what culture?

The culture of white supremacy, bigotry, hate, and lunacy?

It needs to be cancelled, permanently.

[Major Nikon]

29. That's exactly what they fear the most

The more lights shined on the cockroaches, the louder they will piss and moan about it.

[Atticus]

4. What in hell is WRONG with these people? Kudos to Kemter for refusing to "go along

to get along".

[marble falls]

6. The Beacon was once a great if moderate Republican paper back in the day when such ...

... a thing was possible. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation still does a lot of good, including funding public television.

[ladym55]

7. Hudson does not have a good track record recently

The school district in Hudson also made local news ...

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/05/28/hudson-schools-probe-racial-homophobic-remarks-made-students/7487778002/


This was May 28.

The Hudson school district is investigating racial and homophobic comments made by some high school students in a phone app video game .....

This is not the first time school leaders have had to address an incident of racial hostility, [the superintendent] said. ...

This is at least the third time in the past two years that the district has notified families about a racial incident involving students.

But maybe hearing the feedback from the parents just MIGHT explain some things.

The latest incident comes as the district has been discussing issues of race and racism with students through its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program. About 45 people attended the board of education on Monday and many expressed concerns about the methods being used to teach students about these topics.

More than two-thirds of the about 20 people spoke voiced concerns.

One mother said she heard her child's teacher tell the students in a Zoom class that they had white privilege. A father said his child missed a day of school for health reasons and was told by a teacher that his child needed diversity training because he was a white male. Another mother said she felt her daughter was being taught she had to "apologize for being born white."

[soldierant]

28. There are pockets of Ohio which are essentially Confederacy North, and this is nothing new.

The first time i heard this about Ohio was in the eighteies. On a red/blue map, it might even look like most of the state. But remember, land doesn't vote.. They do have Sherrod Brown. And Richard Cordray is from Ohio also.

[ladym55]

34. Sherrod Brown is a jewel

Sadly the state bypassed Richard Cordray for Mike DeWine for governor. Dems here have a really hard time winning statewide elections. Hudson is a very wealthy community, which does not quite fit the tRump voter profiles that are featured on the news. The fact that this happened in wealthy, educated, and supposedly educated Hudson really gives Ohio a black eye.

[70sEraVet]

8. As a member of the American Legion

I salute Department Commander Roger Friend.
'The American Legion Department of Ohio does not hold space for members, veterans, or families of veterans who believe that censoring black history is acceptable behavior."'

[JI7]

9. People don't want to hear good things about black history either

I have noticed this when someone mentions something involving race and it's positive yet racists fill with rage demanding why they had to mention race.

[panader0]

13. Good.

[Random Boomer]

14. This wasn't "black" history that was censored

This was AMERICAN history they were trying to erase.

[George II]

15. That's an impressive statement, especially for Ohio. Now I have to look up where it is....

My bet it's NE, and not Central or SW.

Edit: it's midway between Akron and Cleveland.

[Treefrog]

16. Excellent. I gotta admit I'm surprised. Pleasantly so, for a change.

That was so wrong. Wrong is such a weak word for this, but I can't think of a better one right now.

[bluedigger]

17. Kudos to the American Legion for their quick and decisive response.

Congress take note.

[yardwork]

18. Good.

[wryter2000]

19. Yay

This so needed to happen

[electric_blue68]

20. Woah! Well, good they took action!

[Solly Mack]

21. K&R

[Tom Rinaldo]

22. I'm surprised (and happily so) that the regional American Legion not only took this strong action

but that they were very specific in condemning "censoring black history " rather than just broadly condemning censoring the "free speech" of a member in good standing. Of course actually it was American history that was being censored, but in this case I recognize that the point in calling it black history was to call attention to the fact that the censorship never would have happened had it been whites being spoken of favorably instead.

[spanone]

23. K&R

[Dorian Gray]

24. I have no idea

why they would have wanted to cut that part out of the speech anyhow. How in the hell could anybody find that problematic? It makes no sense even at the most basic level. Nothing controversial at all. And cutting his mike for it? Insane.

They deserve to be let go.

[wellst0nev0ter]

26. Good

Shut down the whole place

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

27. I have to admit, I'm surprised by this.

My impression of the American Legion is that they'd be fine with whitewashing. I guess this only speaks for the American Legion Department of Ohio, but it's still good to hear.

[intheflow]

33. Yeah, who thinks of the American Legion as a bastion of diversity?

In my experience, in New England, American Legion halls are where the white racists go to hang out. But I haven't been to an American Legion hall for 20 years at least. Maybe it's changed. I certainly hope it has.

[BobTheSubgenius]

30. GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

God-damned right!!! That news item from Memorial Day made me see red.

[The Wizard]

31. Stupidity and bigotry

perfect together.

[Hekate]

32. Excellent news