Iraq Vets Banned From Veteran's Day Parade

This post, written by Steven Reynolds, originally appeared on The All Spin Zone

Iraq veterans are banned from marching in Veterans Day Parades. Who the heck do these people think they are supposed to be honoring? If they can't honor Iraq War Veterans, then they need to quit the job of running these parades.

They had a Veterans Day Parade in Long Beach Saturday, and some veterans groups against the War in Iraq applied to join in the parade, presumably to honor their brothers who have died. Alas, politics got in the way. Evidently they no longer allow veterans to participate in Veterans Day Parades unless they are 100% behind the idea of war, no matter the circumstance. From the Press-Telegram:

Iraq veteran Jason Lemieux might not be marching in the 11th annual Long Beach Veterans Day Parade on Saturday. The Marine, who served three tours of duty in Iraq and is now against the war, was hoping to march as a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, a national organization that calls for immediate withdrawal of troops in Iraq.

The group's application, however, was rejected last month because of its political views, parade coordinators said.

"I wanted to march like the rest of the Iraq veterans," said Lemieux, a 24-year-old Anaheim resident. "I served my country. I'm a veteran of a foreign war. I think I deserve that respect."