Vets for Freedom: Report from the Minnesota front
posted at 10:37 pm on March 25, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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Earlier today, as AP and Michelle posted, a Forest Lake, MN high school rejected Vets for Freedom speakers that had arranged to visit with students, supposedly because of their “political” content. The Forest Lake Senior High School principal Steve Massey had originally agreed to the visit on the promise that the VFF speakers would avoid political topics, a promise that Pete Hegseth and his colleagues fully intended to honor. However, some parents — egged on by outside agitators — convinced the principal to dishonor his promise, and the event got canceled at the last moment.
Instead, some of the students and VFF supporters met at an American Legion hall that volunteered to host them:
At the American Legion building, about a dozen students from the high school sat in the front row and held up signs, saying, “Thanks vets” and “Support our veterans.” Derek Dovolos, 18, was one of them. A senior at Forest Lake Area High School, he plans to join the Army National Guard after graduating. “I knew they were coming to our school, and when I heard that they weren’t coming that made me angry,” he said. “I’m here to support our troops and that’s all that matters.”
Meanwhile, at the high school, the phones were ringing off the hook from people calling to say they disagreed with the school’s decision to cancel the event, said Carissa Fredrickson, Forest Lake school district spokeswoman.
The Forest Lake event turned out to be tremendously successful; so many more people wanted to support the veterans. The VFF had already scheduled an event for tonight at the Fort Snelling Officers Club, but the event got a lot more publicity from the fiasco in Forest Lake. Fortunately, that’s only about ten minutes away from my home, and another meeting we had tonight got postponed. I went to the club expecting to see a few dozen people in a hastily-arranged setting. Instead, I found around 150 or so people crammed into a standing-room only venue. The crowd had to spill out into the foyer, the bar, and two auxiliary rooms to contain all of the Minnesotans who dropped everything to support the VFF speakers.
We did not get disappointed by the event. For two hours, we heard from notables such as Rep. John Kline and a representative of Senator Norm Coleman, State Rep. Bob Dettmer, and Merrilee Carlson from Families United. However, the most powerful speakers were, of course, the veterans: Pete Hegseth, Jeremiah Workman, David Bellavia, and Tim Parks. I got video of Hegseth and Bellavia, as well as John Kline’s address to the group. I’ll be posting each separately tomorrow — and I hope it will prompt people to visit the VFF site and support the group.
And I’m saving Bellavia for last. When you see it, you’ll know why.
In the meantime, here are a few pictures from the event. Here’s my friends John Hinderaker of Power Line (read his account here), and Sgt_H from our Ed Morrissey Show webchat:
Uncle Jimbo from BlackFive:
Pete Hegseth:
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Hoo-ah.
Russ on March 25, 2008 at 10:46 PM
Glad you got to go and I can’t wait to see your posts.
God Bless Our Troops!
atxcowgirl on March 25, 2008 at 10:46 PM
I would love to have attended and shown my support for these guys but I’m in California. Thanks, Ed for doing it for those of us who couldn’t be there.
Cicero43 on March 25, 2008 at 10:47 PM
And if I were a parent I’d be ticked as hell at the poor job they’re doing of “educating”.
4shoes on March 25, 2008 at 10:48 PM
Thanks for the post Ed! I’ve been trying to spread the word all day long. I would encourage everyone to shoot an e-mail over to the Forest Lake HS principal and school board when they get the chance. I was on the USS Midway when they kicked off this tour and it was a fantastic evening. If you’re a HotAir reader and can spare 10 bucks…Vets for Freedom is a very worthwhile organization.
davenp35 on March 25, 2008 at 10:50 PM
Bravo!
Jaibones on March 25, 2008 at 10:57 PM
Ok fine. Then no more school protests/walkouts, peace signs, etc… Too political.
THE CHOSEN ONE on March 25, 2008 at 10:57 PM
Awesome! Way to go Derek Dovolos and the great people in Forest Lake!
I pledge support for Vets for Freedom.
RushBaby on March 25, 2008 at 10:59 PM
I miss the good old days when Vets groups worried more about taking care of Vets instead of getting involved with foreign policy debates. If you are a vet and want to get involved in politics join a political party, don’t politicize vets with these think tanks disguised as Vet groups. Whenever I see these guys and Vote Vets continually debating on TV I want to throw up.
LevStrauss on March 25, 2008 at 11:02 PM
Good on ya Ed.
I had a prior commitment that I couldn’t reschedule or I certainly would have been there.
Go vets!
Go active duty!
Amendment X on March 25, 2008 at 11:10 PM
I should sharpen my previous point slightly. I call them think tanks because I am trying to show them respect for their service, anyone else would be called a propaganda arm because all they do when they debate on both sides is spew the party talking points, not much thinking is really involved. If it was something more than talking points I would not mind it as much.
LevStrauss on March 25, 2008 at 11:10 PM
If it was something more than talking points I would not mind it as much.
LevStrauss on March 25, 2008 at 11:10 PM
Apparently you have never served in our military. These men and women are not political pawns, they go where no one else will go and are willing to lay down their lives so that folks such as yourself can have the freedom to disagree with them!
nwsseeker on March 25, 2008 at 11:15 PM
You see the biggest problem is that the vets have been FORCED to get political. These guys put their lives on the line to protect this country and the inhabitants but communist socialist politicians want to pull the rug out from under them! These men and women give up much comfort and freedom to allow others to be free from the tyranny that terrorists and their ilk try to foist onto America! I would much rather have our fighting men and women defeating terror in another country then to allow that terror to come to this country which it DID DO while Billary and Hill were in office together! (Oh, but they came on Bush’s watch!!!) BUT WHEN WAS IT PLANNED AND PREPARED??? WHEN THE CLINTONS INHABITED THE WHITE HOUSE! I said Good Day!
Vntnrse on March 25, 2008 at 11:20 PM
Ed - thanks for the report. Family committments kept me from attending even though I really wanted to be there.
LL
Lady Logician on March 25, 2008 at 11:21 PM
Zing!
RushBaby on March 25, 2008 at 11:30 PM
Thanks for the update! Keep up the good fight!
SouthernGent on March 25, 2008 at 11:32 PM
This post is why I hate pictures. It was great meeting you Ed. Scott and John from Powerline were great as well. It was really a fun event.
Sgt_H on March 25, 2008 at 11:39 PM
Those that cast their pearls among swine are doomed to roll in the mud.
Our vets are pearls and politicians are swine.
LevStrauss on March 25, 2008 at 11:44 PM
That’s fantastic! My oldest son is in the Minnesota Army National Guard and I couldn’t be prouder. Thanks for the update Ed.
TheCulturalist on March 25, 2008 at 11:59 PM
If they would have just worn pink, the school likely would have canceled the rest of the day and required the students to attend.
91Veteran on March 26, 2008 at 12:13 AM
If the battle were over then I would agree, but as it is still ongoing on three fronts (Iraq, Afghanistan and here) then I see what they are doing as supporting those still deployed.
91Veteran on March 26, 2008 at 12:16 AM
And to follow up on 91Vet’s point, the front here is the only one the other side has any chance of winning. We have to make sure they don’t.
I was sure sorry that the tour didn’t have a stop in the Dallas area; if I’d caught the schedule earlier, I’d have made the ript to Austin or San Antonio.
michaelo on March 26, 2008 at 12:25 AM
I know what you mean. I feel the same why when I see the AARP going all political about senior issues. The nerve of those people. They should learn their place.
TheCulturalist on March 26, 2008 at 12:30 AM
Met David,Pete,Jeremiah,Ltc Russell and of course Uncle Jimbo in L.A. on th 15th. If you have the chance to see these Heroes please do it will be well worth your time.
jpsc1 on March 26, 2008 at 12:37 AM
Do you have the when and where?
TheCulturalist on March 26, 2008 at 12:39 AM
Semper Fi!
Johan Klaus on March 26, 2008 at 12:40 AM
Proud of ya for going!
I will be standing with my Brothers in DC on 4/7 and 4/8 in DC!!
Snooper on March 26, 2008 at 12:50 AM
Check out Vets For Freedom.com
jpsc1 on March 26, 2008 at 1:03 AM
Thanks Snooper,wish I could be there. Live on the west coast. Looking forward to my Sons return from Iraq sometime between the 18th and 23rd. Oh yea he is a MARINE. OOH RAH.
jpsc1 on March 26, 2008 at 1:31 AM
As a Viet-Nam era guy, it is nice to see our service men standing up and not taking it anymore…and fighting to regain ground lost during the 70’s.
right2bright on March 26, 2008 at 8:31 AM
Thank God for the vets. The whiners, not so much.
rbj on March 26, 2008 at 8:31 AM
Liberal douchebags. Pass at an opportunity for real American heros to talk to kids? Thank God for our vets. God Bless Our Vets!
What has a local school administrator done to promote, protect, and defend the liberty we enjoy today or benefit the United States, in general?
(Sound of crickets chirping)
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 26, 2008 at 9:57 AM
Dettmer, R-Forest Lake feels bad??? He feels BAD???? I Mad as Hell and it is not even my district. When did “Republicans” become so WIMPY?!
Branch Rickey on March 26, 2008 at 10:07 AM
Roger That, davenp35. These guys are great!
Branch Rickey on March 26, 2008 at 10:22 AM
My grandparents are buried at Ft Snelling National Cemetary. They came to America at the first of the 20 century, that would be the 1900’s for those who attend gubmint schools. Grandfather was from Germany, grandmother from Norway. He as a SEABEE during WWII. Being German he had to serve in the Pacific. They adopted several children from Germany and brought them to America when Hitler was rising to power. My mom was one of them. They lived in MN all their life, I was born there, and I still have an uncle who lives up there. He was in the Army during the Korean War. To say he was tad upset over what happened to these vets at this high school is a mild understatement.
Don’t know why I had to say all of that other then to let the VFF group know that there are people in MN who support them, and by visiting Ft Snelling you have honored my ancestors by their presence.
I live in GA now and the tour really isn’t coming close to us, but I would really love to meet these guys.
As always “Adapt and Overcome” and “Deeds not Words” will win the day.
Just A Grunt on March 26, 2008 at 10:39 AM
Anybody else going to the Vets on the Hill rally? VFF, April 8th, Capitol Building. I hope to meet some of my fellow Hotheads there!
Tony737 on March 26, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Meanwhile: “Kansas State University: Dancing in the Blood of Fallen American Heroes.”
http://kalapanapundit.blogspot.com/2008/03/kansas-state-university-dancing-in.html
Kalapana on March 26, 2008 at 12:06 PM
I ditto Cicero.
There’s no way to thank these men and women. God bless them all. Semper Fi.
Christine on March 26, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Just a Grunt
A few of my fellow Vietnam Marines and I will be going to Ft. Snelling on Saturday to pay respects to a few of our “brothers” We would be honored to do the same for your grandparents. Incidentally, the state of Mn has just passed into law the establishing of March 29 as Mn Vietnam Veterans Day. While, I suppose this is nice, I smell something bad since the MN legislature is left of left..
Semper Fi! Grunt
MNDavenotPC on March 26, 2008 at 1:39 PM
This appears to be what scared the sh*t out of the pansy princple. By God I HATE these folks!
Ex-tex on March 26, 2008 at 1:48 PM
From the democratunderground:
Thanks.
Ex-tex on March 26, 2008 at 1:52 PM
Looking forward to the stop in Ft. Campbell. I plan to be there. The web site just lists a ‘book signing’ in the PX. Anyone have any further information on where, when or if there will be a scheduled talk at this stop?
dustoffmom on March 26, 2008 at 2:15 PM
Move away. If the principal of either high school where I live did this he wouldn’t hold his job another day (although one of them is a retired Lt Colonel and the likelihood of him doing this is nonexistent). People who honor and respect those who serve this country are still in the majority in some areas.
Buford on March 26, 2008 at 2:15 PM
It’s nice to know that our schools never do or teach anything political…like Global Warming, Mother Earth, Green - Save the Planet, Re-writing History with a liberal agenda, Political Correctness around EVERYTHING…never mind…
sabbott on March 27, 2008 at 8:13 AM
Censorship in our schools is exercised when anything pro-American or conservative is presented for consideration. If the group had been gay, dope pushing pimps they would have been received with open arms. Liberls work to bring this country to our knees so they can rebuild it in the image of liberalism. If they control the thought patterns of our students then the dumbing of America continues at an accelerating pace.
volsense on March 28, 2008 at 9:54 AM