An Inappropriate Display At The Greece Memorial Day Parade By Jon Powers?
I received the following e-mail today and am posting it verbatim in its entirety. It pretty much speaks for itself.
To whom it may concern at Monroerising.com:
I know you people are the only ones who will allow this to be shared with the public. Please feel free to use this on your website.
Yesterday, I attended the Greece Memorial Day parade and ceremony that followed. Out of respect for those that served and died for our freedoms, I wanted to wait until today to write to you about something I witnessed that upset me, and those watching the parade around me, greatly.
You see, Memorial Day has a very special meaning to me. Like many, I too had several family members whose names now appear on the Town of Greece Memorial wall. The parade serves as a wonderful acknowledgement of our veterans who are still with us. It warmed my heart to see the young parents of the young children around us ask them to stand up and applaud our vets as they walked by. I expect that many of those parents were explaining the meaning of Memorial Day and why it’s more than a day off from school and family barbecues. And the ceremony that follows was appropriately somber as officials read the names of our fallen heroes.
Also participating in these events are our elected officials and candidates running for office. I’ll grant that they have a place here on this day too since our democracy and our freedoms were not only crafted through war, but also through the efforts of those who serve in our government passing laws that protect us and keep us safe.
However, these people know to keep their participation low key and to not overshadow the true meaning behind the day. All acted accordingly, except for one political candidate running for office. 26th Congressional candidate, Jon Powers.
Now, to his credit, Powers is an Iraqi War veteran who deserves our respect for serving this country. It is for his fellow brothers and sisters in arms that we celebrate this day.
Unfortunately, whether it was his or his political teams decision for which he is responsible, Powers’ display at the Memorial Day events was at the very least disappointing.
I watched as teams of political workers wearing Powers for Congress campaign t-shirts walked along the parade route handing out election leaflets. I wasn’t given one (I would have politely said ‘no thank you’ if I had) but watched as some of those that did shook their heads as the group of campaign workers moved on.
As Powers walked by, I stood and applauded, as that is still the proper show of respect. But I was disappointed again as what appeared to be a film crew was capturing footage of Powers walking the route. At first I thought it was a television crew but there was no identification on their cameras. What is the point of having your campaign team film you walking in a Memorial Day parade? On a day that we are supposed to be honoring our fallen servicemen and women, it is completely inappropriate to be capturing footage which will most likely be used in some political campaign TV commercial.
As we walked to observe the Memorial ceremony, I saw the same group of Powers political campaign workers, still wearing their campaign shirts, walk as a group towards the area where the people wishing to pay their respects, and, more importantly for the Powers’ team, the hundreds of voters were located.
I took a deep breadth as I tried to push away the anger that began to well up inside me. I focused on why I and the many people, at least, were there.
It’s one thing to walk in the Memorial day parade as an elected official or candidate. I have no problem with that and support it if they know not to make it overtly political.
But a team of campaign workers handing out political flyers and a film crew videotaping your supposed sincerity as you shake hands and salute other military men and women is disgusting and totally disgraces the lives that were lost throughout our nation’s history. I’m sorry Mr. Powers, but that was absolutely the wrong message to send to perhaps the largest voting town in the district.
It pains me to say this because I have many veterans in my own family, but I lost a lot of respect for Jon Powers yesterday. I and my family and friends who were there will definitely not be voting for Jon Powers.
10 Responses to “An Inappropriate Display At The Greece Memorial Day Parade By Jon Powers?”
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Jon Powers’ supporters came to march with him in the parade, but at the last minute the parade organizer (Assistant town supervisor of Greece) told Mr
Powers his supporters would not be allowed to march with him, but were free
to walk the sidelines. The supporters did exactly as instructed by the town.
There was a cameraman shooting footage of Jon Powers. He is not employed by the campaign. He is Michael Tucker, is the independent film maker who made “Gunner Palace” a documentary about US soliders in Iraq. The film featured Capt. Jon Powers and the men of his company. Now, five years later, Mr Tucker is doing a sequel in which he documents the present-day life of five of the former soldiers. Jon Powers will be one of the five former soliders to be featured in the new film.
I also noticed that at the Memorial Ceremony only republicans were allowed to read the names of fallen Greece soldiers. Boy, was I surprised and insulted that County Legislator Dick Beebe,( a veteran,) was made to stand in the back of the group and passed over and even people that had some minor offices and probably no veteran backrounds were given the honor because they were republican insiders. Let’s not dignify or condone schoolyard ” mean girl” insider clique behavior when we should have been respecting those who have sacrificed their health or even their lives for our freedom. I’m sure that freedom is not only for republicans.
It doesn’t matter to me if Jon Powers was told his political campaign workers HAD to wear their campaign shirts AND had to hand out political flyers.
You still don’t do it. It’s offensive to the families of Greece residents who are there to honor our vets, including Powers. He should know better.
And for his movie, just gather some film of Powers away from a somber memorial event. I’m sure Powers doesn’t want the perception that he cares more about the film that local vets, their familes and Greece residents. Couldn’t he tell the guy, “Not now. This isn’t the place for the movie shoot stuff?”
Pedal, as you seem to know in great detail about what Powers and the camaign group were doing and discussions that took place, can I asume you were one of the campaign workers? If so, what was on that flyer being handed out? Acknowledgements of Greece’s fallen veteran heroes I hope?
I don’t expect Powers to know what you guys are doing all the time, although he is responsible for the campaign team’s actions overall.
But you guys really should know that your bad decisions will affect him and his candidacy this November.
Please, correct me if I’m wrong and you are actually just an interested Greece resident with no ties to the Powers political campaign who just happened to overhear comments in the staging area between Powers’ people and a town official, and who knows exactly who the camera guy was, his name, his prior documentary from 5 years ago and the one he’s working on now for Powers during the political campaign Jon’s running.
And you know Dick Beebe, a freshman legislator whom I wouldn’t recognize even if you pointed him out to me (no offense Dick, but you’re not from around here). If so, sorry. If not, I can’t take your supposed offense seriously. You’re a political camapign worker. You’re supposed to defend members of your political party. It’s your job.
But, you mean Beebe was up there with the rest of the elected offcials? Wow, he gets treated better by Greece than Republicans do in the City, Brighton or Irondequoit. Good for him. They must play more fair in Greece.
But seriously, what were you guys handing out anyway?
The real way to avoid this sort of nonsense is to have a strict “no politics” rule for Memorial Day parades.
In Fairport, there were no candidate T-shirts, only elected officials marching, and all of the village / town officials marched together — and no “Perinton GOP” or “Perinton Dems” banners like you see on July 4th.
They had General Batiste as a honorary guest afterwards. I know he’s not a favorite here, but I thought it was a sign of class that the GOP Fairport mayor GOP Perinton Supervisor also put aside politics and invited him — as a local, highly-decorated, retired two-star general.
I wasn’t going to comment on this, but a site supporting Jon Powers seems to be conducting damage control right now and they’re not telling the truth.
First, they have some guy from Albany saying that Powers’ opponent was doing the same thing. This is a complete lie. I was at the parade and Powers was the only political candidate that had workers walking the parade route in their political shirts handing out Powers stuff. I don’t know what his opponent looks like, but I saw no other political workers there, republicans or democrats. Just signs on cars. If Powers’ people will lie for him like this, what does that say about him and what kind of politician he will be? This isn’t good.
Someone else there says that a parade and ceremony that memorializes our vets is a PERFECT place to conduct political campaign activities. Who does Powers have running his campaign? A bunch of uncaring, unrespectful dolts? Truly sickening.
Only one person, who seems to be from Greece, hits the nail on the head saying that this was just an “opportunity for crass political posturing.” Exactly! They’ll probably attack him for that.
And I applaud John Auberger for telling Powers’ campaign workers that handing out political flyers on a day when we’re supposed to be honoring veterans was wrong, totally wrong. Thank you!!!
And do you know what Mr. Powers was giving those people who came to pay their respects to our local veterans who gave their lives for us? Buffalo Bills football game schedules! On Memorial Day! Can you believe that? Mine’s in the recycling bin right now.
I personally think Powers and his staff conducted themselves in this manner on purpose just to stir the pot and get him some coverage in the local blogs. Well, it worked and I’m now guilty of helping him out. But the lying from Powers people really ticked me off.
I however think his politicising of the Greece Memorial Day events will backfire come election time. I’m going to start reading up on Christopher Lee. Can you people post some information about him here please?
Hello Stampede,
Your name is appropriate, because I feel as if you’re trying to “stampede” over me! Please do not assume I work for the Powers campaign. I don’t. A friend of mine does volunteer for the campaign and I tagged along to watch the parade. That’s how I heard some of the “behind the scenes” info. I’m interested in film making and I spoke to Michael Tucker about his work. I had the priviledge of meeting Job Powers for the first time there, and I would’ve enjoyed meeting other candidates too. You are entitled to your views about what behavior you find acceptable on Memorial Day. I think you should remember that several candidates, mostly Republicans, marched in the Greece parade and behaved the same as Jon Powers.
Pedal: please reread my post. I allow for the fact that you might not be part of the Powers political campaign team. Coincidences are funny things sometimes.
Now, I’m getting conflicting reports here. Are you saying that Republican and other Democrat candidates had campaign staffers wearing political campaign shirts who walked along the parade distributing political campaign brochures to people enjoying the parade and paying their respects to veterans?
I’ll be the first to correct anyone who posts here if what you are saying is the truth.
We are all indeed entitled to our opinions. I still feel Powers bringing his political team to campaign at a memorial parade and ceremony is inappropriate.
And I’d say the same about any elected official or candidate who behaved the same way.
Inappropriate and offensive, yet unsurprising.
Wow… Sad that someone would politicize memorial day. I bet John McCain, and other Republicans, would never do such a thing. Why, I bet McCain didn’t do anything remotely political on memorial day, and steard clear of any election states. Oh.. wait. Maybe not.
And yes, I consider politics being a bad mix on this day as well. I think all of the instances of politicians trying to spin a day for remembering veterans is wrong. Difference is, I think it’s wrong for either (any?) party to do so, since I’m not a hypocrite or a [direction]-leaning tool.
If John McCain, Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton brought campaign workers to the Greece Memorial Day parade and handed out political flyers as Jon Powers did, we would have said the same thing about them and posters here have said as much. There’s no difference between you and them. Just because McCain or anyone else did something too, doesn’t let Powers off the hook.
The “both sides did it” doesn’t make it ok or correct an impropriety. This political tactic is often used to deflect attention away from the original person being called out. The liberal and conservative sites in this community do not do the work of the opposite side. Therefore you won’t see either submitting all of their own side’s faults. These are all my opinions, not accusations towards you or your comments. Please don’t try to spin them that way. Thanks.
So, you agree that what Jon Powers did is wrong too. I think most of us are in agreement then.
Welcome back.
Oh ya, that’s right. I was just about to forget about this article.
So, a woman and some others express concern and disappointment that Jon Powers would politicize Memorial Day ceremonies and his supporters defend him and make excuses for his actions.
I hope there are no women volunteering for Powers. I wonder if they know his stance on the exploitation of women?