On Friday I speculated that Obama’s visit to Las Cruces, NM on Memorial Day would be a “kiss and make up” session aimed at courting the military vote here…especially since he made his ill-advised comment on primary season being likethe Bataan Death March.
The Sunday paper today has the following across the top of it, right above the article entitled “Wine Time” (about the Southern New Mexico Wine Festival, not about Obama’s frequent whining and victim positioning).
On the web, the story is:
Obama’s stop in Las Cruces ‘invitation-only’
LAS CRUCES — U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s visit Monday to Las Cruces will be invitation-only and focus on veterans, his campaign confirmed today. Because the Memorial Day Veterans Town Hall, as it is being billed, is not open to the public, Obama’s campaign handlers insisted the location not be publicized.The front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination will be joined by Gov. Bill Richardson, who endorsed Obama on March 21. The Sun-News and other media has been invited and will cover the midday event.
The paper today has more details. The affair is being billed as a “Memorial Day Veterans’ Town Hall” and will occur midday on Monday “except to the media.” Bill Richardson’s office issued the release which also mentions that “a few stops” are planned.
The paper quotes Amy Brundage, a campaign spokesperson that Obama will discuss “the importance of keeping the sacred trust with our nation’s veterans with local veterans and their families.” Apparently, a few days before the Bataan Memorial Death March on March 30, he wasn’t thinking much of any “sacred trust” then.
The commander of VFW Post 6917 in Las Cruces, of course, hasn’t heard anything about the event as yet. His post is going ahead with their wreath-laying ceremony and graveside services at a local cemetary. An ex-commander with the VFW has said that he had heard that Obama will be showing up a the Veterans Wall at Veterans Park, which is also the site of a dramatic memorial to the Bataan Death March.
The Bataan Memorial features a statue of struggling men and footprints which is quite impressive. It is located hear the road. Further into the park there is a a covered area, with another large area behind it which is adjacent to an open desert area. It is a very interesting park to visit because there are paths and memorials throughout one side of the park. People go there to reflect and meditate on the loss of loved ones in these quiet areas.
From my previous post at the time of Obama’s insensitive comment:
Las Cruces, New Mexico, of course, is the site of the annual Bataan Memorial Death March, which was first held in 1989. This year the event will be held on March 30…that’s right, this Sunday! Last year over 4,000 participants took part in the march…The Las Cruces memorial is pictured here. According to the site, “is the only federally funded monument dedicated to the victims of the Bataan Death March during WWII.”
It’s not clear if the park will be the site of the “town hall.” If it’s held at the park, one can only hope that non-military Obama supporters won’t try to crash it. It’s bad enough the event is so obviously being done with political intent…but, since it’s happening, it should proceed with some dignity, if at all possible.
Some of the actions of some Obama supporters makes one wonder how all this will turn out…
Filed under: Current Politics | Tagged: Add new tag, Barack Obama, Bataan Death March, Bataan Memorial Death March, Bill Richardson, VFW Post 6917 | 2 Comments »
InsightAnalytical -- Watching Our World 