Thursday, November 15, 2007

Local Boy Scouts Accused of Being Too 'Pro-War'

My Son, albeit FOX NEWS got his last name wrong !! O'Connor NOT O'Connell !!

Patrick and his troop were collecting donations to send care packages to the troops in Iraq. Whether you are for or against the War, the troops are made up of our son's and daughters our fathers and mother and our friends. Those people are there because it is their job to be there. Whether we agree with the policies of our government is not the point, here we are heading toward the holiday season and these troops are in harms way and far from their families and some woman named..MARSHA WEINERMAN, from the "Republic of Cambridge" decides that the collections are not appropriate and kicks the Boy Scouts out !! She said the donation boxes were not approved...

Hhmm What's This Marsha?? !!



That was an announcement from the City Of Cambridge Website

Looks like someone approved it!!

I took a screen shot just in case it mysteriously disappears.




Patrick with his Grandfather, a Vietnam Vet, Me to his right and my Granddaughter Raine whose dad was wounded by a roadside bomb while serving in Iraq!

We will all be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas but many families will not!

Donations may be sent to:

Boy Scouts Of America
Troop 45
Po Box 38-1241
Cambridge MA 02238

More info and reactions to this story here on Wicked Local

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow, that makes no sense at all..good luck!

Anonymous said...

This comment is from Patrick'Connor's Grandmother. We are all very proud of Pat and the way he responded to this ridiculous assertion, by some unnamed individual. The Boy Scouts' efforts to bring some comfort to our troops in harm's way should be applauded. The politically correct people need a lesson in common sense correctness.

DarkWing said...

That is crazy! Just absurd

o said...

I think the issue was and is that a polling place cannot and should not be pushing a message...any message. One time when I went to a polling place a local church was running a bake sale. They were asked to remove and setup elsewhere...it is illegal to have that at a polling station any polling station. Next time you are at a polling station you will see no advertisements for candidates and for anything that may be political.

I know people love to joke how liberal Cambridge is and it is not unfounded but this was not about being liberal...it was about polling place should only be about casting your ballot. I know they discourage poll workers from engaging in any "deep" conversation with the voters. Aside from talk of the weather, sports or other non-issue topic, nothing "iffy" is to permitted.

When Charlie company in the National Guard based in Cambridge left to serve in Iraq in the summer there was a city sponsored send off at Cambridge Common. After 9/11 the city put flags on every streetlight in Cambridge within a day after the towers collapsed.

tomshideaway said...

Sally, thanks for your comment, I read about and have seen the law in action with regard to Candidates Signs or signs supporting one or another view on a ballot...I don't think that applies here

From a summary on voting laws I received the following info:

On Election Day, certain activities are prohibited within the polling location and within 150 feet of the polling place. General Law chapter 54, section 65 prohibits within 150 feet of a polling location, among other things, the posting, exhibition, circulation, or distribution of material--including pasters, stickers, posters, cards, handbills, placards, pictures or circulars--intended to influence the action of the voter. G. L. 54, ß 65 (2002 ed.). Consistent with the activities restricted by statute, the implementing regulations prohibit the solicitation of votes for or against, or any other form of promotion or opposition of, any person or political party or position on a ballot question, to be voted on at the current election. 950 C.M.R. ß 54.04(22)(d). Accordingly, a person standing within 150 feet of a polling location, including observers in the polling location, may not: hold any campaign sign; hand any person literature intended to influence the voter’s action at the polls; wear any campaign buttons or identifying signage; solicit a person’s vote for or against a candidate or question on the ballot; or, distribute stickers. Circulators of nomination papers, initiative and referenda petitions are also restricted from soliciting signatures within 150 feet of a building entrance door to a polling place. G. L. c. 54, ß 65 (2002 ed.). This is true even where the nomination papers, initiative petition or referendum have nothing to do with the current election.

I'm no lawyer but I've read it over and over and don't see where this activity would be considered against the law.

Go Red SoX!!

o said...

A polling place is run by the City or County for voting and no other purposes. Every polling place I have gone to have gone through pains to be as neutral as possible. They would probably ban a food drive or clothing drive for the homeless. This has nothing to do with pro-war or anti-war as people especially from Fox seem to indicate.

Re-sign Mike Lowell!!

The Blue Baron said...

Hi. I enjoyed reading your post about the Boy Scouts versus the Cambridge Election Commission, and I thought you might like to know about a brand new blog published under deep cover behind enemy lines in the Peoples Republic. It’s called the Cambridge Patriots Committee, and the URL is

http://patriots02139.wordpress.com/

I also wrote an op-ed regarding Cambridge's "foreign policy" which was just published by the Cambridge Chronicle:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x1382803860