Veteran’s Microphone Muted As He Talked About Black History Of Memorial Day

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An organizer of a Memorial Day event in Hudson, Ohio, muted a military veteran’s microphone midway through his address after he started to talk about the Black history of the commemoration.

The audio on retired Army Lt. Col. Barnard Kemter’s keynote speech for the Hudson American Legion was suddenly cut on Monday as he spoke about freed slaves being among the first to honor fallen troops soon after the surrender of the Confederacy, reported the Akron Beacon Journal.

In a video shared online by Hudson Community Television, Kemter tapped his microphone, made light of the issue and carried on with his speech.

“I assumed it was a technical glitch,” Kemter told The Washington Post.

Cindy Suchan, an organizer of the event, confirmed to the Beacon Journal the audio had been turned down on purpose because Kemter’s comments were “not relevant to our program for the day,” which was “honoring Hudson veterans.”

The audio was restored after two minutes.

Suchan said organizers before the event asked Kemter “to modify his speech and he chose not to do that.” Suchan said she and another organizer, Jim Garrison, were responsible for muting the microphone after a sound engineer refused to follow their request. She didn’t reveal who actually cut the sound.

Kemter lamented the muting of his address. It was recorded in full on a camera microphone, and Kemter said it was “well-received” and prompted “numerous compliments.”

“I find it interesting that (the American Legion) … would take it upon themselves to censor my speech and deny me my First Amendment right to [freedom of] speech,” Kemter told the Beacon Journal. “… This is not the same country I fought for.”

The Ohio American Legion said it was investigating.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/veteran- ... 9ca97198f9

But there is no racism involved. :sarcasm:
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

Re: Veteran’s Microphone Muted As He Talked About Black History Of Memorial Day

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As a people we are facing a fork in the road of American History. The one taking the route leading backwards will be apparent in their words and actions. That is their karma to bear. Freedom entails taking the difficult path toward redemption.
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent." -Gandhi

Re: Veteran’s Microphone Muted As He Talked About Black History Of Memorial Day

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He was their keynote speaker, not someone who made an impromptu speech from the audience. It's stirred up a lot of negativity towards the American Legion which has always been a conservative organization.
In a statement, the American Legion Department of Ohio confirmed “events culminated in Mr. Kemter’s microphone being shut off by an unknown person,” and it’s investigating the incident thoroughly, which pleases Kemter.

“I think it’s the right thing for them to do,” he said.
https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/loc ... morial-day
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Veteran’s Microphone Muted As He Talked About Black History Of Memorial Day

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highdesert wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:13 am He was their keynote speaker, not someone who made an impromptu speech from the audience. It's stirred up a lot of negativity towards the American Legion which has always been a conservative organization.
In a statement, the American Legion Department of Ohio confirmed “events culminated in Mr. Kemter’s microphone being shut off by an unknown person,” and it’s investigating the incident thoroughly, which pleases Kemter.

“I think it’s the right thing for them to do,” he said.
https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/loc ... morial-day
After a through investigation it was found to be a defective sound system. :sarcasm:
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

Re: Veteran’s Microphone Muted As He Talked About Black History Of Memorial Day

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Many years ago I attended the annual meeting of a non-profit, it included lunch and was suppose to run an hour and a half. The guest speaker was an older man from out of town who had experience in the non-profit. They gave him a time frame, but he drolled on and on and on. The MC whispered in his ear to wrap it up, then stood next to him on the stage and finally the mic was cut. By that time most of the audience was gone, they had to get back to work.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Veteran’s Microphone Muted As He Talked About Black History Of Memorial Day

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Memorial Day mic cut: Hudson American Legion Post's charter suspended, leader resigns

The charter of Hudson's American Legion post was suspended as its leader resigned Friday after a veteran's mic got cut while he spoke about Black Americans' role in the history of Memorial Day.

The actions come four days after the leader of the Hudson Legion and head of the Legion's auxiliary were involved with cutting retired Army Lt. Col. Bernard Kemter's microphone during a Memorial Day ceremony in Hudson.

"Effective immediately, [American Legion Department of Ohio] Department Commander Roger Friend has suspended [the] Hudson Lee-Bishop American Legion Post 464 Charter pending permanent closure," stated a news release issued by the American Legion Department of Ohio Friday afternoon. "Upon demand, Jim Garrison has also resigned as a Post Officer and we have since demanded that he resign his membership altogether. The American Legion Department of Ohio does not hold space for members, veterans, or families of veterans who believe that censoring (Black) history is acceptable behavior."

Garrison had served as adjutant of American Legion Lee-Bishop Post 464.

The American Legion Department of Ohio's executive board members who attended a Friday morning meeting unanimously backed Friend's decision to suspend the Hudson American Legion charter, said Suzette Heller, the state Legion's department adjutant.

Heller said the Hudson post has 60 days to respond to the formal complaint that the state Legion provided to them. She noted the Hudson post has 58 members.

"I don’t believe they will get members to show [for a meeting], much less vote, to keep the post open at this point," Heller said late Friday afternoon. "We are in communication with the members via email, phone and mail, about the status of their post. So far, no members of Hudson Post 464 have reached out to [the American Legion] Department [of Ohio] to fight for this post, that I am aware of."

After the Hudson post is given a chance to respond, the American Legion Department of Ohio will retrieve all possessions of the post and move its members to Streetsboro's American Legion Post 685, Heller said. She noted the Hudson members also are welcome to join a different post if they wish.

The Hudson post property will be secured by the state "within the next seven days," Heller said.

Both Garrison and Cindy Suchan, who chairs the Memorial Day Parade committee and is president of the Hudson American Legion Auxiliary, had been asked by Friend to resign after the state office's investigation determined the two "intentionally censored Lt. Col Bernard Kemter, US Army (Ret.) during his Memorial Day speech hosted by American Legion Post 464 of Hudson, Ohio."

Suchan has not resigned, but Heller said her case is being handled by the American Legion Auxiliary of Ohio.

Heller said Suchan also is being asked to give up her membership in the auxiliary.

An official with the American Legion Auxiliary of Ohio told the Beacon Journal they were meeting Friday to discuss Suchan, but declined further comment.

Garrison and Suchan also are being asked to make a "formal apology" to the city of Hudson, all American Legion organizations, its members, veterans and people of all backgrounds, Heller said.

Garrison and Suchan could not be reached Friday for comment.

Suchan previously said it was either her or Garrison who turned down the audio at Monday's Memorial Day ceremony as Kemter spoke. When pressed, she would not say who specifically did it.

Suchan told the Beacon Journal earlier this week Kemter's mic was turned down because it “was not relevant to our program for the day," and added the “theme of the day was honoring Hudson veterans.”

The state Legion said its investigation found Suchan received a copy of Kemter's speech in advance and asked him to remove a portion of the speech where he described how newly freed Black slaves gave an honorable burial to deceased Union soldiers shortly after the end of the Civil War.

In its news release, the state Legion said it determined the "censoring" of Kemter's speech was "pre-meditated and planned by … Garrison and … Suchan."

"They knew exactly when to turn the volume down and when to turn it back up," the state Legion office said in its news release.

The state Legion office said the actions were "a violation of the ideals and purposes of the American Legion," and concluded that "good and sufficient cause exists to revoke, cancel or suspend the charter of Lee-Bishop Post #464, Inc."

The state Legion office expressed its disappointment with the actions of Post 464.

"We are deeply saddened by this and stand in unity and solidarity with the Black community and all peoples of race, color, religion, sex, and gender, so that those who are exclusive of such persons will know that this behavior is not acceptable in The American Legion, in our homes, our hearts, our communities, in private, public, or anywhere," the state Legion office stated. "We will continue to educate the value of diversity. Being different amongst each other is what makes us better – together."
https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/new ... 543211002/

I applaud the actions of the State Legion in regards to the Legion Post 464. I know of many American Legion and VFW Post where had that happen at their post no action would be taken or at the most a tap on the wrist.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

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