WWII Veterans Don't Let Government Icompetence Stop Them From Visiting Shut Down War Memorial In Washington DC

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, Sen. Roger Wicker and other lawmakers from around the country met Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight’s World War II veterans this morning and moved the National Park Service barricades to let them into their memorial. A bagpipe processional led the congressmen and veterans to the Mississippi section of the memorial, where veteran Donald Quinn laid the wreath with the help of Palazzo. The barricades were erected in light of the government shutdown, which was prompted after lawmakers failed to reach a funding bill agreement last night. “We cannot deprive our veterans of coming here,” Palazzo said of moving the barricades. “This is their day.”

Palazzo said 10 other Honor Flight groups from all over the nation will be coming to D.C. this week, so he and the other congressmen “took an informal vote” to move the barricade. “Sometime it’s better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission,” he said with a smile. “This is the best civil disobedience we’ve seen in Washington in a while,” Congressman Bill Huizenga, of Michigan, added. As the Mississippi veterans left the memorial to board their buses, a Freedom Flight group of veterans for Iowa arrived. A parks service employee was stationed near the open barricade and told visitors the memorial was closed, but the public continued to pour in. Police officers also arrived on site. Veteran Robert Meredith of Wiggins said, “I thought I was going to have to stand back when we first got here. I feel extremely lucky. This is really nice, a great honor.” 

 ..

…

You think a bunch of WWII Nazi Killers are going to let the Government stop them from visiting a war memorial? Fuck no. I love this story. While the government and all the greasy politicians sit in their ivory tower and bicker, real Americans are going about their every day lives. I don’t even know why or how our government is shut down but I know it’s a joke, and these guys agree. Any politician who has had anything to do with the government’s recent incompetence should take one look at these veterans and immediately feel like assholes for being such fuck ups. Plain and simple.

Also, Panda Cam is down, and that legitimately has impacted my everyday life.

h/t tack