Veterans Day event may be moving away from BLM flag

UVC president: 'Political banners' detract from memories of deceased veterans

By Josh Bickford
Posted 9/17/20

The annual Veterans Day ceremony in Barrington will probably be moved to a new location this year.

A day after the Barrington United Veterans Council's was rebuffed in its request to the town …

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Veterans Day event may be moving away from BLM flag

UVC president: 'Political banners' detract from memories of deceased veterans

Posted

The annual Veterans Day ceremony in Barrington will probably be moved to a new location this year.

A day after the Barrington United Veterans Council's was rebuffed in its request to the town council to remove political banners from the town hall flag pole, the president of the UVC announced the organization would likely be relocating its Veterans Day event.

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Paul Dulchinos said the organization would probably not host the Nov. 11 ceremony at the veterans monument outside the Barrington Town Hall. The flagpole at that memorial currently flies the Black Lives Matter flag underneath the U.S. flag.

"The UVC will probably be moving its November's Veterans Ceremony to Victory Gate at the Barrington High School, if the Town Council continues to fly unofficial political banners over our memorial," Mr. Dulchinos said. "This would be in keeping with our position to not allow political activism to detract from the memories of those veterans who gave their lives fighting against the spread of totalitarianism."

During the council meeting on Monday night, Mr. Dulchinos, speaking on behalf of the Barrington UVC, said the veterans council aimed to protect the dignity of the veterans memorial. He said the only flags that should fly on the flag pole at the veterans memorial are the U.S. flag, the Rhode Island state flag and the POW/MIA flag.

He also proposed a flag-flying policy similar to one passed in other East Bay towns.

Mr. Dulchinos said he would also support a council decision to erect a second flag pole in a different location — away from the veterans memorial — upon which officials could fly whatever flags they choose.

Jacob Brier, a member of the Barrington Town Council, said that not all people in town feel like the American flag represents them.

The council did not act on the policy proposed by the Barrington UVC.

On Tuesday morning, Sept. 15, Mr. Dulchinos and the UVC issued a statement. It read, in part: "We respect everyone's first amendment rights however, we believe there is an appropriate way to express these views without suppressing or canceling the rights of others. We believe the local government should represent all the people of this town and not just the views of a select and very vocal political activist group. Especially, when these groups represent the anthesis of the shared values of our democratic republic."

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