Posted on May 12, 2015
Whitehall, Pa. Vets upset with Mayor Ed Hozza for taking down the POW/MIA flag (What are your thoughts on this issue?)
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Whitehall, PA vets are angry at Mayor Ed Hozza
Jonn Lilyea | May 12, 2015
For some stupid reason, Mayor Ed Hozza decided that Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania needed a Syrian flag raising on public property. To accomplish that, he took the POW/MIA flag down from the pole and raised the Syrian national flag in it’s place. The article at WFMZ doesn’t explain why that was particularly important at the time, but they are rather graphic about the anger that resulted at a township commissioners meeting last night when veterans confronted the mayor;
Some called for Hozza to resign.
One man claimed he violated federal laws.
Another compared him to “Hanoi Jane,” a name given to actress Jane Fonda, who will never be forgiven by many vets for what they consider her traitorous visit to North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
Township resident Kevin Seyfried declared the only time the POW/MIA flag is allowed to come down “is when all 88,000 POWs and MIAs return home.” He also maintained no other flag is allowed to fly on the same pole as the American flag. And he said the U.S. State Department considers Syria a terrorist-supporting country — yet its flag was placed underneath the American flag at the April 18 program.
Seyfried asked township commissioners to take formal action so the POW flag “never comes down again.” He also wanted “a public apology from all who were involved on April 18 to POWs, MIAs, their families, the veterans, the people of this township and the men and women serving our country today.” Seyfried was loudly cheered and applauded.
The article goes on for five more pages. But it looks to me like veterans in Whitehall have a handle on this. Some of them, it is pointed out in the article, wore motorcycle club vests – so, oh, so scary veterans were there.
I’m just curious as to why the mayor decided to raise the Syrian flag in Pennsylvania.
Township resident Nidal Yacoub also apologized, saying there was no intention to insult anyone by having the flag raising. “If what we did caused any insult to anybody, we do apologize,” said Yacoub. “We respect the troops, we respect the veterans. “We come from Syria, but we’re American. We live here now. We don’t like to insult anybody. Accept our apology if that caused any harm to anyone of you.”
Yeah, well, just coming from somewhere doesn’t justify raising a flag from that place on US government property. And why the mayor would think it wouldn’t piss off people is beyond me. He should be removed from office just because of his poor judgement.
Jonn Lilyea | May 12, 2015
For some stupid reason, Mayor Ed Hozza decided that Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania needed a Syrian flag raising on public property. To accomplish that, he took the POW/MIA flag down from the pole and raised the Syrian national flag in it’s place. The article at WFMZ doesn’t explain why that was particularly important at the time, but they are rather graphic about the anger that resulted at a township commissioners meeting last night when veterans confronted the mayor;
Some called for Hozza to resign.
One man claimed he violated federal laws.
Another compared him to “Hanoi Jane,” a name given to actress Jane Fonda, who will never be forgiven by many vets for what they consider her traitorous visit to North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
Township resident Kevin Seyfried declared the only time the POW/MIA flag is allowed to come down “is when all 88,000 POWs and MIAs return home.” He also maintained no other flag is allowed to fly on the same pole as the American flag. And he said the U.S. State Department considers Syria a terrorist-supporting country — yet its flag was placed underneath the American flag at the April 18 program.
Seyfried asked township commissioners to take formal action so the POW flag “never comes down again.” He also wanted “a public apology from all who were involved on April 18 to POWs, MIAs, their families, the veterans, the people of this township and the men and women serving our country today.” Seyfried was loudly cheered and applauded.
The article goes on for five more pages. But it looks to me like veterans in Whitehall have a handle on this. Some of them, it is pointed out in the article, wore motorcycle club vests – so, oh, so scary veterans were there.
I’m just curious as to why the mayor decided to raise the Syrian flag in Pennsylvania.
Township resident Nidal Yacoub also apologized, saying there was no intention to insult anyone by having the flag raising. “If what we did caused any insult to anybody, we do apologize,” said Yacoub. “We respect the troops, we respect the veterans. “We come from Syria, but we’re American. We live here now. We don’t like to insult anybody. Accept our apology if that caused any harm to anyone of you.”
Yeah, well, just coming from somewhere doesn’t justify raising a flag from that place on US government property. And why the mayor would think it wouldn’t piss off people is beyond me. He should be removed from office just because of his poor judgement.
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Flags and Vexillology
Flags and Vexillology
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SGT (Join to see)
Yes he did.
Mayor Ed Hozza Jr. apologized Monday for briefly removing Whitehall Township's POW-MIA flag during a Syrian flag raising ceremony in April.
Hozza said he did not intend to offend the Lehigh Valley veterans who castigated him for the lapse in flag etiquette during a rowdy board of commissioners meeting on Monday.
His intent, he said, was to give members of the region's Syrian-American community a place to celebrate their heritage after Mayor Ed Pawlowski denied the American Amarian Syrian Charity Society's request to hold the event in Allentown.
Pawlowski said the request was denied because Syria has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. State Department.
"As mayor, I represent everyone in our diverse community of Whitehall," Hozza said, including residents of Syrian descent. "I love this country and cherish our veteran community."
He pointed out that the region's Syrian-American community is largely Christian and some of them are veterans, too.
Hozza said he didn't know lowering the flag was a no-no and didn't anticipate some would view it as a sign of disrespect. Last month's event, which drew about 33 people, was the first of its kind for Whitehall, he said.
The POW-MIA flag flies below the American flag on a single pole in front of the Whitehall municipal building. It was removed from the pole for about an hour during the Syrian flag-raising on April 18 and subsequently returned to its original position.
Hozza said he would look into raising money for the installation of a second flag pole in front of the building. Another American flag flies from a pole across the parking lot.
Commissioners ultimately agreed to form an ad hoc committee to review flag etiquette and, perhaps, put in place a policy or a law to prevent similar incidents going forward.
Mayor Ed Hozza Jr. apologized Monday for briefly removing Whitehall Township's POW-MIA flag during a Syrian flag raising ceremony in April.
Hozza said he did not intend to offend the Lehigh Valley veterans who castigated him for the lapse in flag etiquette during a rowdy board of commissioners meeting on Monday.
His intent, he said, was to give members of the region's Syrian-American community a place to celebrate their heritage after Mayor Ed Pawlowski denied the American Amarian Syrian Charity Society's request to hold the event in Allentown.
Pawlowski said the request was denied because Syria has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. State Department.
"As mayor, I represent everyone in our diverse community of Whitehall," Hozza said, including residents of Syrian descent. "I love this country and cherish our veteran community."
He pointed out that the region's Syrian-American community is largely Christian and some of them are veterans, too.
Hozza said he didn't know lowering the flag was a no-no and didn't anticipate some would view it as a sign of disrespect. Last month's event, which drew about 33 people, was the first of its kind for Whitehall, he said.
The POW-MIA flag flies below the American flag on a single pole in front of the Whitehall municipal building. It was removed from the pole for about an hour during the Syrian flag-raising on April 18 and subsequently returned to its original position.
Hozza said he would look into raising money for the installation of a second flag pole in front of the building. Another American flag flies from a pole across the parking lot.
Commissioners ultimately agreed to form an ad hoc committee to review flag etiquette and, perhaps, put in place a policy or a law to prevent similar incidents going forward.
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SGT (Join to see)
From what I read this morning, the Mayor allows this for any culture to do for a day. But, another flag has never been removed before.
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