Retired Army Lt. Col. Barnard Kemter attempted to share the history of Memorial Day at an event in Hudson, Ohio on Monday, noting that freed black slaves played a key role in marking the holiday after the Civil War. Organizers cut his mic, saying Kemter's discussion of Black history was "not relevant." (Photo: screenshot)
Organizers Cut Veteran's Microphone for Speaking About Black History at Memorial Day Event
Retired Lt. Col. Barnard Kemter is accusing organizers with the American Legion in Hudson, Ohio of censorship.
A 77-year-old veteran Army medic accused organizers of an American Legion Memorial Day event of censoring him on Wednesday, days after his microphone was cut as he attempted to share how the holiday was originally celebrated by Black people who had been enslaved.
Retired Lt. Col. Barnard Kemter was invited to serve as the keynote speaker at an event hosted by the Hudson American Legion Auxiliary in Hudson, Ohio on Monday, and decided to focus on the holiday's origins in Charleston, South Carolina.
Kemter sent his planned remarks to organizers ahead of the gathering of 300 people and was asked by the American Legion Auxiliary to "modify" the speech--but since he had not originally been told of any topics that were off-limits, Kemter kept the details about Black history in after consulting with a town official in Hudson about the matter.
"The holiday is rooted in a moving ceremony that was conducted by freed slaves on May 1, 1865 at the tattered remains of a Confederate prisoner of war camp," Kemter told the audience. "The ceremony is believed to have included a parade of as many as 10,000 people, including 3,000 African American schoolchildren singing the Union marching song, 'John Brown's Body.' They were carrying armfuls of flowers and went to decorate at the graves."
Moments after Kemter mentioned the holiday's connection to Black history, his microphone was cut. He assumed the event was experiencing technical difficulties and continued, but Hudson American Legion Auxiliary president Cindy Suchan later told the Akron Beacon Journal that Kemter had been cut off intentionally.
The history of the holiday "was not relevant to our program for the day," Suchan said.
Kemter told the Washington Post that he received numerous compliments on his remarks from people who appreciated learning about the historical context of Memorial Day.
"I was very disappointed that someone would choose to censor my speech," Kemter told the newspaper.
Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Ohio), who represents Hudson and the surrounding area in Congress, denounced the local American Legion auxiliary's action as "an embarrassment."
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1400200341036191760⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
"I'm sick of the thought police trying to limit and sanitize discussion our real, raw, history," Weinstein added.
Weinstein's criticism was echoed on Twitter, with some sarcastically comparing the American Legion's treatment of Kemter to so-called "left-wing cancel culture" and "political correctness"--frequent targets of the right wing.
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=true&hideThread=false&id=1400451669356204037⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1400454928900886537⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=true&hideThread=false&id=1400441019670335490⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=true&hideThread=false&id=1400451205982085128⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=true&hideThread=false&id=1400457447957958661⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
The Ohio American Legion said Thursday it was investigating the incident and taking Kemter's allegations of censorship seriously.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
A 77-year-old veteran Army medic accused organizers of an American Legion Memorial Day event of censoring him on Wednesday, days after his microphone was cut as he attempted to share how the holiday was originally celebrated by Black people who had been enslaved.
Retired Lt. Col. Barnard Kemter was invited to serve as the keynote speaker at an event hosted by the Hudson American Legion Auxiliary in Hudson, Ohio on Monday, and decided to focus on the holiday's origins in Charleston, South Carolina.
Kemter sent his planned remarks to organizers ahead of the gathering of 300 people and was asked by the American Legion Auxiliary to "modify" the speech--but since he had not originally been told of any topics that were off-limits, Kemter kept the details about Black history in after consulting with a town official in Hudson about the matter.
"The holiday is rooted in a moving ceremony that was conducted by freed slaves on May 1, 1865 at the tattered remains of a Confederate prisoner of war camp," Kemter told the audience. "The ceremony is believed to have included a parade of as many as 10,000 people, including 3,000 African American schoolchildren singing the Union marching song, 'John Brown's Body.' They were carrying armfuls of flowers and went to decorate at the graves."
Moments after Kemter mentioned the holiday's connection to Black history, his microphone was cut. He assumed the event was experiencing technical difficulties and continued, but Hudson American Legion Auxiliary president Cindy Suchan later told the Akron Beacon Journal that Kemter had been cut off intentionally.
The history of the holiday "was not relevant to our program for the day," Suchan said.
Kemter told the Washington Post that he received numerous compliments on his remarks from people who appreciated learning about the historical context of Memorial Day.
"I was very disappointed that someone would choose to censor my speech," Kemter told the newspaper.
Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Ohio), who represents Hudson and the surrounding area in Congress, denounced the local American Legion auxiliary's action as "an embarrassment."
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1400200341036191760⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
"I'm sick of the thought police trying to limit and sanitize discussion our real, raw, history," Weinstein added.
Weinstein's criticism was echoed on Twitter, with some sarcastically comparing the American Legion's treatment of Kemter to so-called "left-wing cancel culture" and "political correctness"--frequent targets of the right wing.
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=true&hideThread=false&id=1400451669356204037⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1400454928900886537⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=true&hideThread=false&id=1400441019670335490⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=true&hideThread=false&id=1400451205982085128⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=true&hideThread=false&id=1400457447957958661⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
The Ohio American Legion said Thursday it was investigating the incident and taking Kemter's allegations of censorship seriously.
A 77-year-old veteran Army medic accused organizers of an American Legion Memorial Day event of censoring him on Wednesday, days after his microphone was cut as he attempted to share how the holiday was originally celebrated by Black people who had been enslaved.
Retired Lt. Col. Barnard Kemter was invited to serve as the keynote speaker at an event hosted by the Hudson American Legion Auxiliary in Hudson, Ohio on Monday, and decided to focus on the holiday's origins in Charleston, South Carolina.
Kemter sent his planned remarks to organizers ahead of the gathering of 300 people and was asked by the American Legion Auxiliary to "modify" the speech--but since he had not originally been told of any topics that were off-limits, Kemter kept the details about Black history in after consulting with a town official in Hudson about the matter.
"The holiday is rooted in a moving ceremony that was conducted by freed slaves on May 1, 1865 at the tattered remains of a Confederate prisoner of war camp," Kemter told the audience. "The ceremony is believed to have included a parade of as many as 10,000 people, including 3,000 African American schoolchildren singing the Union marching song, 'John Brown's Body.' They were carrying armfuls of flowers and went to decorate at the graves."
Moments after Kemter mentioned the holiday's connection to Black history, his microphone was cut. He assumed the event was experiencing technical difficulties and continued, but Hudson American Legion Auxiliary president Cindy Suchan later told the Akron Beacon Journal that Kemter had been cut off intentionally.
The history of the holiday "was not relevant to our program for the day," Suchan said.
Kemter told the Washington Post that he received numerous compliments on his remarks from people who appreciated learning about the historical context of Memorial Day.
"I was very disappointed that someone would choose to censor my speech," Kemter told the newspaper.
Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Ohio), who represents Hudson and the surrounding area in Congress, denounced the local American Legion auxiliary's action as "an embarrassment."
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1400200341036191760⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
"I'm sick of the thought police trying to limit and sanitize discussion our real, raw, history," Weinstein added.
Weinstein's criticism was echoed on Twitter, with some sarcastically comparing the American Legion's treatment of Kemter to so-called "left-wing cancel culture" and "political correctness"--frequent targets of the right wing.
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=true&hideThread=false&id=1400451669356204037⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1400454928900886537⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=true&hideThread=false&id=1400441019670335490⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=true&hideThread=false&id=1400451205982085128⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
[iframe https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=commondreams&creatorUserId=14296273&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3R3ZWV0X2VtYmVkX2NsaWNrYWJpbGl0eV8xMjEwMiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250cm9sIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=true&hideThread=false&id=1400457447957958661⟨=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Forganizers-cut-veterans-microphone-speaking-about-black-history-memorial-day-event&sessionId=fa9002a32192848e8a1efe90fd6f3ca929c7f2e0&siteScreenName=commondreams&siteUserId=14296273&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px height=None width=None]
The Ohio American Legion said Thursday it was investigating the incident and taking Kemter's allegations of censorship seriously.