February 1, 2008

Santa Ana: A coalition representing anti-war groups will not be allowed to march in today's Orange County Black History parade in downtown Santa Ana, city officials said.

Representatives from the Orange County Peace Coalition said they were initially invited to march in the parade and then "disinvited," according to Pat Alviso, coordinator for the Orange County chapter of Military Families Speak Out, a coalition member.

Gerardo Mouet, executive director of parks, recreation and community services for the City of Santa Ana Parks and Recreation, which co-sponsors the event, confirmed the group's application had been declined by the event's steering committee, chaired by former Santa Ana city council member Alberta Christy.


Mouet said Christy told him she had no comment on the matter prior to the parade.

The Orange County Peace Coalition comprises 31 anti-war groups ranging from The Unitarian Church of Orange County to the Santa Ana chapter of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, to the Orange County chapters of The Green Party and Veterans for Peace.

Alviso, whose Military Families Speak Out chapter represents about 60 Orange County residents with family members in the armed services, said her group marched in the Santa Ana parade three years ago.More recently the group marched in the Jan. 19 Martin Luther King Day Parade in Long Beach.

"We really do belong in the (Santa Ana) parade more than ever," Alviso said. "It's the Latino and African American communities that are being (recruited) into the military in the greatest numbers."


The parade, now in its 28{+t}{+h}year, will feature 125 different marching bands, floats and civic groups, including police and fire departments and the Tustin Young Marines. Dr. Milton A. Gordon, President of California State University Fullerton, is the parade's Grand Marshall. County Supervisor Janet Nguyen, Santa Ana mayor Miguel A. Pulido, La Habra Mayor Rose Esplinoza and others will join him.


Mouet said he did not know the reason why the steering committee denied the Coalition's application.

Alviso said her group had planned to march with "Oscar," an eight-foot paper maché replica of a veteran amputee.


Santa Ana Parks and Recreation community affairs manager Lorraine McCarty said some people and groups with political affiliations were not allowed to march in parades, such as non-incumbent politicians running for office.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/santa-parade-county-1971918-orange-coalition

Contact the writer: 714-932-6358 or gdriscoll@ocregister.com

www.ocpeace.org
www.mfsooc.org

The Orange County Peace Coalition was DENIED participation in the OC Black History Parade by Alberta Christy, the parade's steering committee chair, because she believes the OCPC is too POLITICAL.

Interestingly enough, if one visits the parade's website (http://www.ocblackhistoryparade.com/), a short video of yesterday's parade appears in the upper, left-hand corner of the home page. Listen/watch closely to the vid. In it, Michele Martinez, a Santa Ana City Councilwoman, is interviewed. She is wearing an OBAMA t-shirt, and both women discuss how they are EAGERLY supporting OBAMA for PRESIDENT. Out of curiousity, Ms. Christy, of all the video footage taken yesterday, why was this political banter included in the OC Black History parade vid???

Also, Garden Grove t.v. station, Channel 3, will be airing a segment regarding the issue of the OCPC's exclusion from the parade. Stay tuned....

KUDOS to the OC Register for pursuing this story!

The Democratic Party helped sponsor the parade. That is political.

Dick Gregory was also involved. Maybe he could have helped.