YTZGal said:The Parks Service requires anyone who wants to conduct an activity on the Mall to apply for a permit in advance and submit an application with a non-refundable fee (in our case, it was $50).

NPS does not require fees for 1st Amendment events. I’ve filed permits with NPS several times over the last three years and have never paid a fee.

I do remember that last Memorial Day Security, (with take-out and a case of pop,) came by and told them some self-important so-and-so complained that the Vets were “causing a disturbance, blocking traffic into the BX, aggressively accosting[sp?] shoppers,…” etc.

The Security guys were good eggs, and they decided to post an Officer there, to “make sure those troublesome Vets behaved”. The young butter-bar spent the afternoon listening in rapt attention (atleast the 5hrs I spent in the BX…) to the memories of one of the Grizzled Old Men.

While Security & those Vets had a good yuck over it, Ive on occasion wondered if it was a visitor or some kind of “Only Here Because I Took College Money” troop who displayed such a lack of respect.

We’re going to he11 in a handbasket, and there’s a reed shortage…

On November 25th, 2008 at 11:57 am, illegalsworstnightmare said:

First, the National Mall is Federal property, and thus DC statutes do not apply. Second, where are the stupid ass National Park Police when the homeless are tugging at my pants leg, “aggressively” begging for money as I walk around on the Mall??

Perhaps you could give them a call and ask?

I wonder how long before they put Miska’s picture up?

One would think being around so many memorials, one would get a clue.

Meanwhile, if you are a member of the right party, you can slap a Capitol Hill policeman and get away with it.

I wonder if the police just had nothing better to do or if some sensitive little dweeb complained.

My understanding is that in the US, the poppies are distributed by the local branches of the American Legion as a fundraiser to support their efforts on behalf of disabled veterans. The American Legion Auxiliary’s website has a page on the history of the poppy campaign and how they distribute the funds raised (for some reason, I can not get the link to work – my apologies).

So I guess finding a poppy would depend upon how “active” your local American Legion branch was. It takes alot of time to coordinate enough volunteers throughout the campaign. I am sure if you contacted your local American Legion you could get some.

I can concur with Pickle, though, that the Nov 11th Remembrance Day (Veteran’s Day in the US) seems to be bigger in Canada and the Commonwealth than in the US. I remember as a child having Remembrance Day assemblies at school at 11 am, and businesses displaying wreaths, etc. Veterans were at all stores, malls, train stations, etc distributing poppies.

FYI, this is the 90th anniversary (1918-2008) of the establishment of the remembrance celebration.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/remembrance

My father talks about seeing poppies being given out on Veteran’s Day from the 1940s to the 1960s and after that he doesn’t remember seeing them. I haven’t seen people wear them either. Is this something done only at Arlington?

I never saw them in Boston or the surrounding suburbs. Have any other New Englanders seen them given out or people wearing them?

Have a great Turkey Day everyone!

Go Pats!

The Parks Service requires anyone who wants to conduct an activity on the Mall to apply for a permit in advance and submit an application with a non-refundable fee (in our case, it was $50).

I would not have been aware of this, had we not been set straight by other Vets groups that have activities on the Mall for Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day.

You must be very clear in what you are requesting permission for.

In our case, we wanted to erect a canopy , a banner stating, “Operation Thank a Marine”, and requested the right to hand out buttons (”I Thanked a US Marine”) and the right to collect voluntary, at-will donations, as well as having members of the public sign the banners.
We included photos of past banners and a sketch of how we would set up the canopy, table, chairs, etc.

Our permit was approved for “Operation Thank a Marine” on the Mall near the WWII memorial on the Labor Day weekend in Sept and we did collect signatures, handed out buttons, and received some donations to defray mailing costs.

When the permit is approved, you are “assigned” a space on the Mall.

There were complaints about our “activities” and the Park Police did come and inspect our permit and clarify that we had permission to distribute the “offensive” buttons and accept (not solicit) voluntary donations.

That being said, people like Miska are angels!

Why do I think that if he was a booze-soaked crackpot, mumbling under his breath and shouting about the government’s involvement in 9/11 he wouldn’t be hassled by the Park Police?

If he lived in San Francisco, he’d be getting a check for a couple of hundred bucks a month from the city that he uses as his personal urinal.

But I have been on the National Mall several times seeing all kinds of leftovers panhandling. I never give them anyting but I have paid $50 for a couple of Poppies more than once.

Wolf Hounds Bite!
B/1/27th Infantry/25th Division

On November 25th, 2008 at 10:55 am, maine yankee said:
National Mall and Memorial Parks
900 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20024
For Visitor Information (Phone): 202.426.6841
Park Headquarters (Phone): 202.485.9880

Thanks for the info. Calling now.

I have one of these Poppies hanging on my rear view mirror right now. The VFW was at the 4-way stop down the street last week handing them out. When I drove up to the stop sign, I rolled down the window and told the guy that I had no cash on me. He told me, That’s OK, here take one anyway.” I took it and went to run my errands. On my return trip I made sure I had a generous donation ready. The VFW does this in our community anually. and we always support them.