International campaign and petition to remove Stalin bust from D-Day memorial

International campaign and petition to remove Stalin bust from D-Day memorial
http://stalinstatue.com/

The National D-Day Memorial Foundation in Bedford, Virginia, has erected a statue of Joseph Stalin, communist dictator of the Soviet Union. This statue is a gross insult to our veterans and fallen troops whose sacrifice on D-Day should be remembered in its proper historical context. It is a fact that neither Joseph Stalin nor Soviet forces participated in the D-Day landings.

Please help us as we work to remove this statue from the D-Day Memorial.
 
Stalin busted!
Sign our petition at www.stalinstatue.com, and forward this e-mail to others who may share our concern for the memory of D-Day as we celebrate the 66th anniversary of this historic event.

The online petition (http://stalinstatue.com/) is at the center of our international campaign to remove the bust of Stalin from the D-Day Memorial, and we are sending it to our members and partner organizations. We will then direct the petition to the attention of the directors and benefactors of the D-Day Memorial Foundation as well as Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. We have included Secretary Salazar because the D-Day Memorial Foundation has indicated it wants to transfer the Memorial to the National Park Service, which is a part of the Interior Department.

With deep appreciation,

Lee Edwards, Ph.D.
Chairman, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jun/7/stalin-bust-has-virginia-town-red-faced/
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=37444
Displaying the image of Josyf Stalin is displaying a symbol of oppression and murder, a man who had statues of himself placed throughout all of the Soviet Union, forced marches under colossal pictures of himself, and even renamed cities (plural!) all over the former USSR after himself. Gulag firing squad officers were awarded the Order of Stalin (a little badge with a relief of Stalin's head!) after killing a memorable number of political prisoners.
Josef Stalin's visage stands as a symbol of oppression and murder that the National D-Day Memorial Foundation has decided to commemorate in a memorial to freedom. I do not expect that a burning cross, a noose or Klan symbolism, nor Nazi swastikas or images of Hitler would be so cavalierly displayed in our country without similar outrage and condemnation.
Please let them know how you feel about the United States honouring Stalin with his bust in this memorial.
Send letters:

National D-Day Memorial Foundation
P.O. Box 77
Bedford, VA 24523
Send emails:

dday@dday.org
Call:
Administrative Offices, National D-Day Memorial Foundation
540-586-3329 or toll-free 800-351-DDAY

Contact the local representatives:

Senator (and former Virginia governor) Mark R. Warner
http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=535
459A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-2023

Senator (and veteran) James H. 'Jim' Webb
http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=60043
248 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-4024
Toll Free: 866-507-1570

Representative (District 6) Robert W. 'Bob' Goodlatte http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=27116
2240 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-5431

Representative (District 5) Tom S. Perriello http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=109344
1520 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-4711
Contact the White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/
 

Jul 13, 2010