'Stand Up For America' Rally Draws Hundreds To Carmel Including Protesters

CARMEL, NY — Putnam officials and veterans groups always hold a ceremony when the Row of Honor goes up along Lake Gleneida. Sunday's event was better attended than usual. Hundreds overflowed Laura Spain Cornerstone Park for the "Stand Up For America" rally organized as a response to NFL players, coaches and owners who "took a knee" before the televised football games last week to protest racial injustice and police brutality.

About 30 people staged a counter-protest to draw attention to the issues of racial injustice and police brutality.

Rally speakers highlighted themes of respect and freedom.

One of the highlights of the event was the crowd singing "America the Beautiful" led by golden-voiced Putnam District Attorney Robert Tendy.

Another was the keynote speech by Karl Rohde, director of the Putnam County Veterans Service Agency. Rohde talked about coming home from Vietnam and the conflict he, like many other veterans, felt at the time. He also reminded the crowd of "the six things that make America free:" the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, the Reserves and the merchant marine.

Dr. Jeanine Guglielmo and family made a presentation to PFC Joseph P. Dwyer VET 2 VET of Putnam County. The goal of the peer-to-peer program is to match trained veterans with veterans who have returned from service, to help reduce or even eliminate the negative impact that trauma-related symptoms have on social, occupational and family functioning.

Rally photos/ Lanning Taliaferro

Protest photo: Sabrina Condon

Editor's Note: This article has been revised to note the counter-protest.