My first reaction was against it. It sounds like May Day in the USSR. Yet my second, third, and fourth thoughts were more positive. We attended the Edinburgh Tatoo, and there didn't seem to be anything troubling about the display. A parade might not be that different. The parades of my childhood included military groups, including bands - sometimes current, sometimes veterans.
I think bands and uniforms would be more important than tanks, other than a few to to be cool so that boys can go wide-eyed. Drill maneuvers with rifles, specialty units, long massed lines marching in unison - it doesn't sound so bad. It might end up falling flat and looking a bit ridiculous. But this is exactly the sort of thing that Donald Trump intuits better than the rest of us reason. It might be inspiring.
I also remember the predictions of how terrible the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall would be greeted when it was first proposed and then built. It was dark and grim, and its sinking into the ground looked like a celebration of failure, we were told. Well, it didn't work out that way, did it? We don't really know what will inspire us sometimes. It will b e a great inconvenience for the active military. I get that. But it might work magic on the rest of us.
I look at it as an "in your face!" moment for the Democrats.
ReplyDeleteBeef up some of the 4'th of July and other parades around the country.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I like local parades. Our Memorial Day parades are tremendous: people hoot and holler for the veterans, young and old. The little kids march, the police and firemen, and civic groups. The sense that all serve. And then we all go and listen to the Gettysburg address and assorted revolting politicians grandstand, but some decent other people usually are there too and people feel patriotic and wave the flag and feel united. That and our local fireworks celebration.
ReplyDeleteI tend to think of what Himself wants as like those awful Russkie displays of force.May Day parade. Not at all American. Local hometown stuff is what makes us great. People banding together with their neighbours rather than some huge State display of military might to scare hell out of people. Of course I am proud of our military might. Of course I am patriotic. I'm a Navy brat. But I tend to prefer local.
The Edinburgh Tattoo, yes, cool. But what makes it so amazing is all the synchronised marching and bagpipes and music. I don't think we could do the music as well.
One thing we used to LOVE in my community was when the Navy SEALS etc came and did demos of rescues, and pseudo terrorist attacks on the high school with them stopping them, complete with smoke bombs and ratatat machine guns to delight all the kids. Helicopters on the playing fields. Loads of blanks to pick up afterwards. Snipers on the rooves. A recruiter in the parking lot. And when that amazing Marines drill group came and marched in synch. But, again, local better than something people watch on TV. They don't do it any more because of @#$% astroturf fields now.
There are some units of our military that function primarily as a display. I'm most familiar with those in the air, but I remember drill teams and bands too. A parade really wouldn't be all that much trouble, considering. Tanks are not necessary.
ReplyDeleteI have visited the Viet Nam memorial a few times. I know many would disagree with me, but I still find it depressing and offensive. Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteAh, so the predictions were not entirely false.
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