In 1932, Harry Richman, who was a tenor, sang the song “I Love a Parade,” which was released by the Columbia Record Company. Richman, who was known for introducing the popular Irvin Berlin tune “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” a couple years earlier, sang about the thrills of a watching a parade in this sanguine marching song from the popular songwriting duo of Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler.
Throughout the history of the United States, parades are and have been held to celebrate, commemorate, honor or remember a historic event, a special day or rejoice the ethnic groups that are weaved into the tapestry of our country. Parades bring out the best, or at times the worst, in people, depending on the event.
A brief sampling of parades include the following:
Veterans Day Parade
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
NYC Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade
Lunar New Year Parade
Village Halloween Parade
NYC Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival
Puerto Rican Day Parade
Coney Island Mermaid Parade
African-American Day Parade
Brazilian Day Parade
Celebrate Israel Parade
Dominican Day Parade
NYC LGBT Pride March
Haitian Day Parade
Labor Day Parade
Pulaski Day Parade
Israeli Day Parade
And of course, parades are patriotic and celebrate the victories and sacrifices made by the men and women of the United States military. Some of the largest and grandest parades included the Union Army marching down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. to celebrate the victory over the Confederacy and the end of the Civil War. In 1919 the United States Military marched in NYC to celebrate the victory over the German Empire in WWI. In 1945 the United States Military once again marched in NYC to celebrate the victory over Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and the Empire of Japan. General Dwight Eisenhower’s was to celebrate his leadership as the Commander of the US Military during WWII. And on a somewhat smaller scale, the town of Farmersville, Texas holds its annual Audie Murphy Day Parade. For those who don’t know who Audie Murphy was, he was the most decorated soldier during WWII.
One additional piece regarding Dwight Eisenhower. During the parade at his first Presidential Inauguration in 1954, the ceremonies included 22,000 military personnel, with a cannon capable of firing a nuclear weapon. The parade at his second inauguration included troops, rockets, and tanks. No complaints.
Other parades thanked Lt. Cdr. Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. for being the first American in space in 1961; 1927 was Charles A. Lindberg for being the first to fly the Transatlantic Route from Long Island to Paris; In 1969 the Apollo 11astronauts also received a ticker tape parade for the first manned moon landing. Sadly the body of President John Kennedy, who was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963, was escorted by the military to Arlington National Cemetery on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC.
Additionally, the 1969 New York Jets won Super Bowl III. I cannot recall if there was a parade, but let’s say there was a ticker tape. The New York Mets received ticker tape parades in 1969 and 1986. The New York Islanders had four celebratory parades on Long Island for their Stanley Cup four-peat from 1980-1983. Other New York teams who won championships also went down Broadway. I won’t name them because I don’t care. It’s not hard to see who I bleed for.
In 2017, upon completing his Bastille Day visit with French President Emmanuel Macron, POTUSDJT came up with a way to demonstrate the patriotic love of the military. That would be to celebrate and say thank you to the men and women in uniform by staging a US Military parade using the French model. After viewing the French military forces march and fly down the Champs-Élysées, POTUSDJT thought the US Military could stage such a spectacle too, but grander.
POTUSDJT’s patriotic self exploded as he thought how to express a nation’s thanks to the people who sacrificed and sacrifice so much. When he presented the idea for a parade down the same route as the victorious Union Army did 154 years earlier, the authoritarian, orthodox, extremists of the liberal socialist leftist establishment, including the bootlicking dregs of the cosmopolitan biased, cultural supremacist corporate mainstream media continued to show their true colors, lack of patriotism and hate of country by condemning the idea, in addition to condemning POTUSDJT with the most idiotic comparisons to the leaders of Iran, USSR, China and NoKo. What those knuckleheads continually forget is because of the security the military provides, their First Amendment rights are protected by those who have dedicated themselves to keep us safe from the very ideology they accuse POTUSDJT of following. Let them try criticizing the governments in the aforementioned despotic countries. Egotistical, malignant narcissists.
In 2018, General Wesley Clark (Ret), was interviewed by Newsmax TV. He had stated that a military parade in the nation’s capital “will be a brilliant stroke, politically” for POTUSDJT. “Military people don’t like parades,” Clark retired with four stars in 2000 after 34 years, told Miranda Khan on “America Talks Live” in an exclusive interview. “It’s a big pain in the butt. You’d much rather be training somewhere and doing exercises about what you’re going to do. But,” he added, “for the country, not necessarily a bad thing. At the political level, there’s a respectful and celebratory logic at what POTUSDJT is requesting,” Clark told Khan, “because people like to see a parade. “People like to see their soldiers on display. It does make them feel good.”
There is one parade that I would bet the farm on that the the authoritarian, hypocritical, extremists of the liberal leftist establishment would like to forget about, if they know about it at all. In 1924, during the Democratic National Convention, which was held in Madison Square Garden in NYC, was called “The Klanbake.” The convention was held from June 24-July 9, 1924. The KKK, supported by Democrats, was a political power in many regions of the United States and wielded its power during the nomination process. They were antiCatholic, antiSemitic and antiBlack. The party promoted violence and destruction during protests. The Democratic KKK, with robes, hoods and crosses, marched down Broadway in Manhattan. This event factually occurred.
So, if you look at the history of the authoritarian, orthodox, extremist liberal leftist establishment components of the Democratic National People’s Socialist Party, the ideology has not really changed over time. This party is dangerous to the safety, security and prosperity of the United States.
Unfortunately, it has come to the point where the administration and POTUSDJT must determine who is the bigger enemy of the American people: China, the USSR, Iran, North Korea or the extremists of the liberal leftist wing of the Democratic National People’s Socialist Party. Pick your poison! It’s an easy choice.
Finally, and what is most disconcerting, is the 20+ “candidates” trolling for the Democratic nomination, are clearly demonstrating their lack of patriotism, and support of the United States military, by pontificating that Washington DC’s Independence Day parade is solely about President Donald John Trump’s ego. They repeatedly and clearly show their hatred of the country, the flag and POTUSDJT. As for his ego, they may be right. He has every right to be proud and demonstrate the strength of the American military and how his administration corrected the damage inflicted by the poor micromanaged strategies and restrictions on the rules of engagement ordered by Obama’s failed administration. Under President Trump, Obama’s JV, ISIS, was wiped out in a matter of months, as opposed to the years of stagnant military engagement under the former POTUS.
Everyone loves a parade…except if you’re a Democratic socialist.
A Coherent Observation 