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News :: Peace |
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Anti-War Float in July 4th Parade |
Current rating: 0 |
by Ricky Baldwin
Email: baldwinricky (nospam) yahoo.com (verified)
Phone: 217-328-3037 |
01 Jul 2005
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Last year the Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort (AWARE) took home a third prize trophy from the local July 4th parade. This is the fourth year in a row the group is participating, and this is an open invitation to join in. |
WHO could pass up an opportunity like this? It only comes around once a year. Yes, now, unbelievable as it may sound, you, too, can spend a hot sweaty day trudging along the pavement behind a radical anti-war float in a small Mid-Western community on the Fourth of July!
The patriots will all be out, waving their flags and perspiring, munching deep-fried chips and perspiring, swilling a beer or two or three and perspiring, feeling proud of their country and perspiring, arming their kids with supersoakers and perspiring --
-- and around the bend we’ll come --
They may SEE us first:
twelve-foot oil well gouging the cloudless blue horizon over the heads of high school bands, the flags and banners and the ladder trucks.
They may HEAR us first:
the din of pennies in tin cups rattling up and down the parade route in and through the sounds of brass instruments and sirens and drums.
Or they may just SENSE our presence, as a wave of mood-change washes through the crowds in our wake, and maybe leads us slightly, and spreads out alongside our giant painted letters billowing in the breeze -- “Billions for War = Pennies for Our Communities”.
But they’ll definitely marvel at Halliburton CEO Daddy Warbucks raising a cold glass of bubbly with General Nuisance of the Joint Chiefs in the (sparse) shadow of a precious oil well, beside the Pentagon and a map of Iraq scrawled with play-by-plays.
They’ll stare slack-jawed at our Billionaires for Bush partying with the CEO and the general amid monster bags of cash weighing down our hay wagon float.
Their eyes will squint and then pop with amazement as a troupe of beggars struggles forlornly along behind the wagon, rattling the tin cups with pennies and carrying signs that read, “Where’s the money for health care?” “Where’s the money for our schools?” “Where’s the money for veterans’ benefits?” (this last one in uniform) --and the like.
Behind all this will follow a ragtag cloud of hippies with signs proclaiming various grievances against the war machinery, smiling, waving and flashing two-fingered peace signs.
And in case they still don’t get it, a couple of bearded weirdoes will strafe the bystanders on either side with printed salvos on the cost of war, the lies of government and the resources where anyone can learn more.
So-- how can YOU join in, you inquire eagerly? Easy. I
Show up and bring somebody: Oregon and Busey between 12:30 and 1 pm on Mon. July 4. We’re no. 44. Feel freeto bring a sign or borrow one of ours.
Don't miss it. |
See also:
http://www.anti-war.net
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This work is in the public domain |
