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Ruling this year could shrink ’08’s county fair parade
I
love a parade! That is why I’m afraid that next year’s annual fair
parade will be greatly diminished due to the unfortunate decision by
Steve Tornes and the fair board to bar Neighbors for Clean Air. The
event has historically been open for everyone to line up, march, and
have a good time.
The 2008 parade may be mighty short if the
reasoning used by the fair board to exclude Neighbors for Clean Air is
applied to all groups and individuals.
The fair board has a
problem with groups that may be deemed controversial or have an opinion
to express. Many civic organizations have opinions on how to improve
the community, church denominations have creeds, and political parties
have platform statements. Even the Boy Scouts have stirred up
controversy at times. Guess those groups will be given the thumbs down.
The
fair board said Neighbors for Clean Air had a message of “protest.” The
Right to Life group protests United States law, so they will have to
stay at home.
It was suggested by Tornes that the Neighbors for
Clean Air “could be handing out pornography.” Is the fair board also
suspicious of our dedicated firefighters on those big red trucks? What
about the dapper drivers in the antique cars? Could they be handing out
foul literature instead of candy?
Tornes stated that Neighbors
for Clean Air has “never done anything for us.” Are there other parade
participants who failed to “do anything” for the fair board? The
county’s young, talented board members surely do not have the deep
pockets of Eramet. Lacking a big contribution from bands, will the
musicians be denied and the streets turn silent for the festivities?
With
new registration policies regulating messages, perceived protests and
contributions status of marchers who will be left? Perhaps only Tornes
and the other members of the fair board will be lined up for the parade
next year. The fair board should take a deep breath and re-think the
situation. Frankly, Mr. Tornes, I think you protest too much!
Debra Miller
Cutler
Sept. 11 should be a day for remembering victims
Why do we go to school on Sept. 11? I know you can’t possibly answer that question, but it’s true.
We
have all of these other holidays off because of what people have done.
Here we have hundreds of people who died trying to save hundreds of
more people. I just don’t think it’s right.
Sept. 11 just
didn’t affect New York, it affected the whole country. It’s like our
body. If one part of our body gets hurt, it affects our whole body. If
one state gets attacked, our whole country suffers. Even though I
didn’t have anyone there, it still affected me a lot.
Just imagine how you would feel if you had a family member who died. Just imagine.
Stella Bargeloh
Marietta
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