President Trump loved the Bastille Day military parade that he attended in Paris last year. So much so, he ordered military leaders to look into creating a similiar event in this country.
The parade is now set for November on Veterans Day in Washington D.C.
It will cost up to $30 million dollars.
At first, I thought that the local celebrations were enough. But then I got to thinking: even though radio stations like WHO do our best to spotlight the day, local celebrations are waning and Americans are actually less engaged than ever in activities meant to honor our veterans. The same apathy occurs on Memorial Day.
When I read this Politico article about the event, I was actually thrilled with the themes.
"The event, which will take place Nov. 11, will include troops from different branches, highlight the growing role of women in the armed forces and have a “heavy air component” of modern and historic war planes, the memo says. Also participating will be veterans groups and the ceremonial Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps.
This parade will focus on the contributions of our veterans throughout the history of the U.S. military, starting from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 to today, with an emphasis on the price of freedom," adds the guidance from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' office to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Due to the increasing apathy about that day, I like a centralized parade which again focuses attention on the purpose of Veterans Day. And, given the themes of the event, I think most Americans will LOVE it.
Of course, President Trump also gets to highlight his theme of loving this country while spotlighting the grumbling of a number of progressives who think that only xenophones love this type of event and warning that our country is really full of racist deplorables who need to learn from the culture of Europe.
Yes, there are complaints about the cost. But politicians only get fiscally conservative about expenses they don't like.