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Ernie Pellegrino: Small-town parade a wonderful event

Ernie Pellegrino  —  7/14/2008 5:17 am

Dear Editor:

During this year's celebration of the Fourth of July, I had an opportunity with part of our family and three of our grandchildren to attend a parade in a small town in northern Wisconsin. The parade on a splendor scale of 1-10 was a 3.5, but the expression of joy, enthusiasm and pride shown by the participants and spectators had to exceed a 10.

There were no marching bands, just a color guard of veterans, a half-dozen firetrucks, a water-ski show float, business floats, an occasional clown and unicyclists, horseback riders, fancy motorcycles and riders and antique automobiles.

When the parade was half done, it came to a halt and we all sang our national anthem led by a woman singing over a public address system.

Absent were politicians and political activists of every stripe. There were no anti-war signs or effigies of someone's particular scapegoat. It reminded me not of my childhood but how this nation felt during the aftermath of 9/11, when we were united in our resolve to rebuild our losses and repay those responsible for them.

Ernie Pellegrino

Middleton

Ernie Pellegrino  —  7/14/2008 5:17 am