The Thanksgiving Day Parade from inside the barricades

I served in my first Thanksgiving Day parade this morning. The role of an auxiliary police officer at a parade for families and kids isn’t to keep the peace. I saw it as more for structure. A little to keep order, but more fulfilling a civic role for kids to see government in a peaceful role.

I enjoy fulfilling civic duty, so despite the cold rain, I enjoyed playing that role. People in the crowd thanked me, asked me to pose for pictures, and offered me coffee.

I found the content of the parade, however, gross because nearly all the floats were commercial, aimed to attract and hook kids. The parade was mostly commercial. There were a few marching bands and one small track that promoted school. The rest, including all the big balloons, promoted doof, cartoons, and various franchises.

I took this picture, which illustrates my point, and then mostly decided Pikachu, Dora, Minions, and their peers had enough promotion without me. The last balloon was Santa Claus, which in the context seemed as commercial as all the others.

I wonder if the US or New York City could have a large civic event without it promoting addictive things to kids or at least not being primarily commercial advertising. Do we have it in us any more? Could we celebrate our history, overcoming the shortcomings we’ve overcome, and resolving to overcome those that remain? Could we celebrate discipline, sport, arts, education, culture, and such?

Content of today’s parade aside, I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and communicating with friends and colleagues. I hope you did too.