I don’t know what you mean by your post?

I fully understand what “The Dagger” is.

Joe

Civic lessons be damned, this year’s day long celebration darn near brought the County Seat to the brink of destruction. It rained on the parade alright, but to borrow the words of an old-time patriot, you certainly didn’t need a weatherman to see which way the wind blew.

Pancakes and Horseshoes aside, trouble was brewing in the air as soon as the sun rose on this holiest of days to be an American. Forget ‘America the Beautiful’ renditions, this was one helluva shit-storm and everyone got in on the act. The high drama was building and by the time the parade got underway, all the battle lines were drawn.

Michael Blum, the parade organizer and chairman, knew there was gonna be trouble, but he was determined to keep the peace so he had the National Guard on speed dial just in case. Seems there were rumors of dissent from all angles. Tea Party Folks were sipping on their chamomile and proud of their organized protest…’Give the Country back,’ they said, and they sat in circles singing Kum Bye Ya and getting folks to sign petitions.

“This country is run by carpetbaggers and riff-raff and we gotta get in on the action,” said one of the organizers. “Taxation Without Obligation,” read one of the signs they hoisted and everyone was pleased with how the protests were going. Mr. Blum herded these lemmings into a 100’ X 150’ parking lot and had his Nat’l Guard snipers ready to shoot at the first sign of trouble.

Meanwhile, the parade floats were assembling and getting ready for their rolling caravan down Main Street, well, actually, Main Street South as heading due north would have been a bit too patriotic. Heading south seemed more prophetic, and they all bowed their heads and said a prayer to Thomas Jefferson as they began their march.

Lady Mud Wrestlers left over from the Farm Fair, Vegetarians for a Balanced Budget, Laid Off County Workers for a Shoe Shine and a Quarter, and Politicos Not In Your Back Yard – they were all there…in between, the little league champions, the high school marching band, the volunteer firemen and veterans…you know, the true Fourth of July American representatives.

Things got rolling big time about halfway through the parade as Governor Martin O’Malley rolled by waving and kissing the blarney. Out of nowhere, a crowd of indigents jumped up and began throwing tomatoes at the High Governor and shouting slurs not for prime time any other day of the year much less the Fourth. A group of O’Malley supporters took up the cause and soon placards waved and shouted words rolled. Mothers moved quickly to cover the eyes and ears of their young ones and the band played on.

While the melee ensued, around the corner so as to appear out of nowhere, Dels. Pat McDonough and Rick Impallaria ran smack dab into the parade line and began running around in circles and shouting a Patriot’s Creed that proved to be nothing more than a diatribe against all their enemies they had written the night before. Parade organizer, Michael Blum tried to break them up, but got hit over the head by one of Impallaria’s signs that read, ‘Give Patriotism Back,’ and ended up stumbling around in circles with the two Delegates. The crowd started to get a chuckle and thought the circus had rolled into town.

Fallout from the whole shebang is likely to ripple the waters for some time to come. Already, they are talking about holding parades on each of the streets going both ways so as to accommodate all the different factions. Planning Director Carol Deibel is thinking about proposing a re-design of Main Street, perhaps a bridge too far. With a 2% raise though, she thinks she can do it.

After all this falderal, yours truly, Hiram and Lemuel, a couple of ‘level-heads’, went up to the Mason-Dixon Annual Volunteer Firemen’s Parade and Fair….the folks stood when the United States Marine detachment paraded by…they stood and saluted when the Color Guard was presented….no doubt there were just as many beer drinking rednecks at the Delta parade as there were at Bel Air’s…difference is, folks are a little more tuned in to respect for one another and the rules up near the Mason-Dixon Line….

You see, this great country was founded by the hard work and sweat of those who believed in independence. We fought to be free and won the right to build this country…and banding together is the essence of that independence. That’s why we go at it 364 days out of the year…well, maybe some of us slow down during the holidays and all, but on this one high watermark of celebrating our nation’s independence it would be wise to put away the placards and just keep your opinions to yourself or tucked in the backseat of your pants. Extend a hand to the person standing next to you at the parade next year and wish ‘em a Happy Fourth!

Just a note of comparison between the only two parades me and my buds attended this year….next year, might well be one less…then again, maybe not…..

Things have changed….and the older we get, the more they change…not always for the good…Like Sheriff Bell says in “No Country For Old Men,” Signs and wonders…but I think once you stop hearing ‘Sir’ and ‘Ma’am the rest is soon to follow.’”

We’ve lost that loving feeling. Not all of us, some of us….the ones’ who still have it…we do the best we can.
This country’s hard on people…

Hiram and Lemuel

I disagree with McDonoughs position on the speak english for one. I voted for him because I saw a person who had no trouble telling the minority opinion even if he would get flack for it. I think our state needs those people. Evewn if they lose in the end he said what needed to be said. I agree with re-regulating utilities. My big problem is that he is now catering to a large population of people not in his district and neglect his actual constituents in favor of his new found friends who do not actually live in this district. He has even gotten non-responsive to his real constiuents who disagree with him in a civil manner. Before he took the time or at least staffed out a nice letter explaining his thoughts. Now he does not do this and I for one am sick of it!

Joe

P.S. I do not live in McDonough’s district and I routinely support folks outside my district with whom I agree. And at least I have the courage to NOT be an anonymous poster like you.

“Del. McDonough is acting improperly since he was allowed to be in the parade because he was elected to represent me and other people in my geographical area. That said he is claiming his constituents as a bunch of other people who do not live in this geographical area. For which he will be fired come election day!”

How do you know that McDonough isn’t doing exactly what the his constituency wants him to do and what the State and Federal Constitutions compel him to do?

Joe