Went to the Rose Parade today and saw military bands

[pasadenaboy]

Everyone goes crazy and stands up and cheers.

Although I support our soldiers, because they don't decide whether to go to war or not, I totally oppose our militaristic foreign policy and war in Iraq.

Should I applaud or not? Would you? I decided on respectful silence.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. So, last night in times square they were playing.....

Lee Greenwood's(Reich Wing Swine) "Proud to Be an American"! Now, as a very Proud American I must ask is it neccissarry to politicize New Year's too???


:puke:

[ma4t]

27. OK, I'm stupid, explain it to me

I'm not sure I understand why performing "God Bless the USA" would be construed as politicizing the New Year's celebration. I don't think the lyrics call for one party to be favored over another. Is singing "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch an example of politicizing a Yankees game? What's the big deal?

It seems to me that when Democrats reject such songs as "political" they send the unmistakable message that they regard expressing a love of country as something that "we don't do" and thus cede any such expressions to the oppposition. Those who don't follow politics closely are thus easily convinced that "liberals hate America". While that is certainly a simplistic view, it is no too unreasonable from the point of view of the non-policically aware mass of people.

Why would Democrats want express such a self-defeating message?

[Snow]

29. In the broadest terms, you have a point....

in the particular case of "God Bless America", that has always been perceived as a particularly jingoistic piece. Woody Guthrie wrote "This Land is Your Land" in specific counter-point to that song. It's not the "political" aspect of such songs that some of us find offensive; it's the exclusionary, smug, arrogant bigotry.

[ma4t]

31. Now I'm really confused

"God Bless America" is jingoistic??!!

I'll confess that I'm only familiar with the first verse. I don't even know if there are more verses that one but what I'm familar with seems pretty innocuous.

God bless America, land that I love,
Stand beside her, and guide her,
Through the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the praries
To the ocean, white with foam,
God bless America, my home sweet home.

C'mon. What about that can be interpreted by any rational person as jingoistic? I appreciate your response but it seems that you are making my case for me. If democrats object to those words I don't blame the bulk of the populace from believing that "libruls hate 'Murica".

[BANGARANG]

2. Sure

if you want to. I didn't applaud for most. But only because I'm an apathetic, angst-ridden teenager.

[FDRrocks]

4. Welcome to DU Manchester Fan!

:):):):):)

[Solly Mack]

3. It's a matter of conscience...follow yours

I wouldn't have cheered either...

[jaysunb]

5. Question....

How did you feel when the "death Star" flew over ? (B1B Bomber)

I've stood on my porch and watched it for three years now, and it still gives me the creeps. It's only purpose, is to bring death.....

[pasadenaboy]

8. its technologically so damn impressive

It really looks like science fiction.

It does look ominous and evil and gives you a bad feeling in your stomach.

[OldSoldier]

17. Are you thinking B-1 or B-2?

The B-1 looks like a huge fighter. The B-2 looks like something out of Batman.

[jaysunb]

22. You are right

it is the B-2

As Pasadenaboy say, "it's some pretty awesome technology", but I can't help that sinking feeling I get when I see it.

The parade goers continue to be in complete awe---and who can blame them----but I still see a "death star".

[diamond14]

6. too sad....I cry for America....went to the Rose Bowl in 1972...drove

all the way from Ann Arbor in a little MG-Spider following Route 66 across America....

U of Michigan lost...but it would have been unacceptable on many levels for a military band to be in the Rose Bowl parade at that time...after all, during the Vietnam, the U of Michigan students PROUDLY and PATRIOTICALLY burned the ROTC building right to the ground....so did the students at Kent State and many other colleges and universities all across the country....

people would have been outraged to have military bands.... calling/writing their congressional representatives...the military wasn't even allowed on U of M's campus as Vietnam heated up and for a long time thereafter...(the burning of the ROTC building almost lit the nearby Chemistry building on fire, which would have been a real BIG fire)...

it saddens me that today's students keeping sitting on their asses and failing to perceive the DANGER....it is today's students that must object to war and the military bands...IMO, students are already walking to their early deaths like sheep...the draft is pretty much a done deal with that kind of student cheering for the military...is really enables the draft...with a video of students cheering a military band, Congress will show it to America and convince the whole country that the DRAFT is a GOOD thing and that students WANT to serve...and boom, you'll all find yourselves in Iraq about 6 weeks later...

[tigereye]

9. I like to see the floats

but the pro-war, blind support of anything remotely "patriotic" ( in the grossest sense of the word) really bothers me. It also bothers me that the flag and the eagle in this context just make me feel cynical. Generally,I mostly feel sorry for those in the military when they are charged to put their lives in danger to support poor policy which is touted as a noble and "patriotic."

[pezcore64]

7. heh

Well, you dont hafta go crazy...obviously...
but they do reserve respect...they just follow oroders after all :)

Besides, they were playing music...marching bands are fantastic if you ask me!

I thought the Marine band was great! soldiers in step! OMG!@#
lol!

[maha]

34. I love marching bands.

But then, I love bagpipes.

[Fleshdancer]

10. applaud them for being here and not in Iraq

:shrug:

[PaDUer]

11. Guess you also saw

those 3 military jets flying above?

[LibDemAlways]

12. I hate to see the Rose Parade militarized.

There is no need for the creepy flyover by killing machines and no need for the several military bands. What's next? Flower covered tanks rolling down Colorado Blvd? A Halliburton float featuring a huge mechanical Cheney scowling at the crowd? A PNAC float depicting bombs being dropped on a map of the Middle East with Perle and Wolfowitz at the controls?

Next year, when the chimp is the lamest of lame ducks, maybe we can go back to the Rose Parades of old -- high school and college bands, horses, and colorful floats. Anything else is out of place and should be off limits.

[PaDUer]

13. I felt the same way...

it's overkill already...time to give it a rest.

[Snow]

30. Although I liked the response to the three Fire-Fighter's groups

and thought that entirely appropriate. For those of you who didn't see, there were the antique fire engines, the Pipe and Drum Corps, and one other group I don't remember - and the crowd rose for those groups as they passed. Lotta people here in Southern California very grateful to firefighters this year.

[OneBlueSky]

14. did you know that, for years, the budget for military bands . . .

has FAR surpassed the budget for the National Endowment for the Arts? . . . guess there are only certain types of "art" that our leaders care about . . .

[mrdmk]

15. Please show the stats OneBlueSky

It was once a goal for a High School Band to be invited to the Rose Bowl Parade. I know this because our band was just a few points out. The rating consisted of going to several marching band competition parades throughout Southern California (about ten to fifthteen)and being judged on a set criteria. In these competitions there are maybe twenty to thirty bands competing in one parade. If the Rose Bowl Parade is being stack with military bands (their was usually just one band representing all of the services) there is something terribly wrong in the system.

[OneBlueSky]

19. I'll see what I can do, mrdmk . . .

but this post is from memory rather than current info . . . I used to work with nonprofit arts groups, and at various times had to apply for funding from the NEA . . . I ran across this tidbit back then, and I'm sure it hasn't changed, but I'll have to look around to see if I can find something current . . .

[OneBlueSky]

23. this is a few years old, but it will give you the parameters . . .

of the military band budget vs. the NEA . . . again, I'm sure the ratio hasn't improved under Bush . . . it's probably gotten a lot worse, in fact . . .

http://www.motherjones.com/news/outfront/1995/03/gannon.html

[LiberalFighter]

28. We had bands from Wisconsin being represented in the Rose Bowl too

[hellhathnofury]

16. It's fine to applaud or be repectfully silent.

I live in Pasadena too, Rosemead-Del Mar. I go to PHS.

They've been doing the fly overs before the war came along.

[loudnclear]

18. Looks like Americans would have applauded the Storm Troopers

marching at Oktoberfest had they been in Germany in the run up to WWII.

[MysticMind]

20. As a Democrat I wouldn't associate myself with anyone who

Didn't respect the US armed forces. Anyone who compares them to Nazi storm troopers disgusts me, the Nazis murdered over 6 million people.

[Flightful]

21. Pretty routine

Here in Toronto the best bands in the Santa Claus Parade have always been the military ones. They've been in the parades since I was a kid.

[Bill McBlueState]

24. respectful silence is good

It irritates me, too, that every festive occasion (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, apparently college bowl games) has to have this militaristic tinge to it.

Yes, let's remember the troops in Iraq. But there are also soldiers pretty much everywhere else in the world -- it's been a while since TV has asked us to remember the troops in Afghanistan -- and lots of Americans doing dangerous but honorable things overseas that aren't connected to the military. (How about "Support the Peace Corps" since they're also putting their lives on the line for American ideals?)

There are a number of things we as a nation can celebrate or memorialize at holidays -- it troubles me that our national militaristic obsession always has to be at the focus of these events.

[daleo]

25. I am in Canada, and our military is small compared to U.S.

But I recall being at a Canada Day event when I was about 18. It was actually a bunch of local rock bands at the legislature playing all day or all afternoon or something. But they did one of those jet fighter overflights and the 21 gun salute. I remember thinking that at least part of the purpose of the jets was just to remind and rabble rousers or potential dissidents in the crowd of the aw some killing power available to the state. That thought has never completely left me.

I also recall a U.S. B-52 coming to an airshow and going right overhead of where I happened to be, elsewhere in the city, on its way to the airfield. Frankly, the thing seemed very ominous. Impressive, but ominous.

[LisaM]

26. I had to change the channel from CBS for the parade coverage

It was completely military. I put on NBC - it was quite a bit better.

I couldn't watch the Army-Navy game this year for the same reason (it was also on CBS).

[Peregrine]

32. Military marching bands are great

All others suck IMHO. I don't know, bands that work in pelvic thrusts and play pop music lose me. Now give me a band that can do precision column and flanking movements while playing Sousa. Texas A&M marching cadet band is the best.

[maha]

33. Oh, please ...

The military didn't make the decision to invade Iraq.

Since 1776 many, many soldiers have died for your sake. Show some respect.