Posted on 07/09/2009 5:56:43 AM PDT by justinkatz
If nothing else, this illustrates how the celebration of an event can become more about the tradition of celebrating than about the event itself:
In a temper-filled tempest, the Bristol Fourth of July Committee has barred the Rhode Island Tea Party from taking part in the annual Independence Day parade next year — or any other year.Marina Peterson, treasurer of the organization — it opposes government spending and new taxes — said she was told "not to waste the stamp to send in an application" to appear again in the Bristol parade, which the town says dates to 1785 as the oldest continuously observed Fourth of July celebration in the nation.
In the latest march, on Saturday, Tea Party sympathizers handed out copies of the U.S. Constitution as they ran alongside the organization’s first-ever float, a replica of the Beaver, the British ship ransacked by Colonists during the Boston Tea Party, in 1773.
Sounds to me — especially with the RI Tea Party's account in mind — like a local somebody wanted an excuse to exert petty power over a disfavored group — disfavored by those in the staid, corrupt establishment — and took the handouts as an excuse. A more reasonable, civilized approach to dealing with a new participant's inadvertent rule breaking would be a sort of probation at next year's parade. Otherwise one ends up with shocking symbolism like this:
(Excerpt) Read more at anchorrising.com ...
There are always ways to get around that, if they want to. And there are also plenty of lawyers around to help them.... :-)
Sounds like it’s time for a HUGH lawsuit!
I wish our local Tea Party group had thought of the parade thing I would have loved to march.
Good move Bristol leaders.
So you need a PERMIT to hand out copies of the Constitution during a parade??? Are RI conservatives such piss-ant, spineless pusses that lack of a PERMIT will force them to stay home and brood??!! Good Lord, no wonder we’re losing our rights to thugs. Sure is lucky the Founders were able to get that Revolutionary War permit, huh!
>Sure is lucky the Founders were able to get that Revolutionary War permit, huh!
Yep, damn lucky!!
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