WTF Christmas Parade

hmp1

We went to our town's Christmas parade for the first time since moving to TN. I can't believe the things I saw.

1. The streets were lined, shoulder to shoulder with happy children and their parents. The guy right next to me, in his fleece camo pj pants and his wife was wearing matching ones, pulled out a cigarette. I asked him if he was going to smoke that here. His wife said yeah and gave me the stink eye. He said why wouldn't I; we are outside. I said because there are children everywhere and you shouldn't smoke so close to them. He lit it up so I stepped back about 3 feet with James until he was done. My H was standing back by the store fronts and wanted to go yell at the guy when I told him but managed to keep his cool. Of course, when he was done he littered by tossing it on the ground.

2. Almost every other float was a boy scouts troop.

3. There was a huge group of Confederate soldiers marching (also smoking) waving huge Confederate flags and handing out little Confederate flags to all the kids.

I am writing an email to the parade organizers about the smoking because that is the only thing I think I might be able to change. 

Here is a pic of my boys at the Hate Parade.

 

 

MrsPteranodon

I would have left when the guy started smoking. 

RockyTopVols

MrsPteranodon:

I would have left when the guy started smoking. 

You would have left an entire parade because someone next to you started smoking?  Instead of just moving down? 

 

Also- the Confederacy isn't about racism and hate. It is about heritage. I am not from here so I don't really get it either, but- I know plenty of people who sport the confederate flag and don't preach hate and racism, etc. 

 

And, what is wrong with the boy scouts? Other than the fact they don't sell Samoas so Girl Scouts > Boy Scouts... I don't have beef with them.  

MrsPteranodon

RockyTopVols:

MrsPteranodon:

I would have left when the guy started smoking. 

You would have left an entire parade because someone next to you started smoking?  Instead of just moving down? 

 

Yup. I am super uptight about people smoking around my kids. We've left many things when people start smoking.

 I can't control other people and their disgusting habits. But I can control the exposure my kids have to it.  

 

hmp1

RockyTopVols:

MrsPteranodon:

I would have left when the guy started smoking. 

You would have left an entire parade because someone next to you started smoking?  Instead of just moving down? 

 

Also- the Confederacy isn't about racism and hate. It is about heritage. I am not from here so I don't really get it either, but- I know plenty of people who sport the confederate flag and don't preach hate and racism, etc. 

 

And, what is wrong with the boy scouts? Other than the fact they don't sell Samoas so Girl Scouts > Boy Scouts... I don't have beef with them.  

The Boy Scouts are very open about not letting gays in their organization.  

hmp1

MrsPteranodon:

I would have left when the guy started smoking. 

My kid was having fun and I wasn't going to punish him because of the jackass next to us. 

hmp1

RockyTopVols:

Also- the Confederacy isn't about racism and hate. It is about heritage. I am not from here so I don't really get it either, but- I know plenty of people who sport the confederate flag and don't preach hate and racism, etc.  

That is all nice and PC to say, but I find in general the people here sporting confederate flags are also raging racists. 

FormerlyKrista555

I dont get the confederate pride stuff. People say all the time that it's about heritage, not racism. But, wasnt slavery the biggest issue that people disagreed over? Why would you wave the flag of the side that wanted it? Be v proud of your FAMILY, but dont be proud of the confederacy.

grr_aargh

hmp&mrj:

RockyTopVols:

MrsPteranodon:

I would have left when the guy started smoking. 

You would have left an entire parade because someone next to you started smoking?  Instead of just moving down? 

 

Also- the Confederacy isn't about racism and hate. It is about heritage. I am not from here so I don't really get it either, but- I know plenty of people who sport the confederate flag and don't preach hate and racism, etc. 

 

And, what is wrong with the boy scouts? Other than the fact they don't sell Samoas so Girl Scouts > Boy Scouts... I don't have beef with them.  

The Boy Scouts are very open about not letting gays in their organization.  

And their overpriced popcorn SUCKS.  

MrsPteranodon

grr_aargh:

hmp&mrj:

RockyTopVols:

MrsPteranodon:

I would have left when the guy started smoking. 

You would have left an entire parade because someone next to you started smoking?  Instead of just moving down? 

 

Also- the Confederacy isn't about racism and hate. It is about heritage. I am not from here so I don't really get it either, but- I know plenty of people who sport the confederate flag and don't preach hate and racism, etc. 

 

And, what is wrong with the boy scouts? Other than the fact they don't sell Samoas so Girl Scouts > Boy Scouts... I don't have beef with them.  

The Boy Scouts are very open about not letting gays in their organization.  

And their overpriced popcorn SUCKS.  

It really does! I bought a bag from our local troop and got home and was so underwhelmed by the 15$ bag of popcorn.

 

RockyTopVols

FormerlyKrista555:

I dont get the confederate pride stuff. People say all the time that it's about heritage, not racism. But, wasnt slavery the biggest issue that people disagreed over? Why would you wave the flag of the side that wanted it? Be v proud of your FAMILY, but dont be proud of the confederacy.

No, the biggest issue was not slavery. It was about state's rights.

And I didn't know about the boy scouts and anti-gay sentiment. They don't sell me awesome cookies anyway so I don't pay attn to them.

And I don't get the "Southern Pride" argument either. If they want to show their southern pride, why not fly the state flag? Seems weird to me.

But, I don't immediately view someone flying the flag as "hate and racist". 

RockyTopVols

MrsPteranodon:

It really does! I bought a bag from our local troop and got home and was so underwhelmed by the 15$ bag of popcorn.

 

YOU ARE RIGHT!!!

My wife bought a $25 chocolate/caramel popcorn tin from them.

It was weak and left me feeling empty inside.

 

seahorse102410

Even though I also am not a huge fan of those things I'm not sure why seeing this at a parade in the southeast was surprising to you. 

hmp1

seahorse102410:

Even though I also am not a huge fan of those things I'm not sure why seeing this at a parade in the southeast was surprising to you. 

Because we are not from here. The boy scouts thing wasn't surprising that they were there, more that it was literally every other float. Why would I ever think Confederate flags would be handed out at a Christmas parade? What does that have to do with Christmas?  

FormerlyKrista555

RockyTopVols:

FormerlyKrista555:

I dont get the confederate pride stuff. People say all the time that it's about heritage, not racism. But, wasnt slavery the biggest issue that people disagreed over? Why would you wave the flag of the side that wanted it? Be v proud of your FAMILY, but dont be proud of the confederacy.

No, the biggest issue was not slavery. It was about state's rights.

And I didn't know about the boy scouts and anti-gay sentiment. They don't sell me awesome cookies anyway so I don't pay attn to them.

And I don't get the "Southern Pride" argument either. If they want to show their southern pride, why not fly the state flag? Seems weird to me.

But, I don't immediately view someone flying the flag as "hate and racist". 

But, wasn't the biggest "right" they were fighting for was the "right" to have slaves?  I haven't taken a history course in 13 years, so educate me here if I'm wrong.  I know there were many issues they were fighting over, but wasn't the biggest one about slavery? 

FormerlyKrista555

RockyTopVols:

FormerlyKrista555:

I dont get the confederate pride stuff. People say all the time that it's about heritage, not racism. But, wasnt slavery the biggest issue that people disagreed over? Why would you wave the flag of the side that wanted it? Be v proud of your FAMILY, but dont be proud of the confederacy.

No, the biggest issue was not slavery. It was about state's rights.

And I didn't know about the boy scouts and anti-gay sentiment. They don't sell me awesome cookies anyway so I don't pay attn to them.

And I don't get the "Southern Pride" argument either. If they want to show their southern pride, why not fly the state flag? Seems weird to me.

But, I don't immediately view someone flying the flag as "hate and racist". 

But, wasn't the biggest "right" they were fighting for was the "right" to have slaves?  I haven't taken a history course in 13 years, so educate me here if I'm wrong.  I know there were many issues they were fighting over, but wasn't the biggest one about slavery? 

RockyTopVols

hmp&mrj:

Why would I ever think Confederate flags would be handed out at a Christmas parade? What does that have to do with Christmas?  

I think that is really weird too, tbh. I have been in TN for 6 years now and have gotten used to a lot of the "customs".

But that is still really weird and I haven't seen that done before.  

ridesbuttons

hmp&mrj:

seahorse102410:

Even though I also am not a huge fan of those things I'm not sure why seeing this at a parade in the southeast was surprising to you. 

Because we are not from here. The boy scouts thing wasn't surprising that they were there, more that it was literally every other float. Why would I ever think Confederate flags would be handed out at a Christmas parade? What does that have to do with Christmas?  

IDK.  What do candy canes have to to with Christmas?

I hate smoking more than the average hater, but I wouldn't have blinked if someone standing on the side of the road was smoking, I'd have just moved.

As for the flag, I am wondering if the Southern Pride thing is similar to the Quebecois Pride and the flag can be a unifying symbol of Southern culture, similar to the Fleur de Lis.  Now, there is no history of slavery to contend with in Quebec (just lots of smoking).

Is it possible to separate the flag from the racist undertones it can deliver in the right (wrong?) circumstances?