by Kevin Cody
Veteran newspaper reporter Dan Blackburn has launched a website, NoParade.org, to organize a “counter parade” to the military parade planned for June 14 in Washington D.C. Blackburn previously worked at Easy Reader and the Orange County Register.
June 14 is Flag Day, and the 250th Anniversary of United States Army. It is also President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.
“I view it for Flag Day, not necessarily my birthday,” Trump told Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker in an interview at Mar-a-Lago that aired Sunday, May 4.
The parade will include 150 military vehicles, 40- aircraft and 6,600 troops, a recent Army press release stated. NBC News reported the cost at $45 million. Trump has said he and contributors will fund the parade.
“Peanuts compared to the value of doing it,” Trump said of the cost. “We have the greatest missiles in the world. We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we’re going to celebrate it.”
Blackburn said he was inspired to protest the military parade after attending a Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez “Fighting Oligarchy” rally at Folsom Lake College last month.
“I’ve covered a lot of political rallies and I’ve never come away feeling so inspired. There were 30,000 people hugging each other and saying, ‘We’re all in this together.’
“But the next day, I thought about it, and I didn’t think rallies were going to stop Trump. Then I thought about his parade. We do have the world’s strongest military. But we don’t have to boast about it. It’s un-American.”
Blackburn said it took him about an hour to build the website, and about the same amount of time to write what he wanted to say.
The website reads, in part, “In 1989, a lone individual known only as “Tank Man” stood at Tiananmen Square in China and confronted, by himself, oncoming tanks that were leading a massive military parade. He became a legend and an example for those who will resist a regressive, law-breaking government in these United States… and the pompous, weak, abusive, would-be dictator pretending to lead us.”
“This Trump-worshipping charade would spit in the face of America’s proud, independent people. We are the strongest nation in the world and we don’t have to boast about it.”
“This is a moment we as Americans can seize… if we will. Awareness equals action.”
“Organize a support group in your community to promote the ‘anti-parade protest parade.”
“My name is Dan. I’m an old reporter who is very concerned about the direction in which this nation is headed. I’m not seeking donations, just to broadcast this message as far and wide as possible. If you have ideas you want to share, write.
Pass this website along: NoParade.org. ER
