Better vetting needed for Everett’s July 4 parade

Published 1:30 am Sunday, July 9, 2017

My family and I were spectators for this year’s Everett Fourth of July parade. First, I want to say thank you to all the volunteers and to the city for putting on this parade. I know it takes a lot of work and many hours to coordinate and direct such a parade, and I’m sure the whole city appreciates it.

I do have a concern with the vetting process for the parade entrants. There was one alt-left group, dressed in black and in strange outfits — not sure who they were. In their presentation they included an effigy of our current U.S. president sitting atop a nuclear rocket. An obvious dig at Trump. While I know that Trump is controversial, having a disdaining effigy of our president in this Independence Day parade is way over-the-top. (Would that have been allowed in the parade in the past if it had been a derogatory effigy of Obama?)

To the organizers of this parade in the future, please keep in mind that this is a family-friendly patriotic event when vetting the parade participants.

And, thank you for your hard work in putting on this parade for us each year.

Gary Fast

Everett