{"id":41948,"date":"2025-06-17T12:41:01","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T16:41:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/?p=41948"},"modified":"2025-06-17T12:41:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T16:41:23","slug":"the-army-250th-anniversary-parade-and-a-humiliating-birthday-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/tartan-news\/2025\/06\/17\/the-army-250th-anniversary-parade-and-a-humiliating-birthday-party\/","title":{"rendered":"The Army 250th Anniversary Parade and A Humiliating Birthday Party"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Last Saturday, President Trump arranged a parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the army, which coincidentally fell on his birthday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The United States military isn\u2019t as ceremonial as other nations like the United Kingdom or  Russia. The Army marches for military operations, to travel long distances in large groups, not for parades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is hilariously apparent watching the parade, I\u2019ve seen better marching from my Class C high school marching band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My criticism of the Army’s marching isn\u2019t just a random nitpick; it\u2019s reflective of the President\u2019s indifference towards this country\u2019s traditions and values. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until Saturday, there hasn\u2019t once been a military parade for an anniversary. Most military parades occur after a war, such as the previous 1991 parade after the Gulf War. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Grant didn\u2019t throw a parade for the 100th anniversary, President Coolidge didn\u2019t throw a parade for the 150th anniversary, and President Hoover didn\u2019t throw a parade for the 200th anniversary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is because the military is so particular about symbolism and how it relates to this country’s values. Growing up on military bases throughout my early life,  the servicemen I knew, including my family, saw their service as a humble sacrifice rather than a show of power.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Continental Army in 1775 was founded on that sacrifice and humility. They took to these principles because they were the exact opposite of the lies of glory and loyalty spread by the occupying British forces, parading those lies throughout the colonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the reason federally sponsored military parades are used so sparingly, usually after times of hardship, for example, after World War II. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think it\u2019s awfully convenient that the President would forgo this tradition because the anniversary is on his birthday, while canceling the previous plans the army had for the anniversary<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The irony is that out of all the presidents who decided to have a military parade is the one who has numerous allegations of draft dodging<\/a>.  As well as multiple unconstitutional actions and threats by not honoring due process<\/a> and threatening violence on anyone who protests the parade.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Threatening the very things that these people have fought and died for. Metaphorically, spitting on the grave of every soldier from Yorktown to Iraq.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, the parade was camera fodder. An easily transparent attempt at wasting tax dollars on his birthday. A very underwhelming crowd attended the parade<\/a>. Everyone was too busy participating in one of the largest mass protests in American history<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These protesters were the real celebration, reminding the world of the driving goal behind the founding of the union, our democracy and our people, “No Kings”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carter Cousino, staff writer\/intern<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out more posts by the Clarion:<\/p>\n\n\n