I received this email from a friend of mine and I agree that we NEED to keep traditions like this alive in Greenpoint. Honor those who have served our country and our neighborhood.
The New York City Council has recently enacted legislation mandating that all parades in NYC be reduced by 25%. This includes this year’s Memorial Day parade in my neighborhood of Greenpoint, Brooklyn that is sponsored by St. Stan’s Memorial American Legion Post #1771.
We will be forced to tell many of the troops, bands and community organizations that have supported and marched in the parade for the past nine years that they are not invited back. We’d ask that you take a few minutes and do the following to assist us:
If you never have before, visit our web-site at http://www.ststanspost1771.org to view the pictures and videos of our past parades, as well as the after-parade ceremonies and festivities to see what we do for the 150 troops returning from duty that we invite to join us annually.
Go to http://www.nyc.gov and send an email to the Mayor, Police Commissioner, President of the City Council and Public Advocate and ask them:
a) what they were thinking when they supported this legislation
b) to waive the rule for our parade
It doesn’t matter what state or city you live in. Please add my email address (don.marshall@ststanspost1771.org) as a cc so we can use your email at our protest and/or my bail hearing in the event we march our regular parade route as an act of civil disobedience.
Pass this email on to your family members and friends and ask them to do the same. No, you won’t turn into a pillar of salt if you don’t. We just need all the support we can get.
Thanks for your help & God Bless America.
Donald T. (Donnie) Marshall
Adjutant
St. Stan’s Memorial American Legion Post #1771
There's at least one inaccuracy in that email, and I think there are two… with the second one meaning this may all be a misunderstanding.
The parade reduction rule wasn't legislation passed by the city council, it is an NYPD policy change.
Writing to the council will be meaningless, and writing to any official asking, as recommended, why they "supported this legislation" will only show the writer to be ill-informed.
Secondly, my understanding of the ruling is that doesn't reduce the number of units allowed in a parade. It reduces the length of the parade route, and limits any parade duration to five hours. The goal is to reduce expenses occurred by the police department to man parade routes.
Here's a Times story from when the rule change was announced:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/nyregion/23parade.html