Independence Day Matters
This year, an annual American tradition over a century in the making won’t take place and that’s nothing short of a heartbreak. I’ve always been so incredibly proud to be a Staten Islander. For all of the media mockery and negative stereotypes that persist about our borough and Staten Islanders in general, I’ve always been so proud to call myself a Staten Islander and taken a great deal of pride in telling people from all over the country how special Staten Island it is- our history, our culture, our cuisine and our spirit. One of the things I was always proudest to mention though was the Travis Fourth of July Parade, the oldest Independence Day celebration in America. This parade isn’t just historic (110 years in the making), it’s incredibly special- because of the personalities that attend (Mayors, Governors and Congressmen rub elbows with beauty Queens, antique car enthusiasts, war heroes and volunteer firefighters) and because of the length of the parade. It’s a living, breathing tribute to the neighborhood of Travis. I’m not sure there’s another neighborhood in America, where you could have a parade of this length. I’ve been lucky enough to walk in this parade and to watch it, along with thousands of others on the sidelines. I was told by an activist with a local veterans organization that the parade organizers emailed parade participants saying,
“in light of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, we are not able to have the annual Travis 4th of July Parade as we have had for the past 109 years.”
In my judgement, this is incredibly misguided. In recent weeks as the number of new hospital admissions and COVID related deaths has continued to crater to new lows, both the Governor and the Mayor have praised New Yorkers for adhering to the guidance and direction offered by public health officials in terms of the best strategies to beat the virus. With more businesses reopening this week, along with increased mass transit service, we’re seeing New Yorkers demonstrate the will and the discipline to return to a new normal, which includes social distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing face coverings. Why in the world couldn’t a parade take place, with the proper safety guidelines?
The decision to scrap the parade is particularly troubling, because our city (and our borough) is seeing demonstrations of hundreds (or thousands) on literally a daily basis. Recently Staten Island held a peaceful demonstration, which saw about 1,800 people participating, including many shoulder to shoulder, with limited adherence to social distancing. How can this demonstration be permitted, but not a demonstration of patriotism?
When I’ve raised this seeming disconnect publicly and questioned the reason for the cancellation, I was told by one social media user,
“Because the protest is fighting very real and active police brutality and systemic oppression. Your little parade is about celebrating july4th traditionally. If you cant tell which is more important, it’s time to be quiet. risking covid is justified in one, not the other.”
I couldn’t disagree more. The celebration of Independence Day and the values enshrined in the Declaration of Independence are what our country is all about. When there’s injustice in the world, is there any better time to celebrate life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Whatever risks may exist by celebrating America with other Staten Islanders, than count me as someone who’s willing to take that risk. To cancel this parade, while allowing other mass gatherings to continue isn’t just a disappointment for Staten Islanders, it’s a total slap in the face for every American that’s given his life defending American values from Father Vincent Capodanno to Sgt. Michael Ollis and the countless others in between.
Let’s hope they rethink this cancellation. Let them march!
