This letter is in response to Christian Rivera's letter regarding parade noise. America is a land of wonderous freedom, generous bounty and unending pride.
It is a land of free speech and freedom of religion and expression. What better avenue to express such freedoms as in a parade? People of all races, religions, talents, etc. come together at a parade to share what they know best.
They join to celebrate the men and women who have given of themselves to help ensure those freedoms. What better way for a community such as ours to come together as one for a change, to throw aside the negative and participate in something positive?
Children witness, alongside the whole community, what joy we have in our country. People listen to music that perhaps they would not hear otherwise.
Not to speak of the traditions - the pomp and circumstance of the marching bands and bagpipes. It's about celebration and should not be cast in a negative light.
If we lose our traditions, what does that say about our future? In a country such as ours, we have the ability not to participate. We have the freedom to move elsewhere, or at the very least, buy earplugs to drown out the noise that may affect our sensitive hearing. Men and women fought and died for these freedoms, big and small.
Gloversville, it's time to drown out the negative and join together to find more positive. Kudos to the Gloversville Memorial Day parade committee for doing such a wonderful job of keeping our tradition alive. I had the distinct pleasure of marching in its wonderful "noisy" camaraderie myself.
MELISSA M. FREDERICK-BEDELL
Gloversville