People on Parade

People on Parade

John Paul Derryberry

Mason City put on their band-fest parade this week, complete with 76 trombones from the play, The Music Man. And physically, I was there doing my duty for my organization. However, mentally I was still thinking about the school shooting in Texas. I don't know how people could not be thinking about those little lives lost. It feels senseless; it's more than confusing how society ended up where massive shootings are the norm. Worse yet, it feels like once again nothing will occur to change the status quo. We have rights, but they have changed through out our history. Maybe the right to breath, trumps the right to irresponsibly own a gun.

This isn't some leftist slant that guns should be banned. This isn't some conservative slant about a good guy with a gun. I'm smart enough to not generalize our population or suggest this is a problem solved with just gun control measures and increased mental health funding. This is a complicated mess we have brought on ourselves for refusing to listen and work with each other. It's something, for whatever reason, numerous leaders have decided we should live with and use as a way to amp up their base of voters.

As I walked through the community I call home during the Parade, my mind wandered to the notion I keep hearing about how divided we are. It didn't add up. Within this crowd, there was a liberal wanting to ban assault rifles, a conservative probably responsible for carrying a firearm. I bet there was a pro-gun Democrat and a pro-gun regulation Republican; all coming together to participate in a beautiful tradition in northern Iowa; all happy to share the space together. More than anything, I think that is what we should strive for, a place wOhere as many people as possible are welcome in public places; not just one party, one religion, one way of thought. More of us agree on this than what is spewed from our leaders.

As I continued my stroll along State Street, the moment of worrying about the worst-case scenario faded, never wholly gone but faded. I saw so many smiling faces, so many happy adults, and memories that will last a lifetime for numerous children. There were first crushes for some middle school kids; pure bliss for those kids catching the candy; rekindling romances for the adults basking in a moment of what makes life whole. Maybe I was walking in the Parade, but the people of my town were on Parade for me. I was the best part of humanity, and we should do everything possible to preserve it for everyone. I do not have an answer to how exactly to do that, but I know we should. Doing nothing will have more dire consequences for the soul of our country, but worse yet, it will have families miss those parades in whatever town they call home.