Letter to the Editor

One of the best East Boston Columbus Day parades

To the Editor:

In recent years I have been in the East Boston Columbus Day parade. This year I was in the military contingent riding in a WWII Jeep in the back with my very large cowboy hat on. Many people thought I was the new Rex Trailer but not true. I was pretending to be Hollywood actor Robert Duval when he was in Apocalypse Now. I guess the movie must be too old for most.

Then since I was in the parade I didn’t view it passing by me. When I was up at Suffolk Downs where the parade was getting organized, I did see that Caribbean dance troupe in their colorful gab. Some of those in that group were wearing some risqué outfits to say the least but I’ve seen these groups before in both Dorchester and Roslindale parades.

They certainly caused an uproar when the parade ended. Most folks were quite angry at the group for how they performed along the parade route. Eventually, since I didn’t watch the parade I had to wait until friends started showing me video and I must say I was disgusted.

Apparently, there were no grown-folk with this dance troupe. Their act is usually pretty expressive but not to the extend of what was seen in the parade. It might be acceptable at the  Caribbean Festival in Cambridge but not so for the Columbus Day Parade. Let us hope we never see another Humpty-Dumpty display in this parade ever again. As an aging Boomer, I am pretty tolerant of almost anything but that.

However, I regret it caused so much anger on what was one of the best East Boston Columbus Day parades I have either watched or marched in over the years. East Boston is a very welcoming community. Folks from everywhere have found a home here. Columbus Day isn’t just a day for Italian-Americans, it is a day for all of East Boston. I have seen over recent years as our growing Latino community has now become an important part of this parade.

Kudos to everyone on the East Boston Columbus Day Parade Committee who made this parade possible and so enjoying for all. Thank you Joe, Buddy and Rosalie especially for their endless work over the years to make our special day happen here in East Boston over and over again.

Sal Giarratani

East Boston

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