Friday, March 11, 2005

Massacre on Western Avenue

This Sunday will see the 27th Annual South Side Irish Parade in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. A great local tradition, the largest neighborhood St. Patrick's Day Parade in the nation and a perfect tip-off to St. Patrick's week (which handily includes my dad's birthday).

They have been making threats about the public drinking for the past few years (read the "Important Info" section of the website). It sounds like they are taking a hard line and that you best not step out of line. This should take care of all of the troublemakers.

It should, that is, if they have never been there before.

Wanna see an unenforcable law and all of its implications in action? Or wanna be a for-real lawbreaker with (most likely) no consequence? Come and watch. More that a quarter of a million people attend and the police are simply outmatched. They may engage in spot enforcement, but little else.

Look, cops, all I want is to watch a parade that celebrates my heritage, gather with old friends and have a beer on a sidewalk in 24 degree weather. Is this a problem? I guess that this is a classic case of "a few rotten apples..." When will they ever learn? I am, at heart, a pacifist. I don't want to fight (especially when I am drunk; I will lose).

Well, I hope that all have fun and behave themselves. Cops, let's call a truce; leave me alone and I will leave you alone.

I always hold up my end of the bargain. What say you?

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