Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Eagan: Parade of sponsors run from toxic event


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It’s become South Boston’s toxic parade.
Every major company that St. Patrick’s Day Parade organizers touted on their website as a “proud supporter” of today’s parade is a supporter no more.
First the Westin Waterfront. Gone. Then Gillette. Then Clear Channel’s JAM’N 94.5, which used to send a float. Then Entercom’s WAAF 97.7/107.3, which sent a float with a station banner. Then Entercom’s WEEI 93.7, which sent station street teams to hand out Red Sox schedules along the route. Then CBS local’s Mix 104.1 and AMP 103.3, which used to send station cars. Then Great Media’s Hot 96.9 FM. Gone, gone, gone, gone, and gone.
The Boston Beer Co. held on to the parade until Thursday. There are more than a few pubs along Broadway. Then Club Cafe, a longtime South End restaurant and bar popular with Boston’s gay community, announced it would stop selling Sam Adams beer “until such time as either the parade organizers change their position or Sam Adams removes its support.”
Sam Adams, better late than never, promptly removed its support, too.
It’s not clear how many smaller local businesses remain parade supporters. Parade organizers removed their list of “proud supporters” from their website soon after the Herald began to ask businesses about that support on March 4. As of yesterday the website was still “updating” that now hidden list.
The last big company standing with the parade is NECN, which is broadcasting it today and has advertised its coverage as if it’s all family fun and celebration. “As a news organization,” reads NECN’s statement, “we take no position on the merits of any point-of-view expressed by organizers, protestors, or any other interested party.”
No position on the merits of organizers discriminating against gays? It’s an odd position for a company that operates in Massachusetts, where discrimination against gays has been outlawed for years and gay marriage, since 2004, has been the law of the land.
And it’s unclear whether the station will interrupt its upbeat parade coverage with news interviews from the back-of-the-bus parade. That’s my nickname for the bigger than ever Peace Parade. Though it has to start a mile behind the first parade, it’s at least ahead of the street sweepers this year and welcomes, as usual, marchers banned from first parade as well as marchers who shun it.
They include not only gays who refuse to hide who they are but also Grand Marshal Carlos Arredondo, the Boston Marathon hero; Tina Chery of Dorchester, the nationally known anti-violence crusader; the Friel Sisters from Ireland, who rejected the first parade; numerous religious groups, at least six bands, one float, a beloved Boston duck boat and the original Peace Parade organizers, the Veterans for Peace.
Lost in all the hoopla over the gay ban is the nearly impossible to believe ban imposed as well on these veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Korea and even World War II. Among them is Bob Funke, a Vietnam vet awarded two Silver Stars, three Bronze Stars and three Purple Hearts. Funke and his fellow vets are banned, says Veterans for Peace organizer Pat Scanlon, because of their supposedly provocative message of “peace.”
Like I said, it’s become a toxic parade, and a shameful one, too.

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