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Ocean Grove July 4 , 2018. Paul Goldfinger photo.  His white  shirt says, “Freedom is not Free.”

 

July 4 2018, Main Avenue Ocean Grove.

2022. Paul Goldfinger photo. The OG underground.

The CMA calls this an “Independence Weekend in Ocean Grove.”  And the parade is called “Parade.”

There is no mention of the patriotic  July 4th  holiday.  Just look at the link below to see how tiny the references are to America’s greatest celebration.

See the list of parade participants–there are 50.  There is nary an indication of what this holiday is supposed to be.

www.oceangrove.org/march

Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor.   Blogfinger.net.  June26, 2023.      Re-post from 2022.

What this national holiday is supposed to commemorate is the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, by delegates from the 13 colonies.

This is the day we are supposed to be celebrating  the birth of the United States of America.

The  Ocean Grove  parade on July 6, 2024  is sponsored  by the OG Camp Meeting Association.  They call it the “Independence  Parade,” but that is not the actual theme which the sponsors have in mind.  Look what they do and not what they say.

They should be honest and name this event:  “The Ocean Grove CMA  parade.”

In the official 2022 CMA document regarding the “Independence Weekend” they say, “Our annual parade is an event symbolic of the rich tradition and customs that make Ocean Grove unique.”    What?

They also say, “The parade and evening concerts are opportunities for us to gather as a community and celebrate the wonderful things and people that make Ocean Grove a special place to live, work and visit.”

“We are inviting parade participants to help us celebrate Ocean Grove’s special community  by incorporating visual elements or musical selections that invoke the tradition of Ocean Grove, the theme of community and/or express what Ocean Grove means to you.”

But the CMA statement does not mention the real reason for an Independence Day parade. Where is the “honor America” theme?

The participants in the parade include not a single true marching band to play Sousa, no active military, no Boy Scouts , or Girl Scouts, no Cub Scouts waving flags in uniform, no Neptune HS band with their color guard,  no fireworks, and nothing to visibly celebrate the birth of the United States of America, except perhaps the two American Legion color guards,  and American  flags waving all over town.   There is essentially no military presence and nothing to honor our military.

But there will be religious figures, CMA organizations,  numerous politicians, police vehicles, noisy fire engines, and advertisements by real estate agents, hotels, corn growers, hardware store, Mazza recycles, and  computer repair store.

The parade will be led by the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Board and by the CMA banner.  No mention of the American flag.

Present will be Neptune United.  What flag will they carry?

And the Chamber of Commerce will be celebrating all the money they make in exploiting our town.

Missing seems to be the Kazoo Band.

And only one Neptune Committeeman  Robert Lane will be there and so will Mayor What’s-His-Name who is called” Neptune Mayor” on the program.  CMA really should learn his name.  At least give him a name tag for the parade and send a courier to bring him to the Grov because he doesn’t know where we are!

However thank goodness for all the enthusiastic  flag wavers in the crowd and all the marchers who will  joyously celebrate America and wear the flag. And thanks to all the OG patriots who will fly the flags and banners  on their homes

And kudos to the Grand Marshalls:   Ronald Naldi and Gordon Turk.  The honor is well deserved by those two magnificent musicians.

The Township should eventually  take over the July 4 parade and turn it into a patriotic affair.   And they should invite all citizens of Neptune Township.  The audience and the marchers should represent America and not just OG.  Ocean Grove is over 90% white.

It’s time for more diversity at  and in the parade, and the July 4 parade is a perfect place to reveal diversity throughout  Neptune under the umbrella of we-the-people of Ocean Grove.  And the parade should be on July 4–that is the national holiday.

If Neptune were to take over it could afford to do it right , but there is no reason to believe that the Neptuners care.   Their Memorial Day parade was a disgraceful mess.

The CMA, the sponsors of this parade, seem to have little  interest in honoring America.  That comes mostly from the flag waving US citizens in the parade and along the route.

As a veteran and a patriot, I say we should have a parade and not a charade.

THIS IS WHAT A JULY 4  PARADE SHOULD SOUND LIKE:

US  ARMY BAND.  “National Emblem March.”