Under a cloudy sky of July 4, 2016, 30,000-plus parade-goers at the 49th annual Bainbridge Grand Old Fourth of July Parade witnessed something unusual: illiberality in full display on Our Independence Day.

Not having seen a word in the local papers decrying this parade travesty, I want to let you know how the “Best Small Town Parade in America” came off.

Marching proudly in the parade under the banner of “Veterans for Donald J. Trump, Make America Great,” I and my fellow Trump supporters were subject to a very unseemly spectacle of vileness, obscenities and general incivility in the official parade.

As the Donald J. Trump display worked its way along the parade route, there was a despicable Hate Wave that rolled alongside our group from beginning to end. The public meltdown was spectacular and was seen by all of the parade watchers.

The gauntlet of obscenities and thrown objects was not limited to a few intoxicated louts but a wide-ranging outburst that was a public shame. I wonder how many parents had to answer tough questions from the children who witnessed the public display of hatred and anger. “Mommy, I thought this was an island of diversity and tolerance.”

In addition, the three groups of Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce parade emcees at three parade stations managed to step on themselves by publicly refusing to read the agreed-upon script for Donald J. Trump about his vision and plans for the future. Only after my three-time defiant refusal to proceed down the parade route until the script was read did they finally “find” the script and read it.

As George Orwell wrote in “Animal Farm”: All animals are equal but some animals are more equal.

James M. Olsen
Bainbridge Island