Easy pickings: Here's a tip -- find another way to cover Veterans Day cleanup

Sigh. Sometimes politicians and public officials make being an editorial writer SOOOOO EAAASSSY.

The nothing-short-of-silly handling of the request from the county's veterans to have a parade in downtown Goldsboro is such an easy target that it is almost impossible to miss.

Here's the skinny: A group of veterans, many of whom have been injured serving their country, comes to you and asks for a permit to have a parade on Veterans Day. You know there are new rules about asking all the businesses along Center Street if it is OK and that the parade organizers will have to clean up after themselves.

So, rather than simply figuring, "I bet I can avoid this public relations nightmare by working something out so that these men do not have to pick up litter on the streets after a parade honoring their sacrifice," you decide to stand firm and emphasize to them that "rules are rules."

At the risk of stating the obvious, here it goes: It is an insult to ask a group of veterans to clean up the city streets after a parade in their honor. It misses the point completely.

And here's some more wisdom for you: If the city does not have enough money to clean up the streets after such an event, there is simply no reason to even consider a new recreation center.

It is likely that this storm will clear before it even passes completely over.

But if it doesn't, perhaps the city and county could come up with a volunteer crew to handle the cleanup after the parade. It seems like the least we can do.

Published in Editorials on October 23, 2009 10:21 AM