This is an editorial that is particularly difficult to write.  There were some serious problems with conduct at the Parade this year, but first, it’s only fair to give credit where it’s due.

     Most of all, the Parade was its usual magnificent spectacle.  It was full of great things, with lots for the kids.  The Allied War Veterans Council of South Boston did their work well.  The visit of the USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) was memorable.  The Mayoral race, which plays a key role in funding the Parade, was a great success.

     There was a larger-than-usual police presence along the Parade route.  Most of those whom South Boston Online talked with said that the crowd behavior was better than last year.  Many of the truly offensive uniformed marching units from prior years are now “disinvited”.  There were twice as many arrests this year.

     To the best of our knowledge, the marching units from the various departments in Boston were sharp and well-disciplined.  The roofs that were so crowded last year with spectators who could have fallen into the crowds were visibly empty this year.

     So what were the problems?

     Before discussing the problems, let us make it clear that everything we will say was either personally witnessed by the staff at South Boston Online or was caught in photographs we have sitting on our conference table.  These photographs are clear records of misbehavior at the Parade.  They were given to us by concerned residents.

     Let’s pick an example.  We have a photo of an individual drinking on a float sponsored by a popular local beer.  Public drinking is forbidden, especially by participants in a parade.  How could an otherwise reputable marketer of alcoholic beverages allow this to happen? 

     We also saw and have received many photographs of large numbers of spectators openly drinking.  Clearly, the police could not arrest every spectator, but many of them were out of control.  Some of the spectators, who were much the worse for wear, attempted to crash the Parade’s line of march.  So much for the Mayor’s and Commissioner’s nonsensical cries of “Zero tolerance.”

     Most disturbing of all, there were large numbers of uniformed personnel, mostly firefighters from other places, who drank publicly and excessively.  One group blundered through a Family Zones, creating a sense of menace as they passed.  You can argue that they were from out of town, but how does a young kid know the difference?  To young kids, a uniform is a uniform.  It set an awful example.  Many of these visiting uniformed personnel stayed on into the evening - getting drunker, going from house to house, and hitting on young girls.  Great show, guys!

     By comparison, First Night is virtually free of problems.  The Fourth of July Pops Concert has always been a marvel of good crowd behavior.  The rallies for the Sox and the Pats were trouble-free – they were daytime events, of course, but so is the Parade.  South Boston residents must be asking by now, “Why us?  Why does it happen here?”

     Here’s where South Boston Online is coming from:  First, no more liquor-related floats or displays.  That may cost some Parade funding, and we’ll have to say goodbye to our  good friends, the Bud Clydesdales, but so be it.  Second, the hammer has to be lowered on the uniforms who are not in the Parade, up to and including their arrest.  They use their uniforms as a license to drink, disgracing their fellows and the memory of 9/11 in the process.  And this has been going on since the 2002 Parade.

     Those are two important steps in taking our Parade back.  There will be others.  South Boston Online may be accused of over-reacting, but what else can we report when we have eyewitness accounts and unmistakable photographs sitting right in front of us?