Scrantons St. Patricks day parade (Jessup: vacation, health, home)

[weluvpa]

Here we go. This thread is discuss the pros and cons of the Scranton St. Patriocks Day parade.

[FightinPhils]

As I said before, as someone of Irish ancestry who is proud of my heritage, I think that the fact that this parade centers around people coming for the sole reason of drinking themselves into a stupor is an insult, and perpetuates the stereotype of the "Irish drunks." Even though a good number of the people who go for the drinking aren't even Irish. The bars should at least be forced to stay closed until the parade ends....allowing people with kids to come and actually enjoy the parade without dealing with the drunks. If its really a "family event" like the city and parade committee claims it is, they should have no problem with this.

Like I said, the parade is out of control and I think they should call it off for a few years and give it a vacation. Jessup did this with St. Ubaldo Day when it got to be out of control with drinking, fights, and other problems. They brought it back about 15 years later and they haven't had the trouble that used to give the day a black eye. And they truly made it more of a family day with a carnival and picnic. No bars opening at 7 am with cheap beer specials and promoting drunkenness.

[FightinPhils]

And to the people who say "if you don't like the parade, don't go." That's easy enough for someone who lives outside of the city to say, but since I live in West Side a stones throw from downtown....we see some of the "revelry" making its way over here, from drunks stumbling and driving back over here from downtown and from bars over here opening early as well.

[weluvpa]

SSSShhhhhhh be careful what you say they are listening.

Sure they love it, fly in get drunk, go home. 570717 will be in Fl. and the people here are going to have to deal with the fallout over this. I hope for the city that nothing happens this year like last. I again would like to point out that no one has died at any other parade in the city except this one.

[FightinPhils]

I'm just waiting to see if 100,000 people will show up for the Armed Forces Day parade. I don't agree with the Iraq war, but I still believe our soldiers are to be honored and respected for their selflessness and bravery. But the turnout for that parade is pitiful. Maybe if there were cheap green beer specials at 7 AM, we'd get a big turnout for that as well.

I remember learning in a college health class that NE PA has one of the highest rates of alcoholism in the nation. I believe it. This area has an obession with drinking excessively.

[weluvpa]

My father is a WWII combat vet and a Korean war vet and he thinks that the Armed Forces Parade turnout is a disgrace. He can't believe that in a area where sooo many went to fight and still do, that the people cannot and will not come out to honor them. I ashamed.

[FightinPhils]

Its a sad commentary on Scranton and NE PA that people show up in droves to get drunk but pretty much ignore a parade to honor veterans. But what do you expect from a city that voted in Chris Doherty to 2 terms, even after he didn't even show up to greet our local troops as they arrived home from Iraq, because he had a precious Syracuse basketball game to attend?

[CHS89]

Thanks for staying home. More parking spots and standing room for the rest of us.

[FightinPhils]

Its too bad Americans have bastardized St. Patrick's Day into a cheesy day of plastic leprechaun hats, beads, and green Budweiser. In Ireland, its more of a solemn day...a holy day where they go to church and have dinner with the family. The day is actually to celebrate St. Patrick spreading Christianity to Ireland. The only reason the cheesy American version of St. Patrick's Day has started to show up somewhat in Ireland is for American tourists who go there expecting the parades and beads and green beer.

[scrantonluna]

I agree with Krabs, keep the bars closed until the parade ends.