THE ISSUE: This year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade lineup, with the FDNY moved from the front.
I find it appalling the way our Bravest are being treated by the St. Patrick’s Parade committee (“The Shaming o’ the Green,” Editorial, March 15).
The FDNY held up the parade last year because of its support of the New Orleans’ firefighters, who marched in thanks to New York for its help during Hurricane Katrina.
This took an extra 35 minutes. Who cares?
FDNY members put their lives on the line every time they go to a fire, and I think that the parade committee has forgotten the 343 who lost their lives on 9/11 trying to save others.
What this committee has done is totally disrespectful, and they should all be ashamed.Frederick Bedell
Bellerose
*****
I wonder how many times FDNY Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta has marched in the parade when not at the front and experienced what many senior citizens and children did last year – waiting in the cold, long past the scheduled start time.
Is their time not valuable? And isn’t this their parade, as well?
Isn’t this the same Scoppetta who last year caused a furor by breaking a 30-year tradition of members of the FDNY wearing green berets in the parade?
Now he is an advocate of St. Patrick’s tradition.
Are his rules the only ones that are meant to be followed?
Robert McDonald
Manhattan
*****
The purpose of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is to honor St Patrick – it doesn’t matter if you march first or last if you are there for the right reason.
I’d throw the names in a hat and draw the order of the march to put an end to the bickering.
I also don’t like the politicking that is tarnishing this parade.
Mayor Bloomberg and Christine Quinn, you two need to zip it.
Patrick Grant
Brooklyn