The Rose Parade 2012 And The "Occupy" Vermin

I made my annual trek to the Tournament of Roses Parade in my fair burg of Pasadena, California as usual this morning.
As usual, it was a great parade full of floats, marching bands and equestrian units.
Many photos were taken and I will share some later this week.
It is what makes my hometown a special place.
Sure, the Rose Parade, as it is known to all, started off as a scam. A good one, but to be blunt it was a way to showcase Pasadena as a place to come to live and set up business.
Started in 1890 by the elite Valley Hunt Club, as this link shows it was to showcase the fledgling city.
Nothing wrong with that.
In fact, it has been doing the same thing for over 123 years. And thousands if not millions come here between Christmas and New Years to share in the biggest camp out and party in the world.
So, why was it held today instead of New Years?
Can't do in on a Sunday. To be correct, the rule is "Never On A Sunday". The essential reason is that when the parade began, it was down Colorado Blvd and that is where most of the churches in town were. And that is sort of the case. But I think it is one of the quirks and traditions that make the Rose Parade a wondrous event.
But some people mightily tried to ruin it today.
Leave it to the Occupy Wall Street vermin movement.
Like the rats they are, they put such a fright into the leadership of the city and the Tournament of Roses board of directors that they were allowed to participate. And the very end of the parade. Behind the police and tow trucks that bring up the rear of the parade.
Judging by the coverage of two major local television outlets here and here, they did not have much of an impact.
But let me share my experience with some "Occupy" vermin I had at the parade today.
First, my quibble with the ABC report is that the "occupy" vermin claimed that they did not want to disrupt the parade.
Tell that to the revolutionary Chica gal, complete in black beret, trying to get the crowd into a chant. While the parade was still going on. And she did have a wireless microphone. So, don't cover-up the reality that the vermin, like the rats that they are, just scattered among the crowd.
At my location, they set up two long folding tables-a no-no that was overlooked by law enforcement. After the revolutionary chicha couldn't get the parade viewers riled up, the parade ended. And that is when it got interesting.
On the tables were copies of their four-page "Occupy" newspaper. And they were handling them out to those of us leaving out fun time. A seemingly nice enough older woman handed me a copy of the newspaper. I proceeded to tear it in pieces in her face. Then her response was "Please don't litter! I'll take it back!" And I did hand it back to her. I also said. "Good, you should throw away this trash!" and I went on my merry way.
Let me explain why this movement is at its core bad.
It is because it looks at the United States as so flawed that they can not make change within the system. They look at elections as zero-sum affairs. The reason that they refer to themselves as occupiers is that they are assaulting the very "establishment" that they hate.
Thus what is more establishment that to assault the Rose Parade? Sure they marched in the route after the actual parade. But they had a full contingent of fifth-columnists tucked in the crowd. Harassing people that just wanted to see a parade and have a good time.
Thus it is a big lie. The "occupy" movement is bent on fundamentally changing the United States further than any garden-variety liberal's dream.
But judging from the crowd I was with, while most did not take the action I did, most were non plussed by the "occupy" vermin.
And that is how it should be at an event that brings so much joy and happiness to millions of people in Pasadena and around the world. The Tournament of Roses Parade needs to be clear of politics and should have never given these "occupy" vermin any platform to air their grievances.