Wrong is wrong.
You know, I shouldn’t let things like this get to me but for some reason I can’t help it. Last night, I was watching CBS evening news and this story came on. It was about a Drum Corps from a New Jersey school that was going to be in the Inaugural parade. Sounds innocent enough doesn’t it but wait, hear the rest of the story.
Well for starters it really isn’t a school. It is a home for boys that have been in trouble. I thought that part was great but it gets bad. The home director whose name is Bill, really wanted to get his boys into the parade, so he wrote a letter to the committee asking if his Drum Corps could be a part of it. Still so far so good but here is where the problem is. He lied. He put on the application that the Corps consisted of 12 marching drummers and he went on to describe their colorful uniforms and how good they were.
The truth is there were only 6 members of the “Corps” and they had never marched a day in their lives. They also had no uniforms. He made it all up in an effort to get into the parade and was, as he said "hoping for a miracle" if he got in. Well to make a long story short, they got accepted. Once accepted, some other kids decided to join the corps since it would get them a free trip to Washington. Then a music company donated some new drums because it was great for publicity. Next some town’s people donated some uniforms so that they wouldn’t be disgraced when their town was mentioned on TV. Bill said it was a miracle. I say this is a bunch of crud to say it nicely.
When I was in High School, our band (The Seabreeze Marching 100)was asked to play in the Rose bowl Parade in California. This was a great honor for us especially since we were coming all the way from Florida. In addition to the parade, we were also slated to compete in a battle of the bands in Pasadena. We were really excited and for a year, we practiced and did everything imaginable to raise money. I gave up afternoons and weekends and I worked my tail off to get there. We chartered an airline and it was the first time that Eastern Airlines crossed the Mississippi. We even arranged to use a parking lot in California to practice some more for the competition. That morning, we arrived all pumped up and ready to win one for our home town.
As we got off of our bus, a TV station was doing some filming and we were asked to be quiet. There right in front of us they were filming the Spring Branch Texas Majorettes with Mac Davis accepting the trophy for winning the competition. This was before the competition even took place. We were all angry to say the least and some people said they weren’t even going to perform. After a brief huddle, we decided to go ahead and perform and give it our best so that anyone who saw the competition would know we were the best. (We were by the way)It was a flawless performance.
My point is this. Somewhere out there is a band or other performer that really wanted to be in the inaugural parade. They followed the rules, they worked hard, they did what was required to get in but they were one team away from getting in. They didn’t make it because someone else lied and was deceitful. At the end of the segment, Katie Couric said how wonderful t was that this drum corps had made it in and that it truly was a miracle. She said she was looking forward to seeing them in the parade. Has she gone mad?
Miracles don’t start with lies and the end never justifies the means. Katie and CBS should be chastised for taking such a stance and supporting lies and deceit. Now that this is out of the bag, if the inaugural committee allows this to go unchecked it will only be a sign of things to come with this administration. And that’s my two cents worth. No I'm not bitter but I did swear that if I was ever at a parade and the band from Spring Branch High School was to come by....I would shout Boooooo. Ok I'm all better now.
Have a great day,
Greg
Well for starters it really isn’t a school. It is a home for boys that have been in trouble. I thought that part was great but it gets bad. The home director whose name is Bill, really wanted to get his boys into the parade, so he wrote a letter to the committee asking if his Drum Corps could be a part of it. Still so far so good but here is where the problem is. He lied. He put on the application that the Corps consisted of 12 marching drummers and he went on to describe their colorful uniforms and how good they were.
The truth is there were only 6 members of the “Corps” and they had never marched a day in their lives. They also had no uniforms. He made it all up in an effort to get into the parade and was, as he said "hoping for a miracle" if he got in. Well to make a long story short, they got accepted. Once accepted, some other kids decided to join the corps since it would get them a free trip to Washington. Then a music company donated some new drums because it was great for publicity. Next some town’s people donated some uniforms so that they wouldn’t be disgraced when their town was mentioned on TV. Bill said it was a miracle. I say this is a bunch of crud to say it nicely.
When I was in High School, our band (The Seabreeze Marching 100)was asked to play in the Rose bowl Parade in California. This was a great honor for us especially since we were coming all the way from Florida. In addition to the parade, we were also slated to compete in a battle of the bands in Pasadena. We were really excited and for a year, we practiced and did everything imaginable to raise money. I gave up afternoons and weekends and I worked my tail off to get there. We chartered an airline and it was the first time that Eastern Airlines crossed the Mississippi. We even arranged to use a parking lot in California to practice some more for the competition. That morning, we arrived all pumped up and ready to win one for our home town.
As we got off of our bus, a TV station was doing some filming and we were asked to be quiet. There right in front of us they were filming the Spring Branch Texas Majorettes with Mac Davis accepting the trophy for winning the competition. This was before the competition even took place. We were all angry to say the least and some people said they weren’t even going to perform. After a brief huddle, we decided to go ahead and perform and give it our best so that anyone who saw the competition would know we were the best. (We were by the way)It was a flawless performance.
My point is this. Somewhere out there is a band or other performer that really wanted to be in the inaugural parade. They followed the rules, they worked hard, they did what was required to get in but they were one team away from getting in. They didn’t make it because someone else lied and was deceitful. At the end of the segment, Katie Couric said how wonderful t was that this drum corps had made it in and that it truly was a miracle. She said she was looking forward to seeing them in the parade. Has she gone mad?
Miracles don’t start with lies and the end never justifies the means. Katie and CBS should be chastised for taking such a stance and supporting lies and deceit. Now that this is out of the bag, if the inaugural committee allows this to go unchecked it will only be a sign of things to come with this administration. And that’s my two cents worth. No I'm not bitter but I did swear that if I was ever at a parade and the band from Spring Branch High School was to come by....I would shout Boooooo. Ok I'm all better now.
Have a great day,
Greg
Comments
I wonder why more people don't see it that way.
This is why I only watch FoxNews. Fox would have presented the same story as *Katie* but would have gone further to tell "the rest of the story." It's sad that CBS thinks we take everything they report as truth-whole-truth-nothing-but. . . .
It's called the dumbing-down of society and utter lack of values.
~esthermay @The Heart of a Pastor's Wife
Good Post, and I can see why it bothered ya, me too.
Have a blessed and calming, peacefilled day.
Sharon
anyway, vengeance is the Lord's and their dishonesty will catch up with them in one way or the other...this is one reason I don't and won't watch Katie and her fellow CBS'ers...they have a history of this kind of activity.
Now I feel better...
PS. I am from NJ. This is an embarrassment!!!
Hey, I have an idea for you. Why don't you ask your wife to do a guest post. We'd all like to meet her. We girls are relational like that.
Keeping my eyes Heavenward where this kind of thing will never ever occur.
You are right, that lie was unjustified and it was no miracle. Just good PR.
Great post.