I had emailed two people responsible for the 'miscommunication' and echoing the very same idea that now with all the negative publicity and the uncertainty of the Tea Party being in next years parade, there most certainly would be 100 Chris Kairnes' handing out pocket Constitutions.

Also, it might be a good idea for a team of parade onlookers to have camcorders locked and loaded to record any such parade violations, say like, any political persons handing out business cards like Reed or Whitehouse.

I'm sure they too would be 'not invited' for the next years parade.

Let me quote:

"The truth shall set you free!

Read about it here:
http://www.rifuture.org/diary/6857/at-any-rate-ill-never-go-there-again

YES! When you ask for donations and for membership that is considered a "solicitation!"

Posted by Matt Jerzyk at July 9, 2009 2:18 PM "

==============================

So in light of today's apology from the Parade Committee, exactly who is telling the truth and who is/was spewing forth lies? Matt? C'mon man, own up. You're usually better than your comrade Crowley and don't hide when you're wrong. You gonna own up to being wrong?

Think the Tea Party folks give a damn at this point whether they're invited or not? They'll be around next year...and go running to Glenn Beck again if they aren't.
Let's just throw the march open to everybody.

Gee rhody-it sounds like you find Glenn Beck annoying.
He is a little weird.
I always get leery of advice from people "in recovery".
I have never watched the Bristol Parade.

The purpose of the whole thing was not to get back into the parade. It was about the principle of what are we actually celebrating on the 4th of July. It also had a lot to do with the attitude of the committee, as well as the disrespect shown to Marina by its chairman.

Even this apology only really dis-disinvites them; it doesn't give them any assurances that they will in fact be in next year's parade in Bristol. Frankly, I doubt they care. The point has been clearly made. Between Columbus Day, Memorial Day, and other 4th of July parades, like the Ancients and Horribles, that float will be getting plenty of wear for the forseeable future.

Matt,

"YES! When you ask for donations and for membership that is considered a "solicitation!"

No one asked for donations in exchange for the pocket Declarations/Constitutions or for membership in anything. Chris (the guy who was actively passing them out) was not with the Tea Party. He was not involved with the float. The only thing he may have had in common with anyone tea party related was his yellow shirt, because he got his from the same folks that the tea party purchased theirs from. He purchased several thousand copies of the Dec/Con from the Heritage Foundation, which he distributed for free, because he's a patriot. He does it quite regularly. I had dinner with him and a few other folks on Saturday, and he was even passing them out during dinner. I wouldn't expect him to tear out a little page somewhere in the book, wherein the Heritage Foundation has a little membership form. You wouldn't see it, unless you were deliberately looking for it.

It would have been better to bring this to a definitive close by the Parade Committee publicly inviting the Tea Party for the 2010 parade and the RITP expressing its support for the parade and wish that everyone turn out next year for the largest crowd in history.

One negative aspect of all the publicity so far is that many people have said they would boycott the parade. That would be a Bad Thing, and is not the right remedy. The Bristol Parade is one of Rhode Island's greatest and most valuable traditions, and a darn good time for all involved. A little bit of petty, cliquish behavior, even if it is linked to Democrat/union machine antagonism toward the Tea Party, is a fleeting thing that can easily be defeated by public opinion, as the course of this controversy has showed.

It's time for both sides to express their goodwill and shared desire to make next year's parade the best ever.

I don't think the parade should be boycotted either.

However, I do think the parade onlookers should join Chris and boost the numbers of those passing out 'free' pocket copies of the Constitution to oh, let's say, 100 people with yellow shirts?

I also think the Tea Party should get a note of support from Chief Sachem Thomas to dress as Indians on the float next year.

Roland,
The Tea Party float participants approached the Native Americans and inquired as to whether they would object to participants dressed as "Indians". Their response was not positive.

bobc,

Thanks for the heads up because I had obtained the main number for the Indian council to get their take on it dressing the float attendees in Indian garb!

You saved me some embarrassment.

Just as an FYI...

During the Boston Tea Party, the patriots dressed as Mohawk indians, albeit, from pretty much all historical accounts, not in the most convincing costumes.

Unfortunately for the Mohawks, they took the side of the British against the Americans during the Revolutionary War (as well as the War of 1812), so one can understand why they might not want to have anything to do with a Fourth of July parade, regardless of any offense one might take for any unintended racial insensitivity.

Asking the Narragansetts for permission might not be historically correct anyway, since I don't believe that the Narragansett ever really controlled that part of the east bay (I think it was controlled by the Wampanoags). My understanding is that tht Narragansetts have always considered the Wampanoags as rivals; and the current day Mohawks now live primarily in the New York area. Although they are all native American groups, they really are historically distinct tribes, so we're probably just as well to leave that can of worms tightly closed.