John,
The same week Donald Trump warned Americans they may not be able to afford toys for their children’s Christmas this year, he also announced plans for a $100+ million, four-mile-long military parade to be held in his honor to celebrate his 79th birthday.
June 14, 1775, also happens to be the day the Continental Army was authorized by Congress to hire riflemen, providing Trump with a convenient excuse to hold this parade on his actual birthday rather than, say, the 4th of July. Other “strong men” who held military parades to celebrate their birthdays include Kim Jong Un, Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein.
The whole exercise rings a bit hollow, given that Trump has just presided over the firing of more than 20,000 veterans and 250,000 civil servants, supposedly to root out “waste, fraud, and abuse.” But this parade is the very definition of waste.
Tanks rolling through the streets, fighter jets roaring overhead. Rows of heavily armed soldiers marching in lockstep -- not to honor the nation, but to celebrate the birthday of one man. This isn’t patriotism. It’s political theater with a huge price tag.
But there’s still time to stop this. It can’t happen without approval from Washington, DC officials. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Council have the power to reject permits, withhold city services, and demand repayment for costs the federal government would force onto DC taxpayers.
But it takes courage to stand up to the White House -- and that’s why Mayor Bowser needs to hear from us. Tell Mayor Bowser: Say No to Trump’s $100 million war parade.
For Trump to celebrate the military is ironic considering that he really doesn’t think much of veterans. The same week he announced plans for this parade, he also announced his plan to end Veterans’ Day, intending to rename it to “Victory Day for World War I” -- before taking back his extraordinary disrespect to the nation’s veterans a few days later.
But the litany of disrespect doesn’t stop there. He has called veterans “suckers” and “losers,” told aides not to invite a disabled veteran onstage with him because “nobody wants to see that,” and insulted John McCain’s service in Vietnam despite securing his own deferment, claiming to prefer “people who weren’t captured.”
If Trump actually cared about the military, he would prioritize services for veterans, rather than glorifying himself with a militaristic propaganda display.
Real strength doesn’t shout. It doesn’t roll missiles through cities. It shows up in service, in humility, and in the quiet, unshakeable commitment to justice. As the Tao Te Ching reminds us: “A military parade should be conducted like a funeral.”
Let’s honor that wisdom. Let’s stop this wasteful charade before it begins. Demand DC officials block Trump’s $100 million military parade by adding your name now.
Thank you for standing up for American values, not glorifying despots with displays of arms.
- DFA AF Team
