By accident Drema and I discovered the annual 4th of July parade in Gatlinburg, TN. This is the 1st 4th of July parade in the nation which commences at 12 midnight on the morning of the 4th. This was our fourth visit to this parade and yesterday it rained like a cow pissing on a flat rock all day. But, at 10 PM the rain stopped and we headed to the strip with 100,000 other Americans to watch the show.
But first we engaged in some gun play which is something not shunned in the Appalachian hills. There was this amusement game where about 20 folks go into a theater, ride a mechanical horse and shoot at a big screen filled with pirates and black hat cowboys. Even our youngest enjoyed the fun and our oldest outshot us all. Then a game of laser tag where once again Bat proved he was a force to be reckoned with.
The rain continued to hold off and at midnight with thousands of hillbillies and folks from all nationalities lining the highway, people began to throw money into the street and the kids swarmed the road picking up change.
We were then treated to floats representing each branch of the armed services and even the Hatfields and McCoys. Maybe the coolest show was the men dressed up like patriots shooting muzzleloading pistols in the air.
At a time when I have been wondering about the direction our country was headed, this was an emotional boost much needed. Happy 4th to all and a special thanks to the men and women who have kept our country free! Let freedom ring !!!
A government that does not have digesns against its own citizens does not have to worry if those citizens own guns. If the government is worried because the citizens own guns, that body of leaders is not to be trusted.