The following is a transcript of Todd’s daily radio commentary. Click here to download the free APP for Todd’s conservative radio station. Listen to some of the best conservative talk hosts in the nation!
A group of teenagers from Grand Traverse, Michigan was excited to participate in the city’s annual Cherry Festival parade. But hours before the event, the kids were told they were no longer welcome to march.
The local chapter of Teens for Life had marched in the parade in previous years without any sort of an issue.
State Senator John Damoose said it was clear that the kids were booted from the parade because of political pressure.
“These kids worked hard and made big plans for the parade with entertainment and custom t-shirts,” he said in a statement. “Then, at the last minute – more than 5 weeks after being approved – they were cancelled because of political pressure. Once again, grown up problems and politics are ruining things for our kids.”
Pro-life leaders say they were appalled that the teenagers were shunned in what was supposed to be a fun parade.
“We are appalled that our next generation is being denied the chance to join their town in the annual Cherry Festival Parade, all in the name of intimidation and harassment and now a supposed clerical error,” said pro-lifer Emily Hollabaugh.
“Our students look forward to peacefully walking with their community just as every other group who was approved gets the right to do so. We are proud of our students for being willing to outwardly march for life and we will continue to support them,” she added.
At first parade organizers blamed a clerical error. Then, they said they had received threats about letting the kids march.
The executive director of the Cherry Festival told a local newspaper that ultimately they don’t allow social or political entities to march.
“Our rules prevent us from allowing social or political entities from marching in our parade,” Kat Paye told the Traverse Ticker. “We are not endorsing nor condoning the organization or their objectives; we are simply following our own policy and rules.”
But if that’s true – why did they let a local pro-gay organization march? And there are also photographs of a pro-social justice group marching in the parade, along with a pro-Indigenous people group.
Sounds to me like there’s a lot of cherry picking going on in Grand Traverse, Michigan.