Forward Ho! A howitzer rolls down Main Street during the 4th of July parade in Randolph, Vermont in 1989.

Happy Fourth of July!

With the controversy swirling around President Trump’s decision to include tanks and other military hardware as part of a “Salute To America” celebration in Washington, D.C., we were reminded of a similar controversy 30 years ago in Randolph, Vt.

For many years, the annual Fourth of July parade in Randolph included a tank as part of the festivities. (We documented the militarization of the small town parade experience in Issues 5, 6 and 10.) This was around the time of the Tienanmen Square Massacre and the inclusion of the tank (we later learned it was actually a howitzer) rubbed some in town the wrong way.

In addition to protests published in the pages of The Advocate, one of the editors also threw daisies on the tank one year. Looking back, the argument made against inclusion of the tank was not very sophisticated, compelling or even cogent. But we received letters for and against our “anti-tank” stance with some questioning our patriotism.

Proof of Patriotism: One of the editors of The Advocate dressed up as George Washington in kindergarten.\

As it was summed up 30 years ago in the pages of The Advocate, “There are better and more positive ways to make people think about the war for independence was fought for than this parading of military power.”

If you’re looking for a more appropriate way to celebrate Independence Day, listen to the annual tradition of NPR hosts reading the Declaration of Independence:

In 1989, Morning Edition launched what has become an Independence Day tradition: reading the Declaration of Independence on air. Listen here 👇

— Morning Edition (@MorningEdition) July 4, 2019