The Morning After
Tuesday morning after Independence Day 2022, is overcast with intermittent sunshine. Is today the beginning of a new week, or a continuation of the week that was, a week that seemed compressed into one day? I refer to the mass murder that occurred yesterday at the Highland Park Independence Day parade. A young man, resident of Highwood, killed six and injured many more from his vantage point on the roof of a building. He used a military grade rifle. Did he obtain the rifle legally? Of course this does not matter at all to the dead, or to their families. It is a fine point, relevant only if you happen to be a Constitutional fundamentalist, someone who thinks the 2nd Amendment to our Constitution is sacred writ.
Forty two miles distant I attended another Independence Day Memorial parade in Wheaton, Illinois. The tree-lined sidewalks were filled to the curb with families in outdoor chairs. Children were seated on the curb as far as the eye could see toward the parade origin point, ready to receive the treats which are enthusiastically pitched by other children participating in the parade. The Wheaton July 4th parade is a annual all-village gathering on main street, without admission fee, – you just have to get there. There are marching bands, marching elected officials, fantastically adorned big trucks, and lots of smiling faces. Is the July 4th parade, the very best of America, the best that we can be? There is no concealed agenda, just a desire to be there for one another, for those few minutes on a July the 4th, we “just are” for one another.
Our family traditionally comes together for a pre-parade breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage and bacon, bloody marys, beer, orange juice, and coffee. The backyard picnic grows more chaotic year by year as the grandchildren grow older. Also it seems each year a few more friends join us for conversation and food. This time together is something that we would never miss, unless we are out of town, and distance prevents our presence.
These photos were taken at the Wheaton parade. Some are images of 
family members. Am I the oldest guy in this collection of photos? Possibly. In any case it is good to remember that these images are simply the surface of much, much more going on underneath the visible of the parade and the family gathering in Wheaton. There was the companionship of watching the parade together, or of marching together, the adrenaline rush of fire truck sirens, the cadence of a marching band, a water balloon fight, the comforting taste of coffee as one patiently waited for the first sounds of the approaching parade.
A final note: I actually shook hands curbside with a Republican State legislator who introduced herself to me. On impulse it seemed the common humanity of that moment was a more important expression, than my antipathy for the Republican Party.
2 thoughts on “The Morning After”
It should be noted that the shooter was a resident of Highwood not Highland Park as stated in the narrative. Highland Park has a local law that it’s residents can not not own assault weapons. The shooter’s parents live in Highland Park and the shooter grew up there, but moved to Highwood. It is not known if this figured in as a motive for the shooter. It is also not known if the fact that his father, who is a resident of Highland Park, and who unsuccessfully ran against the present mayor of Highland Park for the mayoral office figures into the shooter’s motive. Just some things worth mentioning.
Thank you Jeff. Information to keep in mind.