I have already written a letter of complaint to the
Plymouth Thanksgiving Parade organizing committee.
I cannot believe that they would allow such a balloon
to be displayed in the parade. I was horrified when I saw
this picture. If you find this offensive, please write
to the committee's Executive Director, Olly de Macedo,
at floats@usathanksgiving.com.
What is it exactly that you find offensive about this balloon?
ReplyDeleteMaybe working at Plimoth Plantation has made me too sensitive to the stereotypes of native americans, but this caricature rubs me the wrong way. There doesn't seem to be any other Wampanoag/Native presence in this parade and it just seems wrong to me. There is a companion history to this country that is completely missing!
ReplyDeleteTracey, I'm sorry, I deleted your comment accidentally. See the above comment for my explanation.
ReplyDeleteHere's my thinking on this...balloons in parades are there pretty much fr the kids. An Indian balloon, "cartoon-y" in form, is representing a nice, friendly Indian that children would find appealing. Kids are taught the story of Thanksgiving in the most simplistic form. Most children don't know the true story of Thanksgiving. Hell, most adults don't even know! And frankly, the reality isn't exactly something you'd want to see in a parade, is it? Just my two cents. :)
ReplyDelete