Police state at St. Paddy's Day Parade probably saved AND ruined the event

So . . . Rumors, fear and concerns about violence during the St. Patrick's Day parade in Kansas City went mostly ignored until a last minute push by PR folks informed the public of the overwhelming police force that would be present at the celebration.

To me, the result was even scarier than a shooting which normally occurs at most gatherings which involve people of color in the urban core . . . I've survived enough of similar bullet riddled situations to not take people with guns too seriously.

Thankfully and thanks to police there were no significant instances of violence at the Parade but I'm guessing that the near police state seemed just as off-putting to people who don't want to live their lives under lock and key.

Additionally, I noticed a lot fewer minorities at the Parade than any year past.

What I did see, what was unmistakable . . . A police helicopter circling overhead like impending doom. I also noticed dozens of uniformed officers at nearly every corner and gathered at intersections. The place was a sea of blue much more than green and while the lack of shooting was obviously a success . . . It's just hard to feel good realizing that a huge security force on the street and hovering in the sky is an absolute necessity in order to keep the peace in this city. I guess it's just too much to hope that people can behave themselves without large scale police intervention. And woe betide any poor soul without the deep pockets to pay for blanket police protection for a public event in a town that seemingly can't function without a cop looking over our shoulders.



And I couldn't help but to think how far the parade has ventured from its roots . . . I didn't see the spirit of Mike Murphy's drunken mob pouring out of a tavern and taking to the streets . . . What I witnessed was a publicity stunt for the benefit of all of the day trippers from Johnson County in hopes that they'll come back to the City and maybe occupy one of this town's many empty condos.

The day seemed manufactured, most of the floats were nothing more than target marketing and the crowd was full of what seemed to be extras from unseen beer commercials . . . Obviously, the parade was labeled a success because nobody was killed . . . And that's cool . . . But for anybody who even vaguely has a sense of the history of this town . . . It was simply another reminder of how Kansas City is losing its soul.