Please, Mr. Trump, no military parade. In authoritarian regimes, such a parade emphasizes tanks, bombs, and military personnel trained to look adoringly toward their leader and salute him as they pass by his grandstand. In the U.S., we stand for something different–people, not machines (whether mechanical or trained humans). The kind of parade the President wants is the former, not the latter.
I think such a parade shows disrespect for the men and women who serve us so unselfishly. They are the ones who should be honored, not the military might and threat of our country. And such respect should be afforded them daily and sincerely, not for an hour during a glitzy parade that doesn’t reflect who they are both as people and as our protectors.
Instead of a parade, Mr. President, how about putting the large amount of money it would cost into housing for homeless vets?