Memorial Day Parade Coverage

Re “Memorial March,” May 30.

I am extremely disappointed with your coverage of our Memorial Day parade. In addition I find your comments about “a low-tech affair” and “the unorthodox event” to be very puzzling. Apparently you looked at what we were doing and saw something else.

I fail to understand why you overlooked the color guards from the ROTC groups that were proudly presenting our country’s symbol of freedom to the thousands of spectators that braved the 92-degree weather.

Instead of acknowledging the teachers and parents who gave up their holiday to help their children participate in an American tradition, you chose to demean the bands on their size and their equipment. I really took offense over that. In our community we try to encourage our children to participate in community events. We try to inspire them with the values that made this country great, like paying tribute to the many men and women who have died in defense of country and our freedoms.

What you perceived to be “floats that featured nothing more than boats on trailers pasted with colored paper” were actually not floats at all. That was the San Fernando Valley Power Squadron, which annually participates in our celebration.

Did you deliberately single out the worst descriptions you could imagine to describe the parade route through our community?

You probably are unaware that in Canoga Park we have a lot of civic pride and a lot to be proud of. We are the only community in Los Angeles to have all of the following in one community: a fine arts theater, a historical society that maintains a museum and provides programs for local schools, a community center, a youth center, a sister city program that is the longest continuous sister city program in the country, an annual street fair and hundreds of wonderful people who care about their community.

PATRICK A. MURPHY

West Hills