Does the U.S. need a parade celebrating our military strength?

“Trump to the Pentagon: Plan a military parade,” Feb. 7 news story.

So, President Donald Trump wants a military parade down the streets of Washington, D.C., to show off American’s military might. Let’s be clear. The U.S. has nothing to prove. Our military budget for Fiscal Year 2018 is $824.6 billion, which is larger than those of the next nine countries combined. The cost of a parade to feed Trump’s gargantuan ego is a shameless waste of millions of dollars better spent in countless other ways.

Supposedly, the idea for this pointless display was the Bas- tille Day parade in France last year, but more likely it is the massive military spectacles put on by totalitarian regimes in Russia, China and North Korea. This is just further evidence of Trump’s desire to run a totalitarian regime of his own.

I am a proud U.S. Army veteran and urge all members of Congress to strongly oppose funding for such a costly and stunningly unnecessary show of force. ●●●

Our president has asked the Pentagon to plan a grand parade with soldiers marching and tanks rolling in Washington this year to celebrate military strength.

Another person has a completely different view: “You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is just patriotism.”

Thank you, Erma Bombeck, for very wise words written many, many years ago.