Bloomington celebrates 4th of July

It was a sweltering 81 degrees downtown, but that wasn't stopping 5-year-old Brianna Powell.\nThe young Bloomington resident was one of thousands who stood in the blistering sunlight for over an hour to watch the annual 4th of July parade on the 225th anniversary of Independence Day.\n"It's not that hot," Brianna said, paying more attention to candy-throwing float riders than her slowly spreading sunburn. "Parades are fun."\nFloats at the parade ranged from traditional to quirky to downright weird. Among the stranger exhibits was an inexplicable group bearing the sign "Beanpole the God of Pointless Behavior." The group's members towed a scantily-clad man and women in a giant green cage on wheels and screamed at the crowd.\nEasily the largest -- and most pungent -- display came from a band of forty-some pirates, who carried a large banner with the Secret Sailor bookshop logo and home-made cardboard signs that read "Capitalism Kills." The group was half-dressed and unwashed in true pirate fashion, and one had the phrase "Set your monkey free" scrawled across his bare back.\nMore traditional events included shriners on minibikes, police cars and fire trucks, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars float. Clear Creek resident Kenneth Eameron was one of several veterans who joined to fire rifles to officially begin the parade.\n"It's just to honor the flag," Eameron, a Vietnam veteran, said in explanation of the rifle-firing. "It's the patriotic thing to do."\nEameron said he'd gotten to be a part of the parade because of his membership in the VFW Legion, and that he valued the experience.\n"Your country's birthday is a pretty important day," Eameron said. "This is the greatest country in the world. It has its pitfalls, but I've been in some others that are worse."\nOn a less patriotic note, the Bloomington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty sported signs that had the slogan "Wanted for Murder" above a picture of Uncle Sam. Group members also supported two enormous puppets -- one of Uncle Sam in ragged clothes, and the other a very depressed-looking Jesus. Except for Brianna and kids her age, who cheered at the enormous figures, the exhibit was hardly a crowd-pleaser, and the cheering was drowned out by boos and groans.\n"They shouldn't have let you guys march," someone yelled.\nBloomington resident Jeff Ryan agreed.\n"Oh my god, it's just insane," Ryan said. "There's no reason to do anything like that." \nThe Bloomington Monroe County 4th of July Parade Association coordinates the parade, along with the Vietnam Era Veterans Association, the Northside Exchange Club, the Downtown Bloomington Commission and WGTC--FM. Mike Pate, president of the Parade Association, has voluntarily coordinated the event for the past 19 years. \n"He pulls it all together," said Sheila Stephen, a Big Red Country 105 host who was spending her first year as parade emcee. Stephen said that for her, the most important part of the parade was the veterans.\n"We try to do as much as we can for the veterans," Stephen said. "It's a great way to give back to the veterans, who have already given so much for us. I think that we can't honor them enough. I wish we could have the 4th of July every day"