Beverly Farms Parade Offends Gloucester Mayor
A few teenagers in Beverly Farms decided to poke a little fun at the Gloucester teenagers who allegedly took part in a pregnancy pact in quite a public way–on parade.
The Horribles Parade in an affluent area north of Boston is supposed to poke fun and feature all things politically incorrect. But a float that spoofed the spike in teen pregnancies in a nearby city was too much for three parade judges.
The annual Fourth of July Horribles parade in Beverly Farms included a float with dancing girls with pillows stuffed under their shirts.
That offended Carolyn Kirk, mayor of Gloucester, a working class city 30 miles north of Boston that made headlines last month when a high school principal told Time magazine that some of the 17 students who became pregnant this school year had made a pact to do so.
Kirk and other school officials have denied the existence of a pact.
Kirk told the Boston Herald she won’t waste her time seeking an apology from Beverly Farms, but added: “It basically triggers a class war between this well-to-do enclave and a working-class city.”
I thought politicians were supposed to have a thick skin? The display also offended the delicate eyes of three parade judges.
“I get it, it’s a Horribles Parade, but it was overkill with the Gloucester pregnancies,” said judge Gail Townsend, who said she won’t be a judge again after being involved with the parade for about 40 years.
Beverly Mayor William Scanlon Jr. refused to get involved because the parade in the Beverly Farms part of town was not a city-sponsored event. “It’s a horrible story,” he said.
I give the Beverly Farms girls who mocked the Gloucester teenagers a lot of credit. Clearly, these girls realize that what the Gloucester teens did was irresponsible and, let’s face it, stupid. They should be applauded. It’s actually a relief that there are some girls that age that can look at what the Gloucester teens did and see it for what it really was.
Just because Beverly Farms is an “affluent area” north of Boston, and Gloucester is a “working-class city” doesn’t excuse a pregnancy pact. Where you live doesn’t change the definition of stupid. Working-class parents still have a responsbility to steer their children in the right direction, impart good morals and decision making.
While their method was unorthodox, the girls in Beverly Farms should be commended for their denunication of the pregnancy pact. I hope the pregnant teens in Gloucester feel ashamed of what they did, and I hope other teens around the Commonwealth think about what these girls did when they have huge life choices in front of them. Let’s also hope that parents start having some talks with their hormone crazed children–from the working-class to affluent.
7 comments July 7th, 2008
