Pride Parade
by Eric Rockwell
As the longest and most egalitarian parade in history marched its way through the city, it seemed odd that there wasn’t a single spectator. But then again, how could there be when everyone was in the parade itself?
This event united all Pride Parades into one, making it the biggest parade ever. It featured Puerto Rican Pride, Asian-American Pride, African-American Pride, Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender Pride, and the group that led the parade, Second-Hander Pride. And there was more, including such groups as Capricorn Pride, Ambidextrous Pride, and Persons-of-No-Pride Pride.
Where was it heading? What was the parade’s destination?
It was marching its way directly towards a concept. When it arrived, its massive ranks would be so vast that its very presence would destroy the concept itself. Its demands were to be included into that concept, and thus to invalidate it. The concept, of course, was that of Pride.
Pride, they’d all come to realize, was something that should belong to everyone. To suggest that pride be reserved to those who were virtuous was an antiquated and elitist idea. Instead, this noble emotion could be experienced by everyone on the basis of just being themselves. The mere accident of birth was considered achievement enough, and this parade celebrated that.
The few who weren’t in the parade were busy accomplishing things, which would lead to a pride that would belong to them alone. These individuals didn’t feel the need to be in the parade, or even to watch it. Pride, as they saw it, didn’t require a parade. The feeling of pride came to them not through marching, but by considering their own accomplishments and contemplating the “sum of all virtues” which they possessed.
Though there were still these few individualists, the United Pride Parade was a clear symbol of victory for egalitarianism. How did they succeed in changing the concept of pride from something earned by the few to something deserved by all? It was a slow and tedious process that took generations.
It began with education. In high school, students were taught that pride was something one felt when the school’s football team was victorious. Actually, these young people were taught to feel pride even when the team lost; and whether or not one was on the team. It was called “School Spirit” and actively promoted the idea of second-hand pride, which is so much more inclusive than the idea that only those who had achieved a victory should feel that glow of accomplishment. Implicit in all this was the message that pride comes from outside of ones self.
Once this idea took hold, there were some parades that were a sign of the great things to come. There were Gay Pride Parades and Puerto Rican Pride Parades, etc., and these parades were the result of the complete indoctrination that one should be proud of “who they are.” Initially, these parades were a way to express that certain groups should not be ashamed of who they are. When marchers in a Gay Pride parade, for example, said they were “proud” to be gay, what they really meant is that they refused to feel Shame for their sexual preference. This is a good thing. One’s sexual preference, race, or family name should be neither the cause of pride NOR shame.
But the absence of shame does not equal true Pride. So the best thing to be done at this point was to blur the concepts of pride and non-shame. The proposed terms of “Unashamed Parade” and “Non-Shame March” gave way to the term “Pride Parade.” It was successful. For although the original intention of the parade was to shun undeserved shame, the refusal to accept shame came to be known as Pride. This now meant that no accomplishment was necessary; Pride belonged to everyone, and specifically, one should have feelings of pride around race or sexual orientation.
Then there was patriotism. This encouraged every citizen to feel proud of their birthplace. All citizens could claim pride in this manner without having to lift a finger. They could simply be “proud to be an American.”
So, at last, with the United Pride Parade, the foolish and antiquated idea that pride was reserved for the virtuous had been utterly destroyed and replaced by the new (albeit meaningless) concept that everyone should feel pride equally.
Though the concept had changed, the truth hadn’t. Pride can only come truly from a productive achievement. Pride is an exultant emotion that one can experience only from personal accomplishment. It is such a valued emotion, that many people claim to have it, or claim they deserve it, without it honestly resulting from any achievement whatsoever. The claim is that Pride is a birthright. While every human being should rightly have a positive self-esteem that promotes efficacy in their actions, this positive regard for one’s ability to deal with reality is not quite the same thing as pride. A positive self-esteem exists before the accomplishment, pride follows it.
If you want to know what pride is, don’t march around proclaiming it. Instead, earn it!
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