To the editor:

I hope Suffolk’s social elite enjoyed their Christmas parade on Saturday. I have never seen such a blatant display of social segregation on the part of a city in my life.

The Suffolk police cordoned off 300 feet of sidewalk across from the viewing stand. I can only assume it was so our beloved “dignitaries” didn’t have their private viewing of the parade spoiled by the average citizen standing across the street.

I asked four different police officers (including a sergeant) why we weren’t allowed access to the sidewalk so my kids could see the performances, and not one of them knew why.

I’m sorry, but I believe in equality in the eyes of the law. I know it doesn’t exist, but I still believe in it. But what happened at that parade was nothing short of the filthy masses being relegated to third-class passage on the Titanic.

When it was over, the police would not let people go back to their cars until the “dignitaries” had exited the viewing stand and were safely on their way to their vehicles. I have rarely felt so insulted in my life.

Anyone who knows me will understand I do not say this lightly, nor do I usually find myself complaining about such things, but my kids wanted to know why they couldn’t see the bands perform, and that just killed me.

I told them the truth. We apparently aren’t affluent enough or just not the right kind of people in the eye of our city government or whoever the snooty schmucks are who put on the parade.

At a time in our nation’s history when differences between the working class and the elite are being used as a political club, our city goes out of its way to draw a clear and distinct line between the haves and have nots.

Good move Suffolk.

Dennis Vann
Suffolk