I Stand Corrected

My bad.
I should not have disparaged "Hands Across the Border".
When I saw all the kids (from more countries than just the U.S. and Canada) laughing, posing for photos, exchanging patches, parading and having fun, I came to my senses. I realized I was witnessing one of the few remaining worthwhile activities available to kids today - Scouting.
In addition to the Scouting activities, the event included a re-dedication ceremony to our open border with Canada at the Peace Arch. The re-dedication ceremony involved Canadian Mounties and Washington State Patrol officers and military veterans from both Countries. There weren't any long speeches, but there was a solemn wreath laying ceremony accompanied by a bagpipe solo and bugle solo. Then new Canadian and American flags were raised atop the Peace Arch as kids sang both national anthems.
The ONLY negative I found was the number of people who started leaving before the ceremony was over. I'm sure it wasn't the kids idea. But I can't be too quick to judge the adults either. They found the time and made the effort to involve their kids in Scouting AND trucked a van-full of them to the event. That's more than I ever did.
So, to all the naysayers out there who complained about the highway closure I say, "Take a deep breath. It was worth it."