Free outdoor concerts
Omaha's Mayor, Mike Fahey, is doing his part to fight the local war on terror. This past weekend he continued the tradition of free outdoor concerts in Omaha's Memorial Part. This year's event featured Canadian singer Feist, and thousands swarmed into the park for an evening without terror.
There are few better sights than the view of tens of thousands sitting on a grassy slope with blankets and coolers, corralling kids or making the scene. The cops on hand were casually checking folks to make sure no one was bringing (much) alcohol in the concert. There were no pat downs, no dogs, no tactical units. It wasn't even about crowd control, more like crowd assistance and direction.
For sale, there were funnel cakes and lemonade and strawberry smoothies. Local charities and our water utility were giving away free water to concert goers on the warm July evening. It felt like we were there to be happy and together instead being there to buy something.
GW was wrong when he said to go shopping after Sept. 11. He should have said, Go to a park with 20,000 people and listen to some good music. Eat a funnel cake and wash it down with a cool lemonade. Watch the fireflies twinkle on a summer breeze. Take loved ones into your arms and sing along even if you don't really know the words. And sing loud.
