Welcome back to the parade, candy

Just in case you missed it, toward the end of last week’s story on the Custer City Council meeting, the council unanimously voted to amend its application for parade participation in the city by allowing candy to once again be thrown from parade floats, whether it be Gold Discovery Days, July 4, etc. The amendment was made at the request of the Custer Area Chamber of Commerce, and we applaud the chamber for requesting it and the city council for allowing this common sense and fun measure back into our parades.
The ability to throw candy from a parade entry was taken away by the council several years ago, likely at the request of an insurance company or after some incident in which there was a near-miss in terms of a parade watcher nearly being struck by a parade float while the person was attempting to pick up candy thrown from the float. We live in an overly-litigious society, and I’m sure the council wanted to cover its backside by eliminating candy from parades. If there is no temptation to pick up candy out in the street, the likelihood some unaware child will be struck by a parade float is lessened. We get it.
We also get that life is full of risks, at which picking candy off a parade route is well down toward the bottom.
It’s fine for the city not to want to be sued. But candy on parade routes is what a parade is all about. Watching children scramble for the candy is part of a parade, and we can’t safeguard everybody from everything. Here’s a novel idea—how about putting the onus for the safety of a child along a parade route on—get ready to have your mind blown—the parents?
It’s not some stranger on a float’s responsibility to make sure a child doesn’t get struck by a float, and it’s certainly not the City of Custer’s job to make sure that doesn’t happen. No, that responsibility falls on the parent or guardian who brought the child to the parade. If you don’t want to take responsibility for the child you bring to a parade, don’t bring them. Problem solved.
We know people will sue over anything. Every time we write something someone doesn’t like (even if it’s factual, or merely an opinion piece) almost instantly there is a threat of “contacting their lawyer.” As an aside, people really need to brush up what constitutes libel and slander. Reporting the facts from a meeting don’t quite meet that bar. Sorry.
 But, the city requires indemnification waivers to participate in a parade, and it can’t possibly police every single person in a parade or along the route. Let’s put some coins back in the personal responsibility column, and welcome candy back to our parades with open arms. Common sense ruled the day on this one, and we love it.