Rose Parade Criticized for Choosing Gary Sinise as Grand Marshal
On Monday, the Tournament of Roses organization announced that actor Gary Sinise, known for his work in Forrest Gump and Apollo 13, was chose as the grand marshal for the 129th Rose Parade Jan. 1.
This year's theme is "making a difference." Sinise was cited for being a humanitarian and donating time and cash to veterans. In a statement, Tournament of Roses president Lance Tibbet said, "Gary’s humanitarian work with our defenders, veterans, first responders and their families over the years, embodies our theme to the fullest."
But some critics are concerned that this could be a divisive choice. Sinise is a founder of a conservative group that gave early voice to then-presidential contender Donald Trump, who is now historically unpopular in California. In July 2015, only a few weeks after Trump kicked off his campaign for president by calling Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals, the Hollywood organization Sinise started, Friends of Abe, hosted the future president at a private event at a Brentwood hotel. At the mixer, Trump said the U.S. should have invaded Mexico. Trump's presence in Los Angeles County, which is immigrant-friendly and about half Latino, outraged some political organizations, which demonstrated outside the Sunset Boulevard event.
"It's not a good look for the city of Pasadena," says Maria Teresa Borden of the pro-immigrant group Indivisible Highland Park. "This is a region understood to be friendly to immigrants for centuries."
Read more: http://www.laweekly.com/news/rose-parade-chooses-hollywood-conservative-as-grand-marshal-8806044
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