Eldon Kramer: A successful Tulip Time probably not appreciated by all
My wife and I grew up in Holland with memories of participating in Dutch Dance and marching band during Tulip Time, and were delighted to read Carolyn Muyskens’ coverage, reporting on how the weather, the tulips, and festival activities made the 93rd Tulip Time perhaps the busiest in a dozen years.
“We were just blown away by the crowds … it exceeded our expectations … we were all surprised by the sheer numbers of people” were among the quotations.
The family memories of Tulip Time related by Cassandra Lybrink represent the stories that are repeated each year and have make up the heritage of the city.
While we haven’t returned for the festivities in a number of years, we are often struck by the number of people we meet who are familiar with Holland and Tulip Time.
Unfortunately, not everyone in Holland looks forward to Tulip Time, the traffic and the disruption of their daily lives. Never mind that business flourishing with those throngs of visitors.
While everyone was excited about the balmy 80-degree weather, Zeeland’s Pete Turner was offering a different view in the Sentinel — “the end of civilization as we know it.” He writes that “the Bible tells us to be good stewards of God’s gifts to us,” shaming us for not beginning in 1980 to solve the problem of fossil fuel emissions.
Then there was Paul F. deLespinasse, claiming again that a worldwide electrical grid that “would solve solar energy’s chief problem — its extreme variation from day to night, summer to winter, and good weather to bad weather.” Adding that “it could eliminate the need to store electricity for when sun isn’t shining, since the sun is always shining somewhere in the world.”
More: Paul deLespinasse: Worldwide electrical grid already under construction
More: Letter: Big picture being missed in climate debate
Pure fantasy.
I am sure Turner and deLespinasse, and others in the doomsday crowd, frowned upon all those Tulip Time visitors with their automobiles and tour coaches emitting fossil fuel emissions.
Never mind the economic boost Tulip Time gave the economy, and the importance of preserving Holland’s heritage, Turner seemingly wants residents to get their heads out of the sand.
Thank goodness, Randy Boettjer has a more realistic view of the future of alternative energy — going green, suggesting we “slow down until somebody actually figures an affordable, reliable way.”
Despite the current administration’s ill-advised goal of zero emissions by 2050, I’m confident that those political institutions who, according to deLespinasse are impeding the acceleration of solar energy, will prevail and Tulip Time will enjoy success for many years to come.
— Eldon R. Kramer is originally from Holland, and currently resides in Scottsdale, AZ, where he authors a political blog, kramerontheright.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Eldon Kramer: A successful Tulip Time probably not appreciated by all
