As they say, hindsight is always 20-20, so there will be disagreement over the decision to end Warren's Fourth of July Parade early due to a severe thunderstorm, because everyone has a unique point of view.
Here is ours: It was a good decision.
It was a disappointment, but a good decision nonetheless.
There are many things more important than parades; chief among them is human life.
When the National Weather Service issues a severe thunderstorm warning with the urging that people move to interior rooms of their homes on the lowest floor, that's a good indication that outdoor activities for purely recreational purposes are probably a bad idea.
Yes, it was a disappointment not to see and enjoy the many parade units that never passed by your position, but imagine the disappointment if one of those lightning strikes had been on Pennsylvania Avenue.
There will be other parades. Warren's Fourth of July Parade is a signature event for the city and a tradition we don't expect will ever end.
There will be other parades, but a lost life can never be returned.
We expect the 2013 event to be bigger and better than ever, and we're patient enough to wait for it.