Hey, are the Greeks really that cheap that their church has to publicly beg? Shame, shame, shame. Is this another example of Greeks living beyond their means, like that Greek national debt crisis thing?
Feeling kinda antsy today, so let me disgorge myself of some bile. What’s the point of blasting 110 decibel noise into a crowded tent? Who can dance to noise? Who dances anyway? Can't hold a conversation. Can't eat - food is jumping all over the place. Who in their right mind would pay for a week long post-festival ear ringing? The prices are outrageous, the beer is warm, the tables dirty, and they got the nerve to charge admission. Deal breaker!
What really got me the last time I was there, that rankled my social justice sensibilities – a VIP section with a couple douche bags guarding it. Guys in black. Ya should have seen the elite pompously savoring Ouzo out of Dixie cups and dining on fine Greek delicacies with plastic forks. I did sense that the common folk weren’t too thrilled about being relegated to the dirty tables while the bozos got tablecloths. I shoulda thrown beer bottles at em. To think the very same folk who invented democracy are now peddling elitism. Guess some folks are more equal than others.
Considering the ensuing financial windfall for the church, what do the Greeks do with all that money? Pay off the Greek national debt? Open soup kitchens for the neighborhood destitute? I checked their website – nada! So I rang up my buddy Spiro whose family belongs to the church - which he rarely attends - damn snobs he sez. What’s with all the money they rake in Spiro? Will, it’s not a secretive thing, so don’t go twisting it. It goes into the church treasury that supports various programs. So no neighborhood soup kitchen, I ask? Sorry, no soup kitchen Will. Hey, that’s a ripoff, I said. Why don’t you go pick on the Albanians Will? Um...
So the sole beneficiary is just the Greek Community huh? Is that a bad thing? Sure is. Churches do some perplexing things for money. Imagine a church that enforces the notion of separation of souls, like the VIP section. I think Martin Luther would have an issue with that huh? Yes I know he wasn't Greek.
Oh well, so much for the concept of community and brotherly love. This just confirms my belligerent attitude towards non-profits - we give them so much, they give us so little. I'll say this much, considering the need for charity in this city the Greeks shouldn’t be so cheap. They could at least help out a few locals right?
So go ahead, enjoy the festival. Enjoy the warm beer, the snobs in the corner, the dirty tables, the 110 decibel head shot. And pay an admission for it?
Let it be known that I do my civic duty by helping the Greek community - like frequent their pizza shops.
Hey, I even voted for Emmanuel Tsitsilianos for city council.
