Have a great holiday. Let the foreign ankle-biters yip and yap. Let the domestic fault-finders exercise their first amendment rights to whinge and wheeze. I think the American project is still worth celebrating with pyrotechnics and unhealthy food.
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Have a great holiday. Let the foreign ankle-biters yip and yap. Let the domestic fault-finders exercise their first amendment rights to whinge and wheeze. I think the American project is still worth celebrating with pyrotechnics and unhealthy food.
I attended a moving naturalization ceremony this morning. Despite our fractures and failings as a country, 140 people chose to become US citizens today.
Had someone say to me today there is no reason today to celebrate this country.
Then checked and 6 people were killed in 4th of July parade in Chicago. Gun laws are out of whack, corrupt politicians like trump are allowed to defy our laws and try a coup and still not prosecuted. republicans are not watching the hearings because they don't want to hear what is happening. Rights are being rolled back that have been in place for more than 50 years with evidence of more to come.
Yeah, makes me not want to celebrate either. What American project?.... turn it into an authoritarian regime?
Yea turn it into a far right-wing undemocratic regime. If this country had a drug of choice, it would be steroids. I don't feel like celebrating either. I mean if one spends time with people during the 3 day weekend, that's no crime, nor is eating with people ... or alone ha (there's a limit to how much unhealthy food I ever eat though, a few moderately unhealthy treats within limits, but eating junk really only hurts you). But regarding it as celebrating this country now, hard pass on that one.Quote:
Originally Posted by frugal-one
And yet...so many people from much worse places would love to be here and die trying. I am an optimist but without some really good leadership it will be hard to turn the ship around in so many matters.
For myself, I have to say I love this country warts and all. I sort of pity the souls who can only see warts.
A dear friend of mine was naturalized today. He grew up in Serbia during The Sorta Recent Unpleasantness, and to him, America is a paradise. Perspective is everything.
The parade shooting happened in Highland Park, IL. Pretty rich, pretty white, large Jewish population, very liberal, suburb of Chicago. Affluent North Shore area. Town actually has their own AWB, which should give you an idea.Quote:
Originally Posted by frugal-one
I think I would have made a great Canadian, but the stork landed a few hundred miles too short.
Still, I've read a lot about the history of the US, I've read the constitution, visited the founding buildings and many major battle sites, talked to people not from the US about the US and visited other countries and talked to locals about the US. My favorite anecdote: in Uruguay, my friend who was born there introduced me to friends of his as "this is my friend Ed, here's from the United States, and he doesn't own a cowboy hat." This was more than half of the time met with a gasp of amazement. Though the opinions I've heard about the US in other countries haven't always been the most congratulatory, people always treated me well and with respect.
What's the point? I'm not really sure myself. I have a lot of stake in the future of this country and currently have a lot of mixed feelings about it and its people. It was a bold, and in many ways revolutionary and liberating, experiment in government. I hope we're not letting it go astray.
That quote from Ben Franklin following the Constitutional Convention has rung in my head today: "This Constitution…can only end in despotism…when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government, being incapable of any other."
Despite that, I still feel a reason to celebrate, if cautiously and quietly. Some tiny little spurt of hope remains, despite all of the noise that continually attempts to drown it out.
I guess we'll see.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LDAHL
And I pity those who listen and believe all the lies the past administration (and their current ilk) spew. Pity the sheep.
We usually spend July 4th each year on the road, exploring the various states and being thankful that we were lucky enough to be born in this great country. For the past 10 years or so we've always updated our Facebook status on July 4th with a picture of us, our RV, our dog and an American flag while wishing all our family and friends a wonderful Independence Day. I guess I should do it here too.
Today, we're in northern Ohio, Amish Country, and here's a few of those pics:
https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...BQ&oe=62E73AFD
https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...3Q&oe=62E7E612
Who dat canine?
That's Dottie, a currently 13 year old, overweight and grumpy Min Pin.
This is from a Facebook post. Someone painted their dried garden alliums red white and blue. Cheap fun! Love it.
a!Attachment 4554 Attachment 4555
I think that viewed in the greater sweep of history, the current situation will rank with Shay’s Rebellion or the Bonus March. Certainly not worth abjuring my favorite holiday.Quote:
Originally Posted by frugal-one
Those were not considered coups and not viewed in the same vein. Keep looking for rationalizations. You will find none. As I said, pity the sheep.Quote:
Originally Posted by LDAHL
Depends on the herd you run with. Trump is a liar and prone to hysteria, as are many of his enemies. I don’t feel any particular need to side with one or the other. Neither side seems able to conceive of a third or fourth or fifth viewpoint. That something can be pretty bad but not an “existential threat”.Quote:
Originally Posted by frugal-one
Neither side strikes me as worth the level of panic they express, and neither side has me convinced the continued existence of the United States is not worth celebrating. So I will enjoy a few beers and a nice slab of scorched meat with my ilk and decline the invitation to freak out.
I think the parents of the pregnant 10-year-old in Ohio might think warts is putting it a little too mildly. It was challenging this year, but the bottom line is that I do love the country if not all the people in it, especially those who seem inclined to transform us into some sort of Christian theocracy.Quote:
Originally Posted by LDAHL
Not worth looking for but I remember you recently said you were considering voting for trump... which surprised me a little. So, changing your mind? And, obviously you have not been watching the hearings or you would be thinking differently. You bet what has been going on is truly a threat to the continued existence of the US as we previously have known it. The country is going down the wrong path and that is not something to celebrate. It is time to wake up and "freak out" before it is too late to do anything about the travesties being committed. You might want to read up on how Hitler got into power??Quote:
Originally Posted by LDAHL
I celebrated with a couple of beers and an Impossible burger. I've had some luck and privilege in my life that has allowed me to pursue some dreams, including early retirement. But I also attribute some of my good fortune to the freedoms and opportunities our political structure and economic systems have allowed. It's not perfect and maybe not the best country in the world, but it's still pretty good. I sometimes have trouble separating nationalism from humanism and there are versions of flag worship that beyond my reasoning.
there are plenty of countries in which one can have an okay standard of living economically if that is all one is after (I'm not saying every one can move to every country, as there are language and cultural barriers and so on, that might make that hard, I'm just that there are plenty of places that may provide decent standards of living to at least some of their citizens). If that's the criteria for praising a country.
First time in decades I was down the shore. Fireworks all up and down the beach, so all I had to do was sit in my chair and turn my head from left to right - LOL.
Illegal fireworks Went on for hours the night of July 4, the worst it has been in years.Quote:
Originally Posted by happystuff
On the other hand, the little fireworks fiends were quiet in nights leading up to the 4th. Other than a flurry of fireworks about June 15, no one set off anything on many nights.Normally we get fireworks, all illegal mind you, every night for about three weeks this time of year.
I know it’s hard to believe that urban dwellers don’t obey laws. Shocking isn’t it? Meanwhile, Nextdoor neighbors are nattering about how the cops don’t do anything, pets are terrorized, there needs to be stronger and more effective laws,why must people do these illegal things? And etc. but so many of these people don’t understand …fireworks are better than the other thing.
Decades ago we would sit out on our patio and play the game “name that caliber!” The idiots loved shooting their guns into the air, oh that’s also illegal and likely the guns were illegally obtained. Probably we were idiots for even being outside at that time.
Fire departments all over the city were busy putting out flames caused by the illegal fireworks.
For the most part, my neighborhood as been devoid of fireworks this year, save for the municipal display just down the lake shore from me. Then some of my neighbors shelled the ramparts until nearly midnight. Much quieter than usual.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LDAHL
If cassidy hutchinson didn't convince you I doubt that pat cippilone will either. And at that point we can write you off as being as uncaring about the future of this country as traitor giuliani. But at least sad sack traitor Ron Johnson is failing in the polls. I'm sure you'll be voting for him again because "tax cuts for moderately wealthy people like me"... Yay Independence day!
A lot of fireworks around here were cancelled due to fire risk. It's not rained at my house since the end of May, other than a few drops. The news was featuring drone lighting displays as a replacement. No doubt a challenge to my luddite mind as to how that would work. A drone display seems like a poor substitution.