7/4/17 Fraught Fourth
Just about 80 and humid following a brief downpour. Supposed to get to the mid 80s later.
I have no longstanding connection to this particular American holiday. As an occasional student of world history I find patriotism inherently dangerous and divisive. "Hurrah for us we're #1" is the next door neighbor to "We are the master race let's round up the inferior people and eliminate them". Any real student of American history (or someone of Native or African descent) knows that the latter has happened here though the first thought Americans are trained to have of that second statement is about 20th century Germany. So it goes.
I forget who said it but I believe the statement "a person can be kind and smart but people are dumb and dangerous" is absolutely true.
So yeah, no flag waving here despite (or perhaps also because of) a lifelong family attachment to the military through parents, in-laws, siblings and nephews. I suspect having viewed that machine from the inside for half a century takes away some of the wow factor especially since most of that half century fell before our modern era of knee-jerk praise of all things in camo. The good thing is that the people I know who are still in the machine don't buy the bullshit either but they're happy to take the odd free beer that comes with it. Well-deserved for the job they have to do.
My own summer holiday traditions have changed over the years. I used to try to be out of the country on the holiday so I would get a day off without burning a vacation day though that's no longer an issue in my current position. Otherwise I'd be at some ballpark drinking beer and watching fireworks and ignoring the underlying jingoism. I just take it in for the pretty pretty noisy noisy thing that it is which is easier to do now that so many ballparks make fireworks displays a Saturday night special so they're no longer inextricably linked to the Fourth.
The one thing that has become a constant over the last few decades for me is this. The story is perfect for me and yet safe for the snowflakes who may be offended by the lack of America first-ism that I've displayed in this little talk. It highlights the absurdity of small town America behavior in the 20th century and yet is still respectful of the traditions and trappings of the Glorious Fourth. Take 45 minutes and enjoy a master storyteller working in a now near-dead medium.
I have no longstanding connection to this particular American holiday. As an occasional student of world history I find patriotism inherently dangerous and divisive. "Hurrah for us we're #1" is the next door neighbor to "We are the master race let's round up the inferior people and eliminate them". Any real student of American history (or someone of Native or African descent) knows that the latter has happened here though the first thought Americans are trained to have of that second statement is about 20th century Germany. So it goes.
I forget who said it but I believe the statement "a person can be kind and smart but people are dumb and dangerous" is absolutely true.
So yeah, no flag waving here despite (or perhaps also because of) a lifelong family attachment to the military through parents, in-laws, siblings and nephews. I suspect having viewed that machine from the inside for half a century takes away some of the wow factor especially since most of that half century fell before our modern era of knee-jerk praise of all things in camo. The good thing is that the people I know who are still in the machine don't buy the bullshit either but they're happy to take the odd free beer that comes with it. Well-deserved for the job they have to do.
My own summer holiday traditions have changed over the years. I used to try to be out of the country on the holiday so I would get a day off without burning a vacation day though that's no longer an issue in my current position. Otherwise I'd be at some ballpark drinking beer and watching fireworks and ignoring the underlying jingoism. I just take it in for the pretty pretty noisy noisy thing that it is which is easier to do now that so many ballparks make fireworks displays a Saturday night special so they're no longer inextricably linked to the Fourth.
The one thing that has become a constant over the last few decades for me is this. The story is perfect for me and yet safe for the snowflakes who may be offended by the lack of America first-ism that I've displayed in this little talk. It highlights the absurdity of small town America behavior in the 20th century and yet is still respectful of the traditions and trappings of the Glorious Fourth. Take 45 minutes and enjoy a master storyteller working in a now near-dead medium.
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