Interesting that Justice O'Connor decided to announce her retirement from the bench right before July 4th weekend, a period which serves as one of the few tiny blips during the year when the rancor and vitriol that usually defines american politics is set aside in favor of some much-needed patriotism.
But instead of honorably calling quarter and giving the country a respite from the seemingly eternal "democrats are evil communists!" and "republicans are evil fascists!" debate, the media and the various interest groups have instead decided to focus on O'Connor and all the hot-button issues that the sudden vacancy on the bench will surely re-ignite in the coming months.
This morning I turned on the television and surfed the various Sunday morning news shows hoping to find a bit of comaraderie and maybe even some (gasp!) figurative flag waving in recognition of the upcoming holiday. Instead I found senators and various talking-heads screaming at each other and spewing the usual rhetoric and spin about how the O'Connor vacancy would be fought for tooth and nail (read: filibusters and "nuclear" options). Then they spoke in hyperbole and started raising their voices so as to not be interrupted and suddenly the show was over and I'd completely forgotten that tomorrow is the anniversary of the day that a bunch of rebels and traitors signed a piece of parchment declaring independence from the tyrrany of the King, thereby laying the groundwork for what is the greatest country on this planet.
These are indeed divisive times. The country has been polarized in ideology and this is illustrated by the fact that our sitting president is at once considered both a hero and a villain; a liberator trying to spread democracy around the world, and a tyrant using his power and might to occupy enemies and impose his will. But even in these times of turmoil and anger, we should be able to hold onto the one thing that unites us all: our independence day. For one day at least the differences should be set aside and we should all remember just how great this country is. Tuesday we can commence to throttling our neighbors and calling each other traitors.
Consider it.
~fP
But instead of honorably calling quarter and giving the country a respite from the seemingly eternal "democrats are evil communists!" and "republicans are evil fascists!" debate, the media and the various interest groups have instead decided to focus on O'Connor and all the hot-button issues that the sudden vacancy on the bench will surely re-ignite in the coming months.
This morning I turned on the television and surfed the various Sunday morning news shows hoping to find a bit of comaraderie and maybe even some (gasp!) figurative flag waving in recognition of the upcoming holiday. Instead I found senators and various talking-heads screaming at each other and spewing the usual rhetoric and spin about how the O'Connor vacancy would be fought for tooth and nail (read: filibusters and "nuclear" options). Then they spoke in hyperbole and started raising their voices so as to not be interrupted and suddenly the show was over and I'd completely forgotten that tomorrow is the anniversary of the day that a bunch of rebels and traitors signed a piece of parchment declaring independence from the tyrrany of the King, thereby laying the groundwork for what is the greatest country on this planet.
These are indeed divisive times. The country has been polarized in ideology and this is illustrated by the fact that our sitting president is at once considered both a hero and a villain; a liberator trying to spread democracy around the world, and a tyrant using his power and might to occupy enemies and impose his will. But even in these times of turmoil and anger, we should be able to hold onto the one thing that unites us all: our independence day. For one day at least the differences should be set aside and we should all remember just how great this country is. Tuesday we can commence to throttling our neighbors and calling each other traitors.
Consider it.
~fP