Like all Americans, I was horrified by the terrorist bomb blast that rocked the finish line at the Boston Marathon yesterday. For the victims, I...and I know all of you...offer heartfelt thoughts and sincere sympathy.
There will be many people far more informed than me who will deduce who did this, why and what can be done to make sure it does not happen again. There will be those who use this incident to try and make political points - twisting facts to fit their ideology, ignoring history to justify their beliefs and conveniently blaming someone or some group that they oppose.
But not me.
No, I have my thoughts on all that, but I will reserve judgement.
Rather, after sorrowful thoughts to those directly impacted I feel that this is just ONE MORE INCIDENT that life doles out that just reminds us that life is fragile, short and should not be taken for granted. You think you're going to run a marathon and have a great time, but a bomb goes off and kills you...or maims you.
A woman in the Seattle area drives to work one morning recently and is killed by a drunk driver who does a u-turn on the freeway and smashes into her.
Another drunk driver two weeks earlier takes out a number of pedestrians recently in the Seattle area.
My otherwise perfectly healthy aunt dies of brain cancer at a very young age.
Some people go for a hot air balloon ride in Luxor, Egypt and their balloon explodes killing them all.
A mentally ill person gets a hold of an arsenal of weapons and shoots children dead in an elementary school...or a movie theater in Denver...or at Virginia Tech...and on and on.
People...life. is. short. You think you're going to live to 90 and die peacefully in your sleep. You might. But you might not.
So, what are you to do with this knowledge? Live in fear? Tuck yourself away and live in fear? Limit your exposure?
I say no.
I say the opposite.
I say you need to live life the best you can. Do not live in fear. Do not live stupidly, but...do not live in fear. Experience the things you can and that you want to. You may have way less time on this Earth to do those things than you think.
Paint that picture. Write that short story. Ask that girl or boy on a date. Go on that trip to the place you've always wanted to go to. Take a class to learn something new. Love the person you are with as best you can. Rock out (or whatever you're into). Change your look up. Learn to play an instrument. Meet new friends. Join that sports league. RUN A MARATHON. Do not work on weekends.
All of these things and more add up to experiences and happiness...things that you cannot and should not take for granted. It could end today, or tomorrow...or in five years from now. Don't be irresponsible, but LIVE LIFE and take in what this world has to offer.
And guess what? If you are lucky and you do indeed live a long life...think how much more interesting that life will have been and the stories you can reflect on, share and pass on to your children, friends or loved ones.
People, the events of the Boston bombing are horrific. They are tragic. Those responsible need to be hunted down and brought to justice.
But, do not lose sight of the other lesson that this incident like oh so many teach us all too regularly - the spark of life can be over before you know it, so live life to the fullest while you can.
Showing posts with label Boston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boston. Show all posts
Monday, April 15, 2013
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tea-Baggers: Hypocites, Rubes or Both?
Gatherings of like-minded anti-tax citizens earned wide media coverage this week as part of a conservative-sponsored "Tea-Bagging" day. The meetups were to protest the notion that Americans pay too much tax and that we should not be pleased by emergency government investment in certain sectors to help save key industries like banking, lending, auto manufacturing and real estate.
The tea reference alludes to the Boston Tea Party in which wealthy white aristocrats dressed up as Native Americans and went "tea-bagging." In the parlance of the times, this means they dumped bags of British tea into Boston Harbor in protest over the notion that American colonist should not be forced to pay a tax on tea by a government in which they had no representation. That, and, the tax in question was also part of the larger Tea Tax law that actually made British tea cheaper overall...cheaper than the previously low price Dutch tea that many in the Americas bought from smugglers. That had something to do with it too, but you don't hear much about that.
Anyway, the phrase "tea-bagging" that protesters initially used for their actions this week has a more modern sexual connotation. So, it's kinda funny for a bunch of conservatives to openly be participating in "tea-bagging." But, there's been plenty to chuckling over that already. So, lets set that aside.
Lets also set aside for the moment that overall, income tax rates are lower today than they were when Republicans ran things in the Regan era...and certainly lower than the Eisenhower or Nixon administrations.
Lets set aside the fact that one of the key contributing factors to the economic crisis our nation now faces is exactly the supply-side, deregulation/small government, deference to corporate America, tax cutting economic religion that conservatives so love to talk about.
And finally, lets set aside the fact that unlike Colonial tea partiers, today's Americans do elect their government representatives.
No, instead, to measure the credibility of these modern day tax protesters, lets do a little experiment. Lets look at the front page a newspaper from a city in a conservative area - one that has covered the tea-partyers festivities recently. Lets look at the Charleston Post & Courier from April 16.
From their featured story, you can see that there was quite a turnout in Charleston, SC to "protest" taxation overall and government investment to save or salvage key industries. OK, now, lets see how many other stories on that front page include or relate to services provided by public tax money. There are a lot actually, but here are just four:
In either of these cases - the protest is fake. It's not real. If followed through upon it would mean more financial ruin for the very people holding up the signs and shouting out the slogans at rallies this week...but also spectacular wealth for a very, very few people and corporations.
Look, I don't like taxes just as much as the next person, and yes I know there are certain taxes that could be done away with that would make our lives a little better. No argument. But, I think many people - and certainly the media - is missing the boat here. These protests are manufactured events created to try and generate a perception that Americans are over taxed and don't want the government "interfering" with anything. The truth is, we're not over-taxed compared to our history or to the rest of the world today.
Another truth is that, just like the original "tea-baggers" of 1776, the rallies this week were orchestrated by a bunch of wealth aristocrats and business owners who don't want to pay taxes - and who don't like the way the government now is trying to bring back some sanity and equity to society.
The tea reference alludes to the Boston Tea Party in which wealthy white aristocrats dressed up as Native Americans and went "tea-bagging." In the parlance of the times, this means they dumped bags of British tea into Boston Harbor in protest over the notion that American colonist should not be forced to pay a tax on tea by a government in which they had no representation. That, and, the tax in question was also part of the larger Tea Tax law that actually made British tea cheaper overall...cheaper than the previously low price Dutch tea that many in the Americas bought from smugglers. That had something to do with it too, but you don't hear much about that.
Anyway, the phrase "tea-bagging" that protesters initially used for their actions this week has a more modern sexual connotation. So, it's kinda funny for a bunch of conservatives to openly be participating in "tea-bagging." But, there's been plenty to chuckling over that already. So, lets set that aside.
Lets also set aside for the moment that overall, income tax rates are lower today than they were when Republicans ran things in the Regan era...and certainly lower than the Eisenhower or Nixon administrations.
Lets set aside the fact that one of the key contributing factors to the economic crisis our nation now faces is exactly the supply-side, deregulation/small government, deference to corporate America, tax cutting economic religion that conservatives so love to talk about.
And finally, lets set aside the fact that unlike Colonial tea partiers, today's Americans do elect their government representatives.
No, instead, to measure the credibility of these modern day tax protesters, lets do a little experiment. Lets look at the front page a newspaper from a city in a conservative area - one that has covered the tea-partyers festivities recently. Lets look at the Charleston Post & Courier from April 16.
From their featured story, you can see that there was quite a turnout in Charleston, SC to "protest" taxation overall and government investment to save or salvage key industries. OK, now, lets see how many other stories on that front page include or relate to services provided by public tax money. There are a lot actually, but here are just four:
- There's a story here about a student arrested for trying to stab his teacher. Do tax protesters like the fact that there were police who could intervene here and arrest the suspect? How about the fact that there was a school in the first place, not to mention roads for the teacher, students and police to get to and from the property?
- And oh, over here there's another story about a chili cook off to raise funds so a local middle school can afford computers for its classrooms. So....right. Don't tax me, but why is it that I have to throw a chili cook off to make sure my kid can learn some computer skills in school?
- And, here's one about the state senate having to cut $202 million from the budget - a move that will mean significantly cutting police, social services and environmental and economic development programs. And why? The governor won't accept Federal stimulus money.
- And, perhaps most telling, here is this story about a Charleston high school student who has filed a lawsuit in attempts to force the governor of South Carolina to accept $700 million in Federal stimulus funds to help keep government services, most importantly schools, up and running during the financial crisis. Parents are holding chili cook offs to raise money for computers in their kids' classrooms while the state government contemplates gutting major social services...and the governor is un-accepting of Federal funds to help in all of these areas because of some conservative small government belief that the Feds shouldn't be spending money on states' matters? Wow.
In either of these cases - the protest is fake. It's not real. If followed through upon it would mean more financial ruin for the very people holding up the signs and shouting out the slogans at rallies this week...but also spectacular wealth for a very, very few people and corporations.
Look, I don't like taxes just as much as the next person, and yes I know there are certain taxes that could be done away with that would make our lives a little better. No argument. But, I think many people - and certainly the media - is missing the boat here. These protests are manufactured events created to try and generate a perception that Americans are over taxed and don't want the government "interfering" with anything. The truth is, we're not over-taxed compared to our history or to the rest of the world today.
Another truth is that, just like the original "tea-baggers" of 1776, the rallies this week were orchestrated by a bunch of wealth aristocrats and business owners who don't want to pay taxes - and who don't like the way the government now is trying to bring back some sanity and equity to society.
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