Friday, March 18, 2016

"...Who Can Take A Sunrise....And Block It With A Wall?..."

A few months ago, I did an entire episode of my Sunday night talk/commentary radio show about what I labeled "America's new deadly sin".

Arrogance.

In a nutshell, I offered up that a lot of the problems that we have as a nation these days have a lot to do with the fact that there is one problem we have that we aren't even close to admitting we have in the first place.

Arrogance.

I'm not the first delightfully articulate, boyishly handsome talking head to point out this little bald eagle in our ointment.

Credit for that goes to writer Aaron Sorkin, the Oscar winning screenwriter of the movies, "Steve Jobs" and "The Social Network", as well as the multiple Emmy winning TV series, "The West Wing".

Mr. Sorkin, for my overtaxed dollar, parked one over the center field fence with this stunningly brilliant monologue, spoken by the character of newscaster Will McAvoy, portrayed by Jeff Daniels in the opening scene of the opening episode of  another Sorkin series, HBO's "The Newsroom".






Somehow not so surprisingly, the response by listeners to my show that night was almost non existent. 

And, as a rule, on a show where all I have to do is say the words "right to bear arms", "Second Amendment", "gun control" and/or "same sex marriage" in any context whatsoever and the phone light up like the White House Christmas tree, the lack of response to a controversial topic, and especially a controversial comment about that topic, generally means only one thing.

People listening might not like what they're hearing, they might even be angered by what they're hearing but they're not calling in to disagree.

Because, stubbornness and hardheadedness notwithstanding, they know the truth when they hear it.

Lately, I've been constructing a corollary to the notion that we are walking wounded these days in large measure because of the arrogance I described, the arrogance so eloquently painted by Aaron Sorkin's words and Jeff Daniels' performance.

It has to do with freedom.

And another of my patented, trademark bumper sticker aphorisms.

The problem with freedom....is that you have to give it to everybody.

And the problem with freedom in America in the year 2016 is that it is, too often, in too many ways, afforded to too many people, freedom without.

Freedom without accountability.

Freedom without responsibility.

Freedom without ability.
Even freedom without respect for that very freedom in the first place.

Freedom handed out along with the  congratulations balloons, potted plants, dollar off baby powder coupons and smudgy teeny tiny footprints on that birth certificate to any and every one born in this country with no other qualification required than that they have just been born in this country.

We never really stop to consider the zaniness bordering on insanity of doling out freedom like a free with every purchase bonus for doing nothing more than being born but we would never, never, ever consider, say, giving a child the keys to the car and a cheerful "have fun" simply, and only, because they just turned 15.

Or hand them a gun and say "good shootin", kiddo."

Well, actually, that happens a lot. But the car thing? No way, Jose'.

Oh and Jose in that context is used as an affectionate nod to the classic silly rhyme we've all used all our lives and is, in no way, intended to denigrate or discriminate against anyone actually named Jose'.

Freedom, meanwhile, is cool.

Freedom is neat-o.

Freedom is bitchin.

And, you know what else freedom is?

C'mon, you've heard it said a million times.

Freedom is sweet.

You've probably said it a million times.

Sweet freedom.

And you know why freedom is sweet?

Because freedom is like sugar.

It's delicious and delightful and makes the flavor of everything in our everyday lives a tasty treat for the whole family.

People from oppressed countries all over the great big world risk life and limb to come here and taste the joys of living in a land where the opportunities and the air...and the freedom is sweet.

Whatcha wanna bet that the first elementary phrase that foreigners wanna learn when they study English is some translation or form of "c'mon and gimme some sugar."

Here's the thing about sugar, though.

As with beautiful falling snow, visits from in-laws and anything having to do with Miley Cyrus, a little goes a long, long way.

And too much?

Well, too much can slow you down, inflame your joints, make you moody, even make you angry, make you fat, make you tired, make you lazy, make you cross that tricky line between life is sweet and life is shit before you can say, hey, honey, pass the sugar.

And the only way to counter the negative effects is to back off, cut back, even get off the sugarland express for awhile.

Or even forever.

But, that's not so easily done, is it?

Cause we all know what else sugar is, don't we?

Might as well face it....we're addicted.

As completely and deeply and monkey on our backs addicted as addicted can be.

To sugar.

And to freedom.

Including the freedom to simply enjoy the freedom.

Without accountability.

Without responsibility.

Without ability.
Even without respect for that very freedom in the first place.

And, as we all and Jenny Craig and Marie Osmond, among others, tell us, giving up that pleasure is  hard, man.

Made even harder by the fact that you gotta admit you've got a problem before you have any chance of finding a solution to that problem.

But that's almost impossible to do.

When you're addicted.

And  you're angry.

So, just like any self respecting addict, you go looking for the quick fix or the easy solution, the one size fits all answer to the problems that have come about because rather than having our freedoms taken away from us, too much freedom, in fact, has been handed out to too many people who don't deserve it, who don't use it with intelligence and in moderation and who simply don't respect it.

They just want it. And then they want more of it.

And somebody slick and savvy about those kind of things comes along and taps into that anger and makes you feel like he understands exactly why you're angry and promises to make it all better.

Doesn't tell you how, exactly, but makes promises that are just too good to turn away from.

The promise that America will soon, once again, be the greatest country in the world.

What this guy says has gotta be true.

After all, it says so right on his cap.

Pretty sweet.

Here's some candy.

Get in the car.










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