April 17, 2006
Patriot's Day - Holiday #3
Ah... Patriot's Day -- the third holiday in a row. Thank goodness, there's no need to cook or set the table for this one. In fact it's quite the opposite here in Massachusetts. This the holiday on which we run the Boston Marathon. And honestly, I would be doing so if I didn't feel such a serious responsibility to all my readers, though blogging and marathoning need not be mutually exclusive, given that the event doesn't start until noon. The problem rests with all those mornings that I spent tapping away at my computer, when I should have been running around the block --- alot.
Those of us who aren't running also have the choice of cheering Paul Revere along on his reinacted ride, as well as participating in a faux battle on Lexington Green, or fifing and drumming to accompany the participants. (Later: Serendipitously, on my way to work, (after I had written this) I passed Revere himself, mounted on a white horse, with two red uniformed individuals on horseback behind, accompanied by flashing police cars, proceeding, all too quickly, down the avenue toward Lexington. Although I grabbed my trusty camera and caused a traffic jam of sorts, a despicable white van pulled right in front of my lens just as I was snapping. Oh well, I guess it was mine alone to appreciate.)
This year Patriot's Day lands conveniently on April 17. Due to the well timed holiday, all procrastinating patriots in our fair state can spend the day preparing income tax returns and still file on time.
Which brings me to the big question --what does it mean to be a patriot these days? Certainly, fifing and drumming, pasting flag stickers all over various possessions, and paying income taxes to support war and nuclear rearmament doesn't do the trick for me. Marching in protest against this government is important, but such demonstrations make absolutely no difference to this administration and go unacknowledged by our compromised media (though they did a great job covering the illegal immigrant protests -- could be because the republicans are divided on this issue.)
The framers of our Constitution had the right idea. They articulated an inspired and masterful plan that spoke to the possibility of realizing their ideals, even though that thing they called democracy had never manifested before. Let's face it, democracy has never been perfect, but it's particularly floundering these days. I want to support those who are framing the patroitic values that matter to me.
I'd rather keep religion out of political activities entirely, as instructed by the visionaries who wrote the Consitution, but to paraphrase William Sloane Coffin, when comes to mixing religion and politics, it's important to understand whose God we're talking about. There are many flavors of God. I'd personally prefer a god of justice, love and mercy, but there are always those who cotton to Mars, or worse.
So my patriotic act today will to make a donation to the Rockridge Institute, and to tell everyone who reads blog about it . Now I have to run, so to speak.
Photo note: Definitely a metaphorophoto, perhaps even a metamorphophoto -- feel free to make of it what you will. Free is the operative term.
Caught Paul after all, complete with white van.
