Your objection is noted. The point I am trying to make may be
too subtle for me to communicate. It is that if we are to be masters
of the things that unite us, we must choose what we will unite for.
Sure we unite when we are attacked, and that is a good thing.
I think the unity that can make us generally strong and a generally
formidable friend or foe, comes from shared experience. Public
schools are such an experience. The draft was that kind of
experience. The institutions and experiences that shape who we are
striving to become, what our ideals mean in terms of individual
behavior have fallen into disrepair. Black and White and Hmong
Minnesotans are not likely to have too many common experiences with
each other, let alone with the Little Ralphs. How will them little
Minnersotans know that they have an obligation to the Little Ralphs?
Is it any wonder that Mr. Bush sees things so differently than you and
I? We share no experiences. He was not worried about the draft. He
was not worried about his grades. Getting into graduate school was
not a problem. A drunk driving conviction wasn't a problem. He's not
worried about his kids getting decent grades. Or arrested. So, is it
any wonder that in his view the best thing to do to help the country
is whatever helps his friends the most? I suggest that we should make
sure that the next guy we allow to live in our public housing unit on
Pennsylvania Avenue should be a graduate of a good public high
school...like Joe. He graduated from Stamford High. I would have
graduated from there too, but we moved in my senior year...just after
my guidence counselor suggested that the Army might like to talk to me
about an exciting career, where my talents for mayhem and distruction
would be appreciated.
-jc
New York
On Dec 20, 2003, at 11:48 AM, [log in to unmask] wrote:
ArialIn
a message dated 12/20/2003 9:54:30 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
ArialI'd rather trust
decisions regarding unity to the public schools, or
Arialeven the draft board,
than Al Qaeda, or the mob response to Al Qaeda's
Arialdeeds... and certainly I
don't want it left to those lying politicians
Arialwith their prep-school
educations and the faux military experience.
Arial4040,0000,4040John,
Arial
Arial4040,0000,4040Hmmm.
I certainly didn't mean to suggest that we allow Al Qaeda to make
decisions on our behalf regarding public unity, or regarding anything
else. My point was that those bastards (excuse me, I meant to
say "motherfuckers," but this nice-language business sometimes
confuses me)producedmore unity among us than anything since Pearl
Harbor.
Arial
Arial4040,0000,4040I'm
afraid there may not be much, short of attacks like those, that will
produce such unity among us, which is unfortunate. But in the
meantime we seem to be pretty strong despite our diversity.
Arial
Arial4040,0000,4040Philosopher
Czar