Political Philosophy

I asked for the HBO Series John Adams on DVD for my birthday.  The seven part mini-series is based on David McCullough's Pulitzer prize winning book.  I have not read the book, but heard a lot of good reviews of both the book and mini-series.

After watching the first two episodes, I am very impressed. I'll probably watch the entire series once through, for the pure enjoyment of it, before I start looking too much at the details, but so far at first glance, it feels pretty historically accurate.

The portrayal of John's wife Abigail Adams as an important influence on many of his decisions sheds quite a bit of light on the role of women in this day.  It is clear she advised John on many issues of the day, and she was also strongly pushing for women's rights.

I really love political philosophy, and the revolutionary war era, so I am very happy HBO took the time and energy to produce such a historic drama. I can only hope enough folks take the time to appreciate it, and appreciate all that it represents.

Anyone who gripes about what this country owes them, needs to sit and watch this entire series, to see the sacrifices that were made by the many men, and women, who fought to make these United States possible.

Other than Christmas, the one holiday I make a point to send out an e-mail just to say hello is Independence Day.  Yes, NOT the 4th of July, Independence Day.

The celebration is not to commemorate a specific day on the calendar, but a specific event in the history of the United States of America. What often gets lost in this celebration of backyard picnics, and fun in the sun, is that the battle for Independence was much more that a one day event.

The Declaration is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776,  as a formal explanation of why Congress had voted on July 2 to declare independence from Great Britain, more than a year after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War.  

While we celebrate July 4, 1776 as the "birth date" of the United States of America, many battles were fought in the American Revolutionary War over the next several years.  It would be until the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 that it appeared the states would actually gain independence, and the states wound not truly be united until The United States Constitution was ratified in 1788.

In the true spirit of Independence Day, remember the day we celebrate is more than just a celebration of backyard picnics, and fun in the sun.

The founding fathers of the United States paid a high price to establish this society. They paid a high price for something we often take for granted, they paid a high price for our freedoms.

Thanksgiving is a day when we pause to give thanks for the things we have.

Memorial Day is a day when we pause to give thanks to the people who fought for the things we have.

Instead of speaking at Arlington, as he did last year and as most presidents have done, Obama will appear at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery outside Chicago, the White House said. Vice President Biden will take his place at Arlington, the most prestigious military cemetery in the country.

Oh yea, VP Joe will take his place, is that a mistake?

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. ~William James

Memorial Day commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. At the end of the Civil War, communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died.

To ensure the sacrifices of America ’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance.

The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.

For the average person not living in Massachusetts, the victory of little-known Scott Brown, to the senate seat long held by Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy is just another passing headline. I have to admit, I was not paying much attention myself.

Political parties become complacent. Voters become complacent. Even though voters scream they want change, they often vote for incumbents. Ted Kennedy was about as incumbent as it gets, having served for 46 years until his death. Kennedy entered the Senate in a 1962 special election to fill the seat once held by his brother John. With such a track record as that, and considering that Massachusetts has nearly 3 times as many registered Democrats as it does Republicans, it was easy to fall into the mindset that who ever the Democrats run to fill Kennedy's seat should have an easy victory.

Not meaning to make this commentary about Democrats versus Republicans, but instead one of stepping back and thinking about what happened, maybe this was a time where the political party become complacent, and the voters actually engaged their brains. I do not see this as much a victory for any party or ideal, as much as I see this as a victory against apathy. Regardless of the party in power, it is refreshing to see an upset like this, especially in a state such as Massachusetts, where the party in power has had such control for so many years.

Just maybe it is a statement of the voters that says, hey, don't take us for granted. Maybe there's hope!

I haven't had much to say on the topic of politics since I started this blog. But the purpose of this category is meant to be political philosophy in the sense of how are attitudes and issues affecting politics and not politics in the sense of hooray for my guy, and the heck with yours.

Have Americans become so complacent, or perhaps so indifferent towards politics, they no longer engage their brains before they vote? I thought so. But there are sometimes promising events.

Maybe there's hope?

The rest of the story... Perhaps tomorrow...