Note: I began this note on Saturday 6 May. On Sunday morning, I went to work out at my hotel for a bit, and I loaded up the always great Commentary Daily Podcast. There, I saw that the Friday 5 May offering was on this very subject. I commend it to you for additional discussion of this topic.
My first car was a hand me down 63' Buick Electra 225. I wish I had that car. I'm retiring soon and I hope to spend my days pushing douchebag punk gen zer's off the road and using Morgan and Morgan to bankrupt them so bad they'll spend the rest of their lives driving an electric scooter down to the salon to get their man-buns trimmed and their bodies manscaped.
Here I am at 87 wandering around with a stent in my heart and a couple of plastic lenses in my eyes. That 87 also means I remember California before WW2. I remember LA smog. I remember walking back home in fog with streamers of carbon floating down around me. The mirror showed streaks of black under each nostril. I remember my wife getting sick every fall when smog season would hit. I remember the stink of gasoline and oil coming from every car. I remember when lead in gasoline was poisoning our children.
Today's medicine is a wonder. A friend who has kept his cancer under control for 5 years with pain in the ass drugs now is undergoing treatment that could be a cure. There are many folks wandering around with someone else's heart, lungs, liver and even a face. WhoRaw for today's medicine.
Things blocking an amendment to the Constitution include gerrymandering ,conservative Court appointments that don't deal with that, the filibuster and minority rule in general ( two senators per state regardless of population).
Worth noting that numerous of those better-in-every-way cars on the road today are also considerably faster in a straight line (and around corners, obviously) than all but the fastest classic muscle cars... and get 30mpg on the freeway to boot.
With respect to the commentary on information and communication, I'll take news anchors and journalism from 50 years ago over the "entertainment and commentary passed off as news" of today. I miss Walter Cronkite, Eric Sevareid, et al.
I agree with your thesis, and would add that pop and rock music were light years better 50 years ago than they are today. However, American beer - due particularly to the development of countless amazing craft beers - is way better today.
While an amendment process is the constitutional path to take to change #2, in the past 50 years, the number of states that allow permitless concealed carry of firearms has gone from 1 to 27. It would be more likely (still astronomical odds) to pass an amendment guaranteeing the right to machine guns and explosive devices than one that restricts the current #2.
We risk losing sight of the big picture by over-focusing our discussion of the Amendment on guns. Current political discourse has created feelings in people’s hearts around guns-firearms, and we miss out in discussions of such arms as lasers, armor, and forms of computer code.
The political right waged a 50 year campaign to overturn Roe v. Wade. It does not seem as though there is a similar project on the left re Heller (not that I would support it, just making the observation).
Care is the operative word here. If anyone in position to change things cared, this nation would take up the amendment today. The fact that virtually everyday or at least seemingly everyday, Americans are subjected to this random or premeditated violence is...! I have only these words written here, that I'm grateful someone (you) care enough to state the obvious.
My first car was a hand me down 63' Buick Electra 225. I wish I had that car. I'm retiring soon and I hope to spend my days pushing douchebag punk gen zer's off the road and using Morgan and Morgan to bankrupt them so bad they'll spend the rest of their lives driving an electric scooter down to the salon to get their man-buns trimmed and their bodies manscaped.
Here I am at 87 wandering around with a stent in my heart and a couple of plastic lenses in my eyes. That 87 also means I remember California before WW2. I remember LA smog. I remember walking back home in fog with streamers of carbon floating down around me. The mirror showed streaks of black under each nostril. I remember my wife getting sick every fall when smog season would hit. I remember the stink of gasoline and oil coming from every car. I remember when lead in gasoline was poisoning our children.
Today's medicine is a wonder. A friend who has kept his cancer under control for 5 years with pain in the ass drugs now is undergoing treatment that could be a cure. There are many folks wandering around with someone else's heart, lungs, liver and even a face. WhoRaw for today's medicine.
Things blocking an amendment to the Constitution include gerrymandering ,conservative Court appointments that don't deal with that, the filibuster and minority rule in general ( two senators per state regardless of population).
My girls also inform me that our music is unquestionably better.
Worth noting that numerous of those better-in-every-way cars on the road today are also considerably faster in a straight line (and around corners, obviously) than all but the fastest classic muscle cars... and get 30mpg on the freeway to boot.
With respect to the commentary on information and communication, I'll take news anchors and journalism from 50 years ago over the "entertainment and commentary passed off as news" of today. I miss Walter Cronkite, Eric Sevareid, et al.
I agree with your thesis, and would add that pop and rock music were light years better 50 years ago than they are today. However, American beer - due particularly to the development of countless amazing craft beers - is way better today.
While an amendment process is the constitutional path to take to change #2, in the past 50 years, the number of states that allow permitless concealed carry of firearms has gone from 1 to 27. It would be more likely (still astronomical odds) to pass an amendment guaranteeing the right to machine guns and explosive devices than one that restricts the current #2.
Bravo. All wise and brilliantly stated.
By the way, you might enjoy Super 70s Sports, Bryan. He's a riot!
https://twitter.com/Super70sSports
We risk losing sight of the big picture by over-focusing our discussion of the Amendment on guns. Current political discourse has created feelings in people’s hearts around guns-firearms, and we miss out in discussions of such arms as lasers, armor, and forms of computer code.
The political right waged a 50 year campaign to overturn Roe v. Wade. It does not seem as though there is a similar project on the left re Heller (not that I would support it, just making the observation).
Care is the operative word here. If anyone in position to change things cared, this nation would take up the amendment today. The fact that virtually everyday or at least seemingly everyday, Americans are subjected to this random or premeditated violence is...! I have only these words written here, that I'm grateful someone (you) care enough to state the obvious.
The best comment someone made was everyone remembers how much things cost, but forgets how little they made.