thenextmile

Happy 4th of July.  I hope you’re enjoying your holiday weekend enjoying burgers and hotdogs, potato salad and watermelon, and partaking in some fireworks this evening.  Today’s a great day, and while we all need to remember why we’re celebrating, we also need to think about how we got here and where we want to go.

Anyone who knows me probably knows that I’ve always taken an interest in politics.  Really, I’m not sure where the interest came from, possibly from watching The Smothers Brothers during the 1988 Presidential Election with my father.  It’s a memory I’ll always have - Dukakis, Dole, and Bush.  I remember these little pieces of the election when I was just 10 years old.  I remember the jokes about Bob Dole and how he was a pineapple head.  For some reason, I was obsessed with the process, and eventually wanted to study politics in college, although after a year or so that lost out to English and Film studies.

Today’s blog really isn’t just about the 4th of July, but the death today of North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms made me think about his place in society, and how his legacy has had a part in our country’s history.  I’ve never liked Jesse Helms.  There are few people on this earth that when they die, my first response is “Good.”  But I’ll be honest when I say that today when I saw notice of Helms death, that was my first reaction.  I feel the man was a bigot, and helped promote racism and separation in our country that anyone should be ashamed of.   While I always say that you are free to do and say what you want, you do need to be aware of what your actions will cause.  And it’s unfortunate that so many people followed Helms lead.

While I am hard pressed to think that our country will ever be united as one, I do think that it’s about damn time we start trying.  Black, white, gay, liberal, conservative - we all live our lives as one, and need to start acting like it.  The 4th of July was meant for all of us, and our leaders should reflect that in their words and actions.

How fitting that Helms died on the 4th of July.

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