Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday in that it is anything but unique. It is a holiday that transcends all the different people and traditions that came together in this one place to be a different people yet. Our national identity appeals to the most base and simple instincts of everyone and yet reaches for the greater aspirations that are the very spirit humanity. Rather than say the same things over again in a different way, I thought I’d assemble the ways I’ve tried to spell these out before. Follow the links to the original pieces.
Home » 2009 (Page 4)
Yearly Archives: 2009
Deliverance
It starts with a need to get out of England because the ruling class was making life hard for them. It ends up as one of those myths that anyone can insert whatever truth they want into. The story of the Pilgrims is a worth a hard look because we have a lot in common with them right now – a kind of blind faith that is dangerous not because it comes from optimism or morality but in something even stranger.
Convincing
Writing as a reporter, a Citizen Journalist, requires a cool touch that can be hard to make exciting. That’s probably why it’s not all that popular on the internet. Most of the writing that we see in a political or newsworthy context isn’t writing to inform but to convince. It usually runs hotter with an urgency that propels the story forward easily. It may be a lot of fun to write, but it is even harder to do well. Writing to convince is a kind of organizing that has its own sense of quality. This is my attempt at defining it.
Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin. Is there any other name that can launch a thousand conversations with at least as many nuances as hers? Not right now, there isn’t. For better or worse, Sarah Palin is an icon of our times. As Newsweek recently proclaimed, “How do you solve a problem like Sarah?” But there is a simple and remarkably satisfactory answer to that question. “Treat her like a human being – for once.” That may sound too simple to many people, but only because they are caught up in the attempt to define Sarah Palin – and, sadly, all women who have the audacity to be themselves.
Northstar
Today the Northstar Commuter Rail line opens from Target Field to Big Lake, with an extension to St. Cloud coming soon. It’s a commuter rail line, meaning that it’s a full-blown train operating on existing tracks, costing $320M for the 40 miles that it will run. It’s expected to carry about 4,000 people per day in a few years at speeds up to 80 MPH, but experts say that ridership may be much higher. As the hoopla becomes a staple on the news for the next few days, a lot of us in Saint Paul might be wondering when we get our ride – and the answer is that we could have had something just like this by now. But we don’t.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 