Thursday, July 4, 2019

No Gold Toilets Today....Please

                                                                 

Don't want to join the Trump haters and pick a nit about Trump's capitol 4th of July celebration but I'm a little leery about tanks rolling down the Capitol Mall. It just rings too much like the Russians, rolling their tanks through Moscow, the infantry following along in goose step.

We don't need that kind of "let me show you my muscle" stuff here in America. I'll withhold final judgement until I see how the event unfolds, but given that Trump had a hand in this I fear it will be a bit garish....kinda like Trump's golden toilets and shower fixtures.
While I believe that every American ought to take a break from burgers and beer and fireworks, to consider the meaning of the holiday, I'm not sure we need this kind of display. Heard Trump is even going to make a speech at the Lincoln Memorial. If it's anything like Trump's other speeches I don't expect to have any chill bumps running up and down my arms.

My favorite celebration of the 4th of July is The Capitol 4th that is staged on the mall every year....a sweet rendition of God Bless America, some spectacular fireworks, and rousing renditions of John Phillip Souza marches.

No one should need gold toilets to show people they're rich. No great military needs a "show your muscle" display...we've already done that in war, which is when it really counted. Trump, a Vietnam War draft dodger, has always had this weird selective fetish regarding the military.......attacking real heroes who didn't agree with him, praising most those who fall in goose step with his politics. That's not who we are. That old Democrat Harry Truman was as courageous at the Argonne Forest as Republican Teddy Roosevelt charging up San Juan Hill.

Let's not use our most patriotic holiday to define our differences. Instead, let's celebrate the diversity of opinion that sustained our Republic for more than two hundred years.

And no gold toilets.

2 comments:

A Modest Scribler said...

Hi Jeff. I watched a summary of Trump's even and was happy to see that it was more subdued than as first planned. Trump initially wanted a long parade of tanks like he saw at France's Bastille Day celebration a few years ago. Someone talked him out of it after cost projections of $90 million for the tanks alone, not counting any infrastructure damage. Today's two tanks and the military flyovers were fine, as was his non-political speech. Whew!

Frank R. Krzesowiak said...

Nive that Trump can take advice and use it to his benefit. MSM is sitting like a pack of wolves waiting for ANY misstep by Trump. I think he's playing games with them.What a bunch of Maroons.....