Milestone to Milestone
Today, America, from the local to the national levels, is a country in transition. We have celebrated one milestone on a local level - the Phillies winning the 2008 World Series — and are poised to mark another milestone tomorrow with what will be a history making election regardless who wins. Briefly, I can summarize these achievements this way.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!
It felt good to write those words, just as it felt good to watch the video tape of the final out from game five of the World Series. I’ve seen it at least ten times now and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing it. You have to understand that this is only the second time in the franchise's 125 year history that we have won the championship. If you youngsters want some idea of what was happening in the world 125 years ago, I will remind you that Chester Arthur was President and instant replay hadn’t even been invented, let alone adopted. That’s how long the Philadelphia Phillies franchise has been in existence.
Now that the parade and the rallies are over, and we’ve had a weekend to celebrate, all of us Phillies fans are going back to resume our normal lives. The challenge now will be for all of us to maintain our “can do” attitude and not allow ourselves to sink back into the inferiority complexes that have dogged Philadelphia natives since William Penn stepped off the Welcome in 1682. We can be proud of not only the Phillies, but for our entire area. We can use that pride to work towards making our area a better place to live — not only for ourselves, but also for the future generations of Philadelphians. To that end, we should note that we can start improving our lives tomorrow with
THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
The day is finally here! It will be a welcome relief to go to the polls tomorrow and mark the end of an election cycle which, correct me if I’m wrong, seems like it started way back in 1964. In case you’re counting, that would be 82 years after the Arthur administration.
It is now time for the undecided voters to make up their minds for this historical vote. It will be historical because either the first African American will be elected to the White House, or the first woman will be elected vice-president. As always, we should base our decisions on the issues, and not on considerations of race or gender.
Despite the independent nature that he has tried to project during his campaign (I refuse to use the overused term “maverick”), John McCain and I disagree on a few issues. He is anti-choice, anti-Amtrak, and anti-me-making-a-comfortable-living-in-the group-health-insurance-industry-for-the-next-twenty-years. I am convinced that his healthcare reform policies would hasten the demise of the health insurance industry and my job. I am too old to be unemployed and without my own health insurance.
Barack Obama, on the other hand, is pro-choice, is proposing a common sense solution for health care reform and his running mate is a frequent Amtrak rider. Okay, granted Joe Biden is a little fuzzy on some historical facts; television was still in the experimental stage when Franklin Roosevelt was President, but hey, that was only fifty years after the Arthur administration — so give the guy a break! I am not voting for Barack Obama because he is African American, but because he is an AMERICAN with good ideas on how to lead this country out of the mess that has become the Bush administration. Obama’s race is just icing on the historical cake.
I would be remiss if I did not give Sarah Palin equal time. The good news is that she is indeed a woman. The bad news is some of her recent appearances on the campaign trail have not been impressive. When a reporter asked her to name the newspapers she reads to keep abreast of current events, she replied, “All of them.” (?!!!)
In her interviews, she stays on the surface of talking points and can’t give any specifics or substance; e.g., when Katie Couric asked her about other Supreme Court decisions with which she disagrees, Palin answered, “I’ll get back to you on that.”
Then there was her description of Alaska being invaded by the disembodied head of Vladimir Putin...I could go on and on, but I think we get the idea. And this woman wants to be a heartbeat away from the presidency? Oy!
Regardless if you disagree with my short assessments, please take the time to vote tomorrow. Each of us has a voice that deserves to be heard.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!
It felt good to write those words, just as it felt good to watch the video tape of the final out from game five of the World Series. I’ve seen it at least ten times now and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing it. You have to understand that this is only the second time in the franchise's 125 year history that we have won the championship. If you youngsters want some idea of what was happening in the world 125 years ago, I will remind you that Chester Arthur was President and instant replay hadn’t even been invented, let alone adopted. That’s how long the Philadelphia Phillies franchise has been in existence.
Now that the parade and the rallies are over, and we’ve had a weekend to celebrate, all of us Phillies fans are going back to resume our normal lives. The challenge now will be for all of us to maintain our “can do” attitude and not allow ourselves to sink back into the inferiority complexes that have dogged Philadelphia natives since William Penn stepped off the Welcome in 1682. We can be proud of not only the Phillies, but for our entire area. We can use that pride to work towards making our area a better place to live — not only for ourselves, but also for the future generations of Philadelphians. To that end, we should note that we can start improving our lives tomorrow with
THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
The day is finally here! It will be a welcome relief to go to the polls tomorrow and mark the end of an election cycle which, correct me if I’m wrong, seems like it started way back in 1964. In case you’re counting, that would be 82 years after the Arthur administration.
It is now time for the undecided voters to make up their minds for this historical vote. It will be historical because either the first African American will be elected to the White House, or the first woman will be elected vice-president. As always, we should base our decisions on the issues, and not on considerations of race or gender.
Despite the independent nature that he has tried to project during his campaign (I refuse to use the overused term “maverick”), John McCain and I disagree on a few issues. He is anti-choice, anti-Amtrak, and anti-me-making-a-comfortable-living-in-the group-health-insurance-industry-for-the-next-twenty-years. I am convinced that his healthcare reform policies would hasten the demise of the health insurance industry and my job. I am too old to be unemployed and without my own health insurance.
Barack Obama, on the other hand, is pro-choice, is proposing a common sense solution for health care reform and his running mate is a frequent Amtrak rider. Okay, granted Joe Biden is a little fuzzy on some historical facts; television was still in the experimental stage when Franklin Roosevelt was President, but hey, that was only fifty years after the Arthur administration — so give the guy a break! I am not voting for Barack Obama because he is African American, but because he is an AMERICAN with good ideas on how to lead this country out of the mess that has become the Bush administration. Obama’s race is just icing on the historical cake.
I would be remiss if I did not give Sarah Palin equal time. The good news is that she is indeed a woman. The bad news is some of her recent appearances on the campaign trail have not been impressive. When a reporter asked her to name the newspapers she reads to keep abreast of current events, she replied, “All of them.” (?!!!)
In her interviews, she stays on the surface of talking points and can’t give any specifics or substance; e.g., when Katie Couric asked her about other Supreme Court decisions with which she disagrees, Palin answered, “I’ll get back to you on that.”
Then there was her description of Alaska being invaded by the disembodied head of Vladimir Putin...I could go on and on, but I think we get the idea. And this woman wants to be a heartbeat away from the presidency? Oy!
Regardless if you disagree with my short assessments, please take the time to vote tomorrow. Each of us has a voice that deserves to be heard.
posted by todd gunther | 7:07 PM
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