Ehh, no one is listening to me and my ramblings anyway. I just feel very strongly when I see our rights slowly being eroded at every turn. The other day my kooky ex-neighbor was yelling at someone as he often does. A store owner came out and told him to be quiet, my friend responded with "It's a free country". I was floored, I haven't heard ANYONE say that in years. When I was a kid, you used that phrase all the time. It was an excuse to get away with saying what you wanted, going where you wanted and pretty much doing what you wanted. But that was all before Giuliani, 9/11, Imus and everything else. Now you have to be careful what you say, especially online or on the phone. And God forbid it's not PC or Sharptons goons will destroy you. You can't go where you want. Your name might be on some secret no fly list. Whole areas of the globe are totally off limits now because of our meddling foreign policy. In New York City you no longer can dance in a club not zoned for it or smoke in a bar, in certain city parks you can't even fly a freaking kite. Yeah, I'm afraid the term "It's a free country" is about as relevant today as saying "When's the next pony express rider coming by"?
4 comments:
Even though me and you are on the complete opposite ends of the political spectrum - I completely agree with you on this one. I would like to add that a big problem is the lack of tollerance
today - also "W"'s reign of terror since 2000 - it has not helped matter's regarding freedom when your own leadership is saying it's ok for corporations
to be on welfare yet allow they also corporations to rob their employees of 401k's, shares, pay,
health benifits, etc.. because it's good for the economy. When I
mean tolerance I mean people letting people live their own lives without passing judgement or
harsh rules such as turn down that
music or no skateboarding... I'll
spare your reader's what I think
about "W"s peronal attack on every American since 9/11 except
that his administration has done more harm in erroding what our founding fathers's set this country up upon ( "W" calling the
declaration of independence a
God Damned Piece of Papaer ) than
anyone could have ever imagined.
love that photo...hanky panky...a Bay Ridge institution if there ever was one. Always on that corner. Always yelling at the "kids" to be quiet.
Vlad,
I see your "kooky ex-neighbor" everyday when i come home from work at the Starbucks on 86th street. Coffee for crazy people should be outlawed.
Matt
Hank is a classic. He told me he hangs out at Starbucks now. He said he is their "security guard". Hey if they can deal, why not. Listen, I love him to death. He is missunderstood but he is an original. When I think of Bay Ridge I think of two things; the Verrazano Bridge and Hank.
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