We've got the whole 9/11 memorial thing going on outside in my small town. The Temecula Young Marines, the Fallbrook Chorale, a stream of prayers and invocations, a bagpiper, lots of veterans of all ages, a woman channeling Kate Smith. Main Avenue is pretty much shut down for the day. I got a funny look when I asked one of the passers bye when we were going to torch the koran? Then a whole lot of affirmation. I keep having that line from Desolation Row go through my head, about selling postcards of the hanging... I saw my ex army ranger friend Wes and he said that he had the same mnemonic Dylan thing happening, only with Highway 61 instead. Pretty somber day with a lot of people showing their patriotism.
Lots of American flag ties, kind of a Rockwellian day, to be fair much more Norman than George Lincoln.
I thought it would have been great theatre to arrive in a sheikh costume, but would probably be ripped apart by an angry mob that unfortunately didn't have the irony gene. God Bless the old U.S. of A.
6 comments:
I just got home. It's 1:30 and you have this up already! I feel like I'm in a time warp and I just relived it.
It actually was quite moving at times, minus Kate Smith. A bagpiper playing Amazing Grace always gets me choked up. And not a single burned Koran!
Ahhhh Rob, it's days like these that I remember to appreciate that the weather here in Thailand is quite wonderful today!
did you hear the NYC fireman's remarks? i thought they were quite moving; yes, the rendition of God Bless America was strange; i enjoyed the CAST dancers but their song about Flight 93 was too much for me; i'm more convinced than ever now that building an Islamic Center at Ground Zero is the right thing.
When I was in my period of doubting conventional history as taught in the schools (high school onwards) I felt the mythology of the American founding fathers and of the political philosophy of the 1700's and 1800's was simplistic and manipulative. I felt it glossed over the dark aspects of our actual history and presented a very unbalanced picture. In comparison to the very polarized political diatribes of today in America, that period seems a lot better than the current one. I do remember that those historical figures that acted from their conscience in upholding the rights of everyone, not excluding the despised and downtrodden, were held up as American heroes. Wish that viewpoint was more widely held today.
Speaking of Dylan, the History Channel is currently showing ads for the upcoming episode of Pawn Stars, their show about a family that runs a Las Vegas pawn shop; in the new installment, which is due to air this coming Monday evening, His Bobness makes an appearance; something about Chumlee trying to track down Bob, to get him to sign a copy of one of the store's Dylan albums; apparently Bob was playing a gig in Vegas at the time; not sure the exact time this new episode airs; as the saying goes, consult your local listings.
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