The 4th of July in the United States here is an excuse for an American style buffet (pronounced Boo-fey) consisting of hamburgers, hot dogs and ribs for the low cost of 23 Euros. We'll be dining in this evening at a much lower cos
It's also Conner's birthday which is a big deal here. Sarah and I decorated the patio of his studio this morning before heading to Le Boutique to get croissants for breakfast. As we paid I began to explain why we were buying them, Mimi decked in red, white and blue snapped in her thick French accent, "I know it's Conner's birthday! We have it written down!"
Go figure.
There's also a parade down the beach this morning. The Americans will deck themselves in patriotic attire and wave flags strolling down Orient Beach. The non-Americans, mostly French, sitting in their chairs or laying on blankets will be ambivalent about it but we'll have a good time.
I love my country though our Government drives me absolutely crazy! The Founding Fathers had great ideas that elected officials have consistently eroded ever since. Congress is an absolute mess of partisan zealots whose common goals are re-election or retirement with the greatest of perks. Having spent a large portion of time in Atlanta and Washington, I'm cynical about them all.
The news drives me nuts. I don't care if its the liberal media or Robert Murdock's desire to drive everyone to the right, the news is all bad. The airheads who deliver the news are mostly entertainers with nothing much to say. I pretty much ignore them these days.
Our religious institutions follow suit of the elected politicians taking sides on most everything. The attitude of many churches is "you're either with us or you're going to hell. So go to hell!" I was invited to the nation's first "Faith Based Summit" in Washington and was appalled to see the blatant ass kissing taking place. I try to shy away from such clergy.
Our health care system is absolutely broken. We have the best product in the world with the worst delivery system ever invented. Try as they may to fix it, or least make it better, the Government seems to only make it worse.
Yet, we're still the greatest country on earth.
The freedoms we have, the truths we hold dear, the right to congregate and say whatever we have to say ... these things remain mostly in place.
Political correctness is killing us. Parasitism is too. Fundamentalism of any kind is a terrible and evil thing.
But, as a crazy as things have gotten, America still huddles the masses ... stoops to help the fallen ... protects the weak ... defends against tyranny ... believes God has a purpose for us all.
So we will march this Independence Day, showing our French friends, how proud we remain to be who we are.
