Short break in programming

I’ll be in Portland through Saturday, so unless you’re Bryan or Michele don’t plan on hearing from me. Do, though, think of me as you tear into that drumstick of turkey or humanitarian turkey substitute. I’ll think of you while I do the same. Maybe I’ll even compose a trite “what I’m thankful for” ballad for this site which includes you implicitly. Don’t hold me to it, though.

Maybe you’ve heard about What Barry Says, a very well produced short film about American imperialism by some Brits. Whether or not you agree with the ideas expressed within, it’s worth a watch just as a piece of pop art. Remember, Erika Monges and many others: dissent is patriotic. Contrary to the opinions of those that cry “America hater!” when the word is brought up, dissent does not (or at least, shouldn’t) spring from hatred; it springs from loving one’s country enough to want it to do good. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a dissenter. So was Gandhi. If we didn’t love America, why would we care so much about the decisions it makes in our name?