I have always been a huge fan but lately I am thinking maybe Anthony Bourdain should be required viewing. Yes…he’s sarcasm on overdrive…yes he can seem crude to the over sensitive type… and yes he seems skeptical of all that is “sacred“… but the one thing he is not is a waste of time or another stupid uninformed celebrity using his reach to preach his views on what we should or should not believe. His program more often than not is the messenger of good, interesting and thought provoking information when it comes to viewing other cultures. It’s not all about the food.
In this week’s installment of No Reservations you could possibly walk away with a lesson or reminder of what we as Americans as a whole seem to have forgotten. It was a look at Kurdistan, the semi autonomous region of Northern Iraq. A region and people who have long fought and suffered to retain their identity as a people and live freely.
In one segment over a feast spread out before Bourdain, the subject of politics was discussed. Aside from the stated fact the consensus of Kurds is they are grateful the U.S. took down Saddam, the stand out statement of this discussion was one made along these lines…everyone in Kurdistan is involved in politics “because they know what they spent to get this freedom.”
Now ascending my soapbox…..
In my opinion we as Americans have no notion of what that means any longer. I go crazy when I hear some lame person, politician or celebrity declare they have the “courage” to speak up against whatever it is they are speaking up about. Really? What’s courageous about saying whatever you want in a society that was founded on the right of free speech to begin with. Is someone going to show up at their home in the middle of the night and drag them away or kill them?
The courageous are those who fought and died (and still fight and die) to give even the stupid and ill informed the right to do it. Ask the Kurds about sacrifice and courage. When Saddam was committing his mass murders and gassings of the Kurdish people, where were these brave “courageous” types. Were they in Kurdistan speaking up? No wait… here at home “courageously” fighting for the right to line their own pockets.
Over the generations, Americans have sacrificed good men and women to spread the gift of freedom to others and preserve our own freedom. A gift many take for granted each and every day. We in our apathy re-elect the same scum over and over and then complain…complain…complain……Many Americans can tell you what happened on American Idol and what Charlie Sheen just said but they don’t know who their own congressman and senators are. America GET A GRIP! Look at who you have accepted as your “representatives” Maxine Waters? just sayin…
Descending my soapbox now. Ahhh, I feel much better, can’t wait for next weeks episode!
AccentPositives provides effective and economical Home Staging consultations on site and online. We are located in Corona and serve the Inland Empire of Southern California and the Palm Springs area. Call 951 833 8529. Email staging@accentpositives.com. Visit www.accentpositives.com and www.accentingspaces.com.
Comments(1)