Why is it that when the occasional right wing conservative writes to you, they threaten bodily harm? Still, even after Jan 6 and all the threats then, which I guess at least some of them are getting punished for! I sometimes contemplate the difference between what the founding fathers must have meant when they produced the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and how the freedoms therein are being corrupted by people today. I think they would be appalled. What think you?
I may be too dense to recognize it but I've never felt threatened by any posters here. I'm more alarmed at myself and the fact that I cannot communicate with Trumpers. It feels impossible, the division is so severe. It's a sad thing. Politics isn't fun anymore.
I also see the "word to the wise" above as a threat to GK and the vast majority of his readers here. It's incredibly un-American, and it shows why we can't just keep quiet and "avoid politics" in the face of those who have fully embraced lies and intimidation in their effort to gain absolute power. In any case, I don't think the commenter has been a regular reader, because GK still makes no bones about what he thinks of the former liar-in-chief and would-be dictator-in-waiting. It's hard to believe that anyone who appreciates PHC, The Writer's Almanac and Garrison Keillor and Friends would see anything appealing in the party of QAnon. There is at least one troll on this site, and--in keeping with his party's love of lying--he may have multiple IDs.
Well, if you'll all permit me, a few comments and observations from The Great White North (i.e. Canada, god's true Frozen People).
First Mr. Crockett as a hero. I recall growing up with the Disney Crockett but I am sorry to say that he was anything but. I recommend "Exodus From The Alamo - The Anatomy of the Last Stand Myth" by Phillip Thomas Tucker. The defenders of the Alamo (which I've visited) were, alas, mostly slavers and land-grabbers. We don't have nearly as many myths in Canada as has the U.S., so I sometimes think we look to the South for some. Crockett was one of them.
On the Buffalonians' noticing Canadians coming south...and "socialized medicine". Probably true - for about 0.5% of Canadians needing medical care. There's no doubt the U.S. has the best medical care - that money can buy - and, yes, some head south for it. Far more (thinking snowbirds) that need it head back, as fast as they can, to Canada (I know several friends for whom this is true). That 0.5% can't possibly compare to the millions of Americans bankrupted by medical care.
Chet Atkins: lovely rendition, but so is Steve Goodman's "My Old Man". Probably my favourite.
Lee and Jackson: I suspect I know as much about the Civil War as most Americans. I was very, very moved (and informed) by my visit to, say, Gettysburg. But: Mr. Keillor makes good sense - Lee, remember, was first offered command of THE UNION armies and declined. And thereby contributed to a war that, in my view, has never really ended. Only the shooting stopped.
All of which (and I mean this sincerely) is respectfully submitted.
Happy Hanukkah and all the best for the Season to you all.
Good to hear from the North. My Buffalo pals may disagree with you but they have other things on their mind now with their own Kathy Hochul in the governor's mansion in Albany.
A note from another Upstate New Yorker - first things first! We do Exist! Once, when I had moved to California but still had New York license plates on, I was driving in the desert. There was a car stuck in the sand by the roadside. I stopped, got out my chain and he got under the cars to hitch them up. Then I gave their car a tug. He and the Mrs. were free to go. As he handed me back my chain, he asked "What part of New York are you from?" When I told him, he said "Oh! An Upstater! Harrumph!" and stomped off, as if my rescuing him from a long hot cooking was spoiled by my origins.
Another time, in New York City, my husband and I were sitting in the bleachers in Mets Stadium. The couple behind us tapped us on the shoulder, "Where are you folks from?" When the husband heard my answer, he practically spit "Oh! Upstaters!". They wouldn't say another word to us.
Folks talk about the North/South divide in the US. But, especially during Governor Rockefeller's time, there was a great "North/South divide in our state too. Nelson Rockefeller had decided to support the Upstate dairy farmers by improving the quality of Upstate roads, such that heavy milk tanker trucks could reach the farms and supply milk to New York City. That program worked well. However, City folks got the idea that Upstaters were getting all the roadbuilding aid, since the potholes on the FDR Drive, etc. could easily break axles.
I suppose, like families, state politics can be a real balancing act. Something can be done "For Your Benefit", but if that part of the equation isn't directly appreciated, jealousy can certainly set in! As the situation with Canadian socialized medicine illustrates - "The road to Hell is paved with Good Intentions." And here, Good Ole Joe is stuck with a lot of decisions a New York City luxury real estate promoter stuck the nation with back in his day. SIGH!
It's good to hear about a bygone time when government was more about providing service and public works and less about symbolism. Living near Central Park in NYC, we see the beautiful combination of public employees and community volunteer, public and private funds combined to maintain a place that is dear to people's hearts. There is something utopian about it.
I enjoyed your observations: it's amazing how avidly we seem to look for things that make us apart, eh? But I'm perplexed by your "road to hell" comment. If Canadian "socialized medicine" (whatever that even means) is hell, I'll happily go there for eternity. I'm Canadian. I've paid taxes for 55 years now. I and my family have used Canadian medical resources from time to time (thankfully not all that often), always appreciating the efficiency, high quality of care, and humanity. Exceptions occur, clearly, but in the main very happy with our system. So I pay taxes and I get a benefit - is that socialism? If so, I guess you have socialized transportation (tax-paid roads), socialized garbage disposal, socialized schools? I can't see a difference.
But on the roads: yes, my father here in BC, a city dweller, used to grouse often about "subsidizing the roads in the Interior", convinced that his road taxes were paying for the rest of the province's roads. I myself hope they did - we have very good roads in the province. When they're not flooded out, of course. Take care and all the best for the season.
Possibly I've overreacted to the stories I've heard about Canadians heading south for medical procedures. I have friends from the Former Soviet Union, where socialized medicine was also the "only game in town." I've heard horror stories about disinterested medical personnel who apply draconian "One Size Fits All" approaches. One in particular centers around an unborn child whose chromosomes suggested that he might be "abnormal." The female maternity doctor was strongly in favor of an abortion. However, the mother, a Pentecostal Christian, believed that if God had given her this child, He intended for the couple to keep him. The couple had been childless for a dozen years, and they felt this might be their only chance. When he was born, they named the boy "Bogdan" = "Gift of God."
Over the years, it turned out that the doctor was at least partially correct. Bogdan was a loving, active, eager boy, but he had a learning disability. He was dyslexic - he would confuse words that looked similar - for example "WAS = SAW". When I joined their church, Bogdan was in fourth grade. The family asked me to tutor him, since their English was somewhat limited. I worked with him under the guidance of his teachers. As an example, we listened to a tape of Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass," while Bogdan ran his finger under the words as he heard them spoken. Gradually, Bogdan acquired more confidence in his reading ability. He was able to graduate high school and attend a local community college. He enjoyed cooking, and completed the program for aspiring chefs. Now he's married and has a job. All of that, when the obstetrician in the socialized maternity hospital had wanted to abort that unborn child!
Not being a Canadian, I'm not well versed on the quality of care available in your country. Just the same, the fact that some Canadians do "opt out" and go South, seems to indicate that there could be limitations to that system of medical care. I've heard that in certain cases, citizens of the United States "go South" - to Mexico or elsewhere, too.
I guess, that saying about good intentions might be translated as "There's no such thing as a perfect solution for every problem." Eh?
Tell me more! When I stay at the West Side YMCA on 65th street, a couple of blocks north of Trump Tower, Central Park is "Right across the street!" I end up cutting across the park to take in performances of my all-time favorite performer - in the Town Hall Theater, on air, or in the intimacy of Feinstein's 54/Below.
Your comment reminds me that there are things we don't really think about. "Who maintains Central Park?" for instance. I must admit I cross it in the dark, more often than not. The very fact that as a single, semi-elderly woman, I can cross it in confidence says something positive about all those personnel you're referring to! I can't see signs on the trees "This area maintained by the Midtown Arborist's Association", if there are such things. And the "Mounties" - mounted policemen who seem to be reminders of bygone days as they casually ride their horses on the paths - reassure me. They keep my trust in our safety - out in those "wild woods" - alive!
My ex is a Canadian from B.C. I've travelled across our neighbor to the North, both by car and on the Canadian National railway, from the Yukon to St. John's, Newfoundland. This was decades ago. The stories I heard about socialized medicine may not reflect the current situation.
I was using the term "Mounties" loosely, of course! Most of the Mounties I've seen on Canadian roadways were mounted in cars. My ex is an inveterate punster - so pardon me if I get the impression that punning is "Canadian!"
Why is it that when the occasional right wing conservative writes to you, they threaten bodily harm? Still, even after Jan 6 and all the threats then, which I guess at least some of them are getting punished for! I sometimes contemplate the difference between what the founding fathers must have meant when they produced the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and how the freedoms therein are being corrupted by people today. I think they would be appalled. What think you?
I may be too dense to recognize it but I've never felt threatened by any posters here. I'm more alarmed at myself and the fact that I cannot communicate with Trumpers. It feels impossible, the division is so severe. It's a sad thing. Politics isn't fun anymore.
I also see the "word to the wise" above as a threat to GK and the vast majority of his readers here. It's incredibly un-American, and it shows why we can't just keep quiet and "avoid politics" in the face of those who have fully embraced lies and intimidation in their effort to gain absolute power. In any case, I don't think the commenter has been a regular reader, because GK still makes no bones about what he thinks of the former liar-in-chief and would-be dictator-in-waiting. It's hard to believe that anyone who appreciates PHC, The Writer's Almanac and Garrison Keillor and Friends would see anything appealing in the party of QAnon. There is at least one troll on this site, and--in keeping with his party's love of lying--he may have multiple IDs.
I’m amazed that right-wingers are fans.
Well, if you'll all permit me, a few comments and observations from The Great White North (i.e. Canada, god's true Frozen People).
First Mr. Crockett as a hero. I recall growing up with the Disney Crockett but I am sorry to say that he was anything but. I recommend "Exodus From The Alamo - The Anatomy of the Last Stand Myth" by Phillip Thomas Tucker. The defenders of the Alamo (which I've visited) were, alas, mostly slavers and land-grabbers. We don't have nearly as many myths in Canada as has the U.S., so I sometimes think we look to the South for some. Crockett was one of them.
On the Buffalonians' noticing Canadians coming south...and "socialized medicine". Probably true - for about 0.5% of Canadians needing medical care. There's no doubt the U.S. has the best medical care - that money can buy - and, yes, some head south for it. Far more (thinking snowbirds) that need it head back, as fast as they can, to Canada (I know several friends for whom this is true). That 0.5% can't possibly compare to the millions of Americans bankrupted by medical care.
Chet Atkins: lovely rendition, but so is Steve Goodman's "My Old Man". Probably my favourite.
Lee and Jackson: I suspect I know as much about the Civil War as most Americans. I was very, very moved (and informed) by my visit to, say, Gettysburg. But: Mr. Keillor makes good sense - Lee, remember, was first offered command of THE UNION armies and declined. And thereby contributed to a war that, in my view, has never really ended. Only the shooting stopped.
All of which (and I mean this sincerely) is respectfully submitted.
Happy Hanukkah and all the best for the Season to you all.
Good to hear from the North. My Buffalo pals may disagree with you but they have other things on their mind now with their own Kathy Hochul in the governor's mansion in Albany.
A note from another Upstate New Yorker - first things first! We do Exist! Once, when I had moved to California but still had New York license plates on, I was driving in the desert. There was a car stuck in the sand by the roadside. I stopped, got out my chain and he got under the cars to hitch them up. Then I gave their car a tug. He and the Mrs. were free to go. As he handed me back my chain, he asked "What part of New York are you from?" When I told him, he said "Oh! An Upstater! Harrumph!" and stomped off, as if my rescuing him from a long hot cooking was spoiled by my origins.
Another time, in New York City, my husband and I were sitting in the bleachers in Mets Stadium. The couple behind us tapped us on the shoulder, "Where are you folks from?" When the husband heard my answer, he practically spit "Oh! Upstaters!". They wouldn't say another word to us.
Folks talk about the North/South divide in the US. But, especially during Governor Rockefeller's time, there was a great "North/South divide in our state too. Nelson Rockefeller had decided to support the Upstate dairy farmers by improving the quality of Upstate roads, such that heavy milk tanker trucks could reach the farms and supply milk to New York City. That program worked well. However, City folks got the idea that Upstaters were getting all the roadbuilding aid, since the potholes on the FDR Drive, etc. could easily break axles.
I suppose, like families, state politics can be a real balancing act. Something can be done "For Your Benefit", but if that part of the equation isn't directly appreciated, jealousy can certainly set in! As the situation with Canadian socialized medicine illustrates - "The road to Hell is paved with Good Intentions." And here, Good Ole Joe is stuck with a lot of decisions a New York City luxury real estate promoter stuck the nation with back in his day. SIGH!
It's good to hear about a bygone time when government was more about providing service and public works and less about symbolism. Living near Central Park in NYC, we see the beautiful combination of public employees and community volunteer, public and private funds combined to maintain a place that is dear to people's hearts. There is something utopian about it.
I enjoyed your observations: it's amazing how avidly we seem to look for things that make us apart, eh? But I'm perplexed by your "road to hell" comment. If Canadian "socialized medicine" (whatever that even means) is hell, I'll happily go there for eternity. I'm Canadian. I've paid taxes for 55 years now. I and my family have used Canadian medical resources from time to time (thankfully not all that often), always appreciating the efficiency, high quality of care, and humanity. Exceptions occur, clearly, but in the main very happy with our system. So I pay taxes and I get a benefit - is that socialism? If so, I guess you have socialized transportation (tax-paid roads), socialized garbage disposal, socialized schools? I can't see a difference.
But on the roads: yes, my father here in BC, a city dweller, used to grouse often about "subsidizing the roads in the Interior", convinced that his road taxes were paying for the rest of the province's roads. I myself hope they did - we have very good roads in the province. When they're not flooded out, of course. Take care and all the best for the season.
Possibly I've overreacted to the stories I've heard about Canadians heading south for medical procedures. I have friends from the Former Soviet Union, where socialized medicine was also the "only game in town." I've heard horror stories about disinterested medical personnel who apply draconian "One Size Fits All" approaches. One in particular centers around an unborn child whose chromosomes suggested that he might be "abnormal." The female maternity doctor was strongly in favor of an abortion. However, the mother, a Pentecostal Christian, believed that if God had given her this child, He intended for the couple to keep him. The couple had been childless for a dozen years, and they felt this might be their only chance. When he was born, they named the boy "Bogdan" = "Gift of God."
Over the years, it turned out that the doctor was at least partially correct. Bogdan was a loving, active, eager boy, but he had a learning disability. He was dyslexic - he would confuse words that looked similar - for example "WAS = SAW". When I joined their church, Bogdan was in fourth grade. The family asked me to tutor him, since their English was somewhat limited. I worked with him under the guidance of his teachers. As an example, we listened to a tape of Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass," while Bogdan ran his finger under the words as he heard them spoken. Gradually, Bogdan acquired more confidence in his reading ability. He was able to graduate high school and attend a local community college. He enjoyed cooking, and completed the program for aspiring chefs. Now he's married and has a job. All of that, when the obstetrician in the socialized maternity hospital had wanted to abort that unborn child!
Not being a Canadian, I'm not well versed on the quality of care available in your country. Just the same, the fact that some Canadians do "opt out" and go South, seems to indicate that there could be limitations to that system of medical care. I've heard that in certain cases, citizens of the United States "go South" - to Mexico or elsewhere, too.
I guess, that saying about good intentions might be translated as "There's no such thing as a perfect solution for every problem." Eh?
Tell me more! When I stay at the West Side YMCA on 65th street, a couple of blocks north of Trump Tower, Central Park is "Right across the street!" I end up cutting across the park to take in performances of my all-time favorite performer - in the Town Hall Theater, on air, or in the intimacy of Feinstein's 54/Below.
Your comment reminds me that there are things we don't really think about. "Who maintains Central Park?" for instance. I must admit I cross it in the dark, more often than not. The very fact that as a single, semi-elderly woman, I can cross it in confidence says something positive about all those personnel you're referring to! I can't see signs on the trees "This area maintained by the Midtown Arborist's Association", if there are such things. And the "Mounties" - mounted policemen who seem to be reminders of bygone days as they casually ride their horses on the paths - reassure me. They keep my trust in our safety - out in those "wild woods" - alive!
Hey: "Mounties", eh? Thinking maybe the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (aka "Mounties") will be bringing a copyright claim.
All the best.
My ex is a Canadian from B.C. I've travelled across our neighbor to the North, both by car and on the Canadian National railway, from the Yukon to St. John's, Newfoundland. This was decades ago. The stories I heard about socialized medicine may not reflect the current situation.
I was using the term "Mounties" loosely, of course! Most of the Mounties I've seen on Canadian roadways were mounted in cars. My ex is an inveterate punster - so pardon me if I get the impression that punning is "Canadian!"