Smile, you're on...

Last week I made the annual trip to PBS to watch their presentation of “A Washington Fourth.” I was particularly pleased that the “Beachboys” were prominently featured on the program since they succeeded in reviving some happy days when the problems we faced were, or at least seemed, much smaller.

What I didn’t see was as entertaining as the group. I didn’t see a single scowl among the large crowd gathered in the mall area. No signs of protest slogans, no policemen in riot gear, no megaphone announcements, and no one being pushed or pummeled by anyone. Had all the reasons for so many peoples’ concerns, trials and problems ceased to exist?

Had pro life and pro choice agreed to disagree? Were Medicaid supporters and conservative repealers having a snack together? Were those paying millions in taxes and those paying none laughing at the same jokes? What was going on?

It finally dawned on me that for most of the citizens in this country, there was an authentic and genuine feeling of thankfulness that they were here as opposed to elsewhere like Venzeuala where they have to go to Columbia to buy a loaf of bread or a pound of flour. That we don’t have to worry about our government dropping a biological weapon on us for speaking our minds and assembling. That it’s okay to openly confess a faith in one’s God without being penalized for the testimony. That our kids, and theirs, have access to an education to create opportunities to match their talents and ambition.

I could go on for a long time, but we can all think of many things that we enjoy by an accident of birth. We were born here, or managed to get here through our own or others’ efforts. Somehow we need to contemplate the blessings as well as the problems more than once or twice a year. Maybe that would help us to lay aside the eagerness to scoff at ideas that don’t come from our own little group and consider not the messenger, but the message.