Sunday, August 9, 2009

Yer blues


In Vermont the Burlington Free Press has a sad lament by a man claiming he must leave the state .This is the second I believe in a series the Free Press is running. Sort of an ongoing Festivus style airing of the grievances on Why Vermont has failed me theme. Today’s public lamentation goes a step further than some noting multiple areas that Vermont has allegedly failed this poor and long suffering fellow .Taxes ,naturally are in the mix ,trivialization of the institution of marriage makes the list but new and perhaps foremost is the perceived lack of pride in America by Vermonters .
Our apparently soon to depart uber-patriot questions ; Are Vermonters still proud to be Americans?Thus adding failure of being properly proud to his list .He does note that perhaps many Vermonters are still proud of America, but the pervasive attitude seems to him
“a grievance mentality that indicts America at every opportunity. It's a mentality that cheers President Obama as he travels the world apologizing for America. That mentality expresses itself in many ways, chief among them the tendency to assert moral equivalency between America's enemies and America's defenders. This mentality has been especially offended by the forceful and successful actions taken by the Bush administration after 9/11 to protect the American people from the terrorists who would kill them.”

This fellow is truly grieved by the grievance mentality he imagines to surround him. A grievance mentality, high living costs, taxes and perceived lack of proper pride are moving motivation for some .I would suggest a tolerance mentality might work wonders and save expensive moving costs .He does however strike a conciliatory note at the end and even hints that he may not actually be leaving at all .I guess he sees a glimmer of hope that one day we will walk in lock step with what he sees as the proper way.
No doubt Vermonters offended by the things I've said will want to tell us not to let the door hit us on the way out. Well, we won't be leaving soon, and there's still hope that Vermont can recapture the spirit of personal independence that made this nation great. We fear, however, that the majority of Vermonters are increasingly embracing personal dependence on government.

posted here also :Green Mountain Daily

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