Pink Slip takes it easy

If there’s one thing that Pink Slip likes to do, it’s kick back and enjoy a holiday. And one holiday I especially enjoy kicking back on is the Glorious Fourth.

Most years, I have managed to stir myself to do a July 4th post. But this year, frankly, I’m feeling a bit more fearful – as in are we going to survive the current excrescence on the body politic? - than flag-waving.

Anyway, here’s how Pink Slip celebrated its first Glorious Fourth, way back in 2007. Five years later, I wrote about Baseball, Hot Dogs, and Apple Pie. My words included:

…even if we haven’t yet fallen to the gutta-percha-cane beating level, when it comes to our political discourse, things aren’t all that well-mannered these days.

Among the rants that the SCOTUS decision on the Affordable Care Act inspired were a former GOP spokesman in Michigan, who suggested that armed rebellion might be justified to break the yoke of progressive tyranny; a former NH town official who wished colon cancer on the five majority-voting justices; and a radio talk show host who said that the ruling demonstrated that John Roberts is brain-impaired due to epilepsy.

Sweet land of liberty, alright.

Maybe things will tone down after this fall’s election. Maybe comity and common sense will prevail.

On the Glorious Fourth of July, we can only hope that at some point we’ll actually become the shining city upon a hill that, for the world’s sake, wouldn’t be so bad to have around and which, in most of our red-white-and-blue heart of hearts, we believe we are.

Oh, my, how the bar has been lowered on what passes these days for comity and common sense. The worries of 2012 seem almost quaint.

Last year, Pink Slip was absolutely apolitical. Sparkler talk only! (Little did we know what was in store for us.)

This year, I’ll be celebrating the Fourth with my sister Trish in Salem, Mass. I’ll be the one in blue and white, and maybe red if I can find some red earrings. We’ll either go her town’s concert and fireworks, or watch Boston’s on TV. Either way, it will be plenty glorious.

Happy Fourth of July!