Good morning! I want to start today my sharing this remarkably astute piece from the one and only Peggy Noonan in which she compares the condition of the states to that of a dilapidated house: [Its like you live in a house thats falling apart. The roof needs to be patched and there are squirrels in the attic, a hornets nest in the eaves. The basements wet. The walkway to the front door is cracked with grass growing through it. The old boiler is making funny sounds. On top of that its always on your mind that you could lose your job tomorrow and must live within strict confines so you can meet the mortgage and pay the electric bill. You cant keep the place up and youre equal parts anxious, ashamed and angry. And then one morning you look outside and see . . . all these people standing on your property, looking at you, making some mute demand. Little children looking lost—no ones taking care of them. Older ones settling in the garage, or working a window to the cellar. You call the cops. At first they dont come. Then they come and shout through a bull horn and take some of the kids and put them in a shelter a few blocks away. But more kids keep coming! You call your alderman and he says theres nothing he can do. Then he says wait, were going to pass a bill and get more money to handle the crisis. You ask, Does that mean the kids will go home? He says no, but it may make things feel more orderly. You call the local TV station and they come do a report on your stoop and then theyre gone, because really, what can they do, and after a few days its getting to be an old story. No ones in charge! No one is taking responsibility. No one who wants to help has authority, and no one with authority is helping.] // A FEW stories in the box. Going back to bed!
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 13:15:03 +0000
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