ARCHIVE: Travel and the Holiday

*** This entry was originally posted to LiveJournal July 3, 2007 ***


So tomorrow Lilly and I leave on our trip to see my mom in San Diego. Of course now's when there would be "incidents" in the UK so we'll have extra security measures to get through. Not that I'm complaining, really. I'm all for extra security as long as it's effective. And I think I've packed and planned for making the process as easy as possible. I've even made sure that Lilly knows what to expect from the checkpoints. We shall see. In any case, I'm pretty excited. There's still a lot to be done, though, so I hadn't better stay on here too long.

Happy Independence Day tomorrow to all those living in the US and to those who are from here but who are living abroad.

Instead of blowing up a tiny piece of the country with fireworks (I'd rather leave the pyrotechnics to the professionals--theirs are MUCH cooler anyway!), I think I'll spend the day--in addition to spending it on a plane--enjoying my freedom to talk about how our fair country has drifted from some of her core values in some key areas. While I still can. I invite you to do the same, as you see fit. Some of the key values I'll be honoring include:

- Separation of church and state

- Freedom of speech

- Freedom of religion (including the lack of one)

- The rights of the accused

- Division of powers and checks and balances

- Integrity, accountability, and openness

- The rule of law

Drift though she has, I wouldn't trade her. It is my hope that the places in which she has of late missed the mark she originally set for herself will be like zits on prom night. Zits on prom night are unsightly and upsetting while they exist, but they will fade and they won't ruin her whole future (however much it may seem so at the time). And ultimately they don't change the beauty underneath; they just maybe make it hard to look at for a little while.

Meanwhile, love to all. I should have at least some access to email while I'm gone, and I'll look forward to connecting with all of you when I get back!