PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE:

What We Honor Says Volumes About Who We Are

How many thousands of highways in America honor the military? This phenomenon tells us a lot about ourselves, doesn't it? Such prominent reminders in public places indicate that we are a very militaristic nation.

I wonder if you have ever driven on a highway in America that is in memory of, or in honor of, American artists, poets, engineers, scientists, or teachers?

Perhaps it is because we so honor our military—literally and figuratively, at the expense of virtually all other aspects of our society (look at the bloated military budget)—that there are fewer and fewer outstanding teachers. And as this drum-beating continues and escalates (did anyone else see the "Price Is Right" TV special on May 30 that glorified the US armed services and beat the drum for recruitment—ornamented with seductive, scantily clad women?), it then follows that there will be fewer and fewer artists, poets, inventors, engineers and scientists whom we may one day wish to memorialize on our highways.

'Stupid' Bumper Stickers

I've noticed a bumper sticker that reads: "Thank me for your tax rebate: I voted for Bush."

Recently, while waiting for a traffic light to change, I fashioned a response to the driver of one such ornamented vehicle, wondering if there would be enough time to write it down and then hand it to him. It would say, "Aren't you the lucky one? 'Cause most of the people I know only got $300 back, if anything. Your gloating bumper sticker makes me wonder how much of a refund you got. Was it $3,000? $30,000? Maybe even $300,000?"

Republicans sure have a way of making it sound like they are doing the average citizen a big favor and looking out for his best interests. But, like Ronald Reagan's big tax cut in the early '80s—where, as with Bush's, most of the benefit went to the well-to-do and the corporations, the working stiffs get little. (Back then, even that pittance was offset by an increase in FICA payroll tax deduction for Social Security, so many folks found less in their paychecks following the much-publicized "tax cut.")

People must really be clueless or cruel to rub stuff like this in other people's faces. And notice how many of these "tax cut" stickers are on SUVs.

Speaking of bumper stickers, you may have seen the ones that say "You're smarter than Kathleen." Shouldn't we be responding with ones saying "You're smarter than George?"

Because no matter how limited some might think "KKT" is, she's head and shoulders ahead of George W. Bush when it comes to clarity of thinking. One could offer tons of examples of "Bushisms." Here's a good one, reported by Maureen Dowd in the New York Times on May 26. She writes:

"At the Kremlin signing ceremony on Friday for the arms treaty.... Mr. Bush hailed the new spirit of trust this way:

'That's good. It's good for the people of Russia; it's good for the people of the United States...For decades, Russia and NATO were adversaries. Those days are gone, and that's good. And that's good for the people of my country, it's good for the people of Europe, and it's good for the people of the world.'

But then, on further reflection, maybe the majority of Americans aren't any smarter or more mature than George Bush. After all, look at how many people voted for him and approve of him and his policies. Yet most of his policies—just for starters, think of issues like worker safety, clean air and water, our basic freedoms—are decidedly not in the people's interest.