The Perspective of the Founding Fathers

As part of the holiday weekend, we re-watched 1776. I love that movie and the hotness of little John Adams. I know that the movie is much more of a fun little of singing and dancing enthused historical fiction, but it's still the type of film that gently pushes me into thinking.

The thought of this viewing - there never was a golden age of politics or America. Congress has always been somewhat inept.

Most of the founding fathers weren't worth a damn, they just had obnoxious and disliked people like Adams pushing them into doing things. It took them how many years to man up and declare independence?

Congress has always been full of egomaniacs who are more concerned with them and theirs than doing the right thing. Financial interests have always dominated, we've just switched from slaves and molasses to pharmaceuticals and oil. Biases and prejudices have always affected things more than they ought.

But you know what? Somehow or another, things work out. Sure, as a country we've done some really stupid and downright horrible things. I'm sure we'll do many more. But in general? We do ok, we keep getting a little better. The overall trend is positive.

Don't get me wrong - it's still good to be concerned, active, vigilant and all that. I'm sure I'll continue to be terrified by some new political development at least once a week. I'm less sure, but still hopeful, that I'll actually do something about it.

But the next time I'm freaking out about how Michelle Bachman and Glenn Beck* are surely the harbingers of the political apocalypse I also hope I can  remember to take a deep breath and a little perspective.

*Feel free to insert Obama or whoever sends shivers down your spine here. I may not be anywhere close to politically neutral, but I think this particular point is about as close as I get, even if the way I said it isn't.