I realize it's not July 4, so the subject of Americana seems non sequitur, but Americana trended this week so we must discuss...
I was never patriotic until I returned from spending a year in Paris in 2002-2003. Paris, at that time, was a culture of "no." The shop clerk would say, "I know it's 2:59 and we close at 3:00, but NO we cannot let you in, desolé." And during this time there was a lot of Anti-Semitism--916 incidents (i.e., the burning of synagogues) in Paris alone in 2002-2003. So for the first time in my life, I lived in a city where I could not tell anyone I was Jewish. And I understood why my immigrant parents and grandparents loved their America so much. I understood why they were so patriotic--you can do anything in America. Anything, no matter your religion, color, or gender, so long as you are willing to work really (really really really) hard.
We entered 2009 with a new President, full of hope, much like we were in the postwar 1950's, when there was tremendous innovation and pride. After two years of recession (or three, depending whom you speak to), it's time to start making stuff and stop making stuff up (ahem, Andrew Breitbart).
This week, I look at some companies and people that portray the best and worst of our new America.
Real House Music
Even after Steven Slater hopped down the emergency slide to make his infamous Jet Blue exit, I'd still give The HotHead of the Month Award to Representative Anthony Weiner. Every time I see this video of him on the floor of the House, I crack up (especially around :15 - :37). Mr. Weiner Went To Washington for us regarding the 9/11 bill, which would, as he wrote in a recent op-ed, "provide treatment, screening and compensation to Americans who sacrificed their safety that day, as well as Lower Manhattan residents and others who have suffered injury from exposure to the dust and debris." We are sick of complacency, we are sick of the gray area. I am not one to hold things in either (I'm Moroccan on my dad's side), so I felt a certain affection for someone who finds energy and passion in yelling. His sticking point was the "Republicans who claimed to be supporters of the bill, yet who used their time on the House floor not to persuade skeptical Republican colleagues to vote yes but to excoriate Democrats for using the suspension calendar."
There was so much poetry and rhythm in his voice, and together with his synchronistic hand movements, he was almost freestyling. That's what I call real House music.
Useful Cocktail Party Trivia
You want passionate? I'll give you passionate. You'll find no one more hard-core about American memorabilia than Pawn Stars' Rick Harrison. Pawn Stars is not just a reality show that chronicles the comings and goings of the employees of The Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas, but a lens onto and lesson about American history. You'll find people coming in to hawk turn-of-the-century colt 45's and presidential memorabilia--some of it real and some of it fake--and everything is met with this infectious enthusiasm from Rick. The best part? In every episode, you'll learn a few shocking historical tidbits to incorporate into your Friday cocktail party repertoire. For instance, did you know that confederate notes were individually and painstakingly cut by hand from sheets?
Rebranding Islam
The fiery debate about the Cordoba House that is slated for construction blocks from Ground Zero has me torn to pieces. America was built on freedom. The opposition seems about as justified as the Daily Show's John Oliver, who quipped: "Should you put a catholic church near a playground? We can but should we?...Isn't it a little bit too soon for that?"
I was downtown on September 11 and the symbolism isn't lost on me. But don't I need to grow up a little, and open my heart and my mind? I am a modern progressive, aren't I? As a spiritual but irreligious Jew, I think of Moslems as my brothers and sisters. We eat the same food, we both revere Abraham, and both religions put women low on the totem pole. Charles Krauthammer from the Washington Post remarked that it's a question of location, and pointed out that "no German of good will would even think of proposing a German cultural center at, say, Treblinka...No liquor store near a school, no strip malls where they offend local sensibilities..." Maybe we should stay away from comparing Nazi Germany (a nation-state of hatred) to a rogue group of terrorists.
So I sit today in my downtown office and imagine strolling down to Ground Zero one day and seeing a beautiful memorial for the victims, and then turning my head to see a crescent moon 15 stories high and wondering if the juxtaposition does indeed symbolize a true commitment to freedom of religion, or an attempt to show feigned tolerance over a religion whose God (Allah) "commands his followers to slay infidels wherever they find them, until Islam reigns supreme (2:191-193; 4:76; 8:39; 9:123; 47:4; 66:9)--only to emphasize that such violent conquest is obligatory, as unpleasant as that might seem (2:216), and that death in jihad is actually the best thing that can happen to a person, given the rewards that martyrs receive in Paradise (3:140-171; 4:74; 47:5-6)," as Sam Harris put it.
What it comes down to, for me, is that Islam may need a new brand identity that clearly divorces itself from the terrorists by promoting modern views of a less murderous interpretation of the Koran. Perhaps the majority of Moslems are peaceful people, but the terrorist voice is getting all the attention. Of course I cannot reduce the problem of Islam to a better brand campaign, but it surely wouldn't hurt.
This issue offers an opportunity to check in with your own beliefs and values because of its complex weave of the ideals of freedom of religion, multiculturalism, and humanity.
"The things that make us American are the things we make." Can you hear that awesome thumping music in the background? This Jeep 2011 Grand Cherokee commercial nailed the ideals that we are all striving for, the sweat and tears that made our nation great. I am in awe of what humans can create, from cars to bridges to airplanes. I am in awe that a company like Jeep could re-emerge and create great products again after only 18 months. I know they got money from us, but let's be honest, sometimes all the money in the world can't help people (and companies) that won't help themselves. As the New York Times reported on August 14, "The gloom over the American auto industry is starting to lift."
"This was once a country where people made things, beautiful things. And so it is again." Double dip recession, my arse.
From Saratoga to Slaughterhouse No More
I went to Saratoga this weekend to see the races, and my eyes lit up upon seeing the red, white and blue banners and red impatiens when I arrived at the racetrack on Friday. I loved Peter Whitney's tie, which had teeny tiny jockey caps on it, and what's his name's green seersucker suit. But what I loved most of all was getting to pet the horses.
Now, I haven't been to a horse race for a long time, and I started to get really upset. The poor horses, what do they get out of this? You might think, "Why can't Alona just let go for once?" Well, I am glad I did not, because after I expressed my views at the National Museum of Racing's 60th Anniversary Gala later that night, I was immediately introduced to an amazing woman. Her name is Diane Pikulski, and she runs the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. Founded by Monique S. Koehler, the TRF is devoted to the "rescue, retirement, rehabilitation and retraining of thoroughbred racehorses no longer able to compete on the track." I know we are an industrious nation, but the animals, the poor animals! An entire industry is built, for our entertainment, around these horses, many of whom run a single race before they lose and head for "retirement." And since there are many owners who didn't plan on losing, the TRF is providing a truly invaluable service. Their successful correctional facility program allows troubled horses and troubled men to heal together. The men help rehabilitate the horses and the horses rehabilitate the inmates.
Nothing is more American than a day out in Saratoga, except for a place that cares for animals like the TRF.