Today's MOZEN: Extraordinary Times

F LoBuono

They say that these are not the best of times. But, theses are the only times we will ever know.
                                                                                                                                            Billy Joel

Some would not just agree with Mr. Joel's first sentence, they would take it a step further - these are the worst of times.  It seems that the gulf between Democrat and Republican, rich and poor, white and black seems to grow wider by the day. Most people say that they can't recall a time when Americans seemed so far apart in their vision for the future of this Country.

I'm not sure that I agree entirely.

Certainly, I am concerned with the acrimony that seems to permeate our every discussion today. People who disagree, argue not only with passion (which is OK) but vitriol (not OK), as well. I think all of us have, unfortunately, lost friends over some of these disagreements. That is very unfortunate and should be avoided whenever possible. However, this type of bickering, especially during the political season is NOTHING new! In fact, a certain amount of it might even be healthy (if we manage to keep it civil).

We have seen this type of vicious political infighting since the beginning of the Republic. And, it's not restricted to just the populace. Political figures have duked it out for as long as there has been such a thing as running for public office. Right now, the musical Hamilton, based on the extraordinary life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, is the toast of Broadway. Well, perhaps you may have forgotten that Hamilton, as a result of a series of perceived insults, was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr, the alleged aggrieved party. This, of course, is unacceptable if not understandable. If you care enough of about your cause, most are willing to fight for it. We may have put the pistols away but not the passion!

Besides, if you are near my age (61), you have witnessed some of the most extraordinary things in the history of this Country - both good and bad. We have seen men land on the moon and explore the very depths of the ocean. We have witnessed way too much war and far too less peace. We experienced the triumph of human engineering with the launch of the Space Shuttles and the devastation of the destruction of two of them. Diseases like polio and small pox have been virtually eradicated. And, we were appalled by the terror attacks of 9/11.

Yes, my friends, we are, in fact, living in EXTRAORDINARY TIMES.

We are just coming to the end of a most HISTORIC period in our Country's history - the conclusion of the administration of OUR FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT, Barack Obama. Think of it - a man of mixed race, a descendant of slaves, against all odds, rose to the position of the most powerful person on the planet. And, now, we are on the verge of something equally historic - the potential election of our FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT, Hillary Clinton. This may seem trifling to some but they are sorely mistaken. Remember, woman lagged behind slaves in gaining the right to vote. So, this is a VERY BIG DEAL.

These may be "the only times we'll ever know" but I, for one, will not make excuses for the time in which I have lived. In fact, I will do quite the opposite - I will tell young folks that they should be jealous to not have witnessed ALL of the miraculous things that I have.