Fourth of July (amended)

This day comes around every year, full of spectacle and national pride. That's right: the day of Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Now, I'm not too cynical to think that all of America is really invested in such an event. It symbolizes a gluttonous and bored society. Granted, these competitive eaters are in "traditional athletic condition" (or something to that effect) and have found a job at which they are successful and can apparently make a lot of money. That's the good part about capitalism, for them. What about us? It's hard to believe this gets much support but I guess there is a whole circuit of competitive eating: funnel cakes, ice cream, deep fried asparagus, clams... the list is as long as people are stupid. And these people make a LOT of money!

Well today a skinny white American male won for the third year in a row by eating a record-shattering 68 hotdogs in ten minutes. Awesome. And he looked an appropriate amount of miserable afterwards. I know where he's coming from though. In weaker moments, I have eaten inordinate amounts of bad food from a few cheap Chinese-food buffets, and I will probably do it again. But no one celebrates me for it.

I guess as long as people are finding reasons to be proud to be American, and no one is getting hurt, it's alright by me.

On the other end of the spectrum however, is the recent rise of domestic terrorism--something that was recently reported on NPR. The collision of a shitty economy and election of a half-black Democrat is just a lot for some crazy people to handle. This trend is up mainly within extreme right-wing circles, as unsurprising as that is to hear. So, groups of people that are generally characterized by nationalism and pride are going nuts because they feel like everything to which they have an inherent claim--perhaps instilled by God--is being threatened or has been stolen. The most chilling thing to realize is that white supremacy is alive and well in America. I'm not ignoring all the other racism, etc., that plagues other nations, but I'm reflecting on the U.S. of A.

Ok, sorry about the little tangent. Be safe this weekend. Happy Independence Day. Go be independent!