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2010
Soap Box Archives
I haven’t seen the new Sylvester Stallone movie, The Expendables, so this column is by no means a review of it but a comment on an attitude that seems to exist among a segment of the population who consider themselves the elite, the enlightened, a little brighter than the rest of us. Those who tend to stand at a distance and pity us grunts who do not measure up to their highbrow standards. They seem to think that they know what’s best for us, whether we agree or not. They never toil in the trenches, never get their hands dirty and think any disagreement with their opinions to be gross and ill informed. In other words they’re snobs and probably some of the most boring people on the planet. The Los Angeles times recently published a review of the new Stallone picture written by one Steven Zeitchik. This is direct quote from the piece. “On one hand it’s understandable that a movie of easy American heroism (OK first-world Western heroism) would catch on. In fact it’s surprising it didn’t happen sooner. Apple-pie-patriotism already is behind the success of cable news network and supports large sections of the contemporary country music industry. Why not a hit film too?” Yes, why not, Mr. Zeitchik? What you so glibly refer to, as “apple-pie-patriotism” is the only reason you’re able to sit in your ivory tower and pontificate about the uncultured, great unwashed. It’s what kept the Nazis from murdering every Jew on the face of the earth and flying a swastika over the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. And what made those Americans on that plane on 9/11 storm the cockpit and crash it into a field in Pennsylvania instead of the White House or some densely populate area? What you’re calling apple-pie-patriotism. You guys just can’t get over the fact that Fox News has come on the scene and created some real competition for your “think alikes” at the networks can you? Face it, Mr. Zeitchik, people get tired of hearing just one side of the news, and guess what, the trend is growing and will continue to. Have you checked the ratings lately? Oh and by the way, you probably know less about country music and the folks who love it than a hog knows about an airplane. But if you’d like, (and I mean this in the most amiable of ways) come on down to Nashville and let me take you to the Grand Ole Opry and show you a real piece of Americana that has lasted for 85 years. But I’ll have to warn you in advance, Mr. Zeitchik, you’re apt to have to put up with a whole bunch of apple-pie-patriots. But let me thank you for one thing… I thank you for inventing the term; I think it’s very descriptive. Long live apple-pie-patriotism! What do you think? Pray for our troops, and for our country. God Bless America Charlie Daniels |