The Bench

Here's a reason why it's important for strong, independent voices in the local media -- keywords here being strong and independent. Where else would someone point out the obvious that's been right under our noses?

Bob Dyer's column in Tuesday's Akron Beacon Journal describes a battle of benches in Clinton's Vietnam Memorial, specifically Akron's contribution. If you haven't seen the story, take the time to read it now. Take another minute to see the picture, which tells a thousand words by itself.

Imagine, as Bob notes, dozens of marble and granite benches bearing quotations of leadership, sacrifice and patriotism matched to Akron's entry -- bearing the name of the Mayor.

According to the article, the ball was dropped on South High Street by the high-thinking political types who must have imagined small-town Clinton was looking for the same thing we tolerate everyday driving into the City, passing parks and recreation areas. We've become numb to the flowering of the political name brand on the things owned by the taxpayers; we expect to see Don Plusquellic, or Don Robart, or Don Kuchta (in my neck of the woods) plastered on every entryway to the 'burg. The Man has his stamp of approval on a city or town or village as is royalty bestowed upon him the privilege of ruling the fiefdom rather than the citizens casting a vote.

Maybe it's time to deflower the process.

Does Ohio really need to change signs every four to eight years to reflect the new dog in the Governor's office? Why do cities need to spend a dime of public money, or a minute of public worker time, making sure all the parks, byways, paths and city limit signs bear the name of the Great One, no matter which Great One is in office? How is it we tolerate this type of behavior in a nation where "We the People" start our Declaration of Independence from the slavish fealty to the elite?

Isn't Akron -- and Ohio -- worth more than providing a cheap local example of what it must be like to live in North Korea, where Kim Il fill-in-the-blank holds total power?

The difference between here and there is here we elect the elite to rule so long as they follow a few basic rules which provide the appearance "they" really are more like "us". Dyer's column provides a reminder it is still up to us to remind "them" that "we" are still in charge.

We've All Been There

There's been plenty said today on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day but by far the funniest clip on such a somber occasion is the New York Post piece catching former President Bill Clinton snoozing away during a chuch service in the Big Apple.

Headline: "Bill Has A Dream".

You've GOT to watch this one...even though it takes awhile to settle down and properly buffer.

To be fair Bill's not the young man he used to be -- but the shot of him waking up to check his watch is worth an extra snicker. Just how these candidates (and former candidates) manage to NOT do this more often is a constant wonder to me; at the very least it should be considered cruel and unusual punishment to put anyone who's had to sit through a State of the Union from these guys to endure a speech from anyone without a proper nap.

Thanks to the NY Post for the photo, too.