For whatever reason, airport strips are my favorite. I like Special Agent Johnson, I like the main character always getting arrested because his seemingly innocent mind wanderings turn into huge social upheavals…So just accept it, okay? Sweet.
We`re all familiar with the famous Benjamin Franklin quote. Apparently, he used it often. I am familiar with it being used in his memoirs. I don`t know if it`s his earliest use, and I won`t claim it is, but perhaps someone can point me in the right direction.
In his memoirs, he speaks specifically about the Boston Tea Party, and proposes (among other things) that Boston should make good on the tea destroyed, but that England should open the port of Boston to trade again and repeal the tea-duty act. Mr. Franklin also calls for all trade duties on the colonies to benefit the colonies.
Why would he ask for all trade duties to benefit the colonies if he earlier asks for duties to be repealed? In his memoirs, he remarks (in summary form) the quote above. Basically, he says that though he thinks the duties are wrong, they won`t be repealed. This is along the lines of the more radical “No Taxation without Representation!” rally we all probably remember from grade school. He is asking that, if duties must be collected, they at least benefit the colonies.
He doesn`t stop there, however — He continues to say that if a, “thorough and hearty reconciliation is wished … strict justice [must] be done”. To that end, Boston should repay for the tea and England should make good on its damages by opening and repairing the port of Boston and repealing all duties.
Then, he calls on Massachusetts to, “suffer all the hazards and mischiefs of war, rather than admit the alteration of their charters and laws by parliament,” closing with his famous words above.
Every time I stand in an airport, and see masses of people afraid of carrying anything suspicious-looking, afraid of acting “weird”, afraid of joking or even speaking their mind, all I can think is that we as a people have compromised with our own government for the sake of preventing those present bloodsheds and mischiefs of war. I don`t know what a thorough and hearty reconciliation would be in our case, but sometimes I feel like we the people are replacing an overseas, physically distant sovereignty with a socioeconomically distant sovereignty in our own capital. Instead, we should accept the consequences and seek a long-term solution.
But don`t trust me. Read for yourself. I`m probably way off base anyway. What do I know, right? I`m a cartoonist.