Dev Patel in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
This weekend, my wife and I saw a film starring Judi Dench
that is something of a Slumdog
Millionaire tailored for an older audience.
If you are in that “over sixty” crowd, this movie is for you.
The plot features Dev Patel working to create a magical
experience for guests of a rundown hotel in Jaipur, India. The street scenes and characters make this a
delightful experience, and Dev Patel is the consummate promoter of
positivism. He makes you feel welcome!
I use this vantage point to contrast the welcome shown in
the city of Jaipur with that displayed in the American city of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
Last week, Mitt
Romney came to West Philadelphia to highlight problems in education for the
upcoming presidential election. He was met
by a street protest organized by the Democratic Party. The protest was designed to showcase how
inappropriate it is for a Republican to make an appearance in Philadelphia.
Keep in mind that “City of Brotherly Love” is the nickname
for Philadelphia. Surprisingly, that
sentiment does not apply to those of us who are Republicans.
While the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
of the United States were both conceived in Philadelphia, the spirit of these
documents seems to have been lost. If
you are a Republican, Mayor Michael Nutter lets you know you are not welcome in
Philadelphia.
Are you struck by the incongruity?
How about Chicago?
You might remember the iconic
poem by Carl Sandburg. It is a
defiant piece of work that epitomizes the resilience of a people and a city. Contrast that with our
current picture of Chicago.
Does anything seem incongruous?
Here in Colorado, we’ve got a Congressman
in a bit of political hot water over a statement characterizing president
Obama as not having the true feelings of an American. The point is that president Obama, as head of
the Democratic Party, sees Chicago and Philadelphia through the eyes of Bill Ayers
and Michael Nutter, not from the perspectives of Carl Sandburg and Benjamin
Franklin.
Which is the right direction? Is it more important to honor our American heritage
or to extend the power and authority of the Democratic Party?
In November, we will get to decide.
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