Gary's Third Pottery Blog

When the going gets tough, dragons gonna get going....

Gary's third pottery blog

WRITE TO ME! garyrith@yahoo.com Come see me! Open studio HERE! November 25-26 (11-4 each day); Aurora Art and Design, daily until 12/24; Cooperstown Art Assoc. daily until 12/24; Ellis Hollow Community Fair, 12/10; December 10, Little Red Wagon at the Space at Greenstar. All material on this blog unless stated otherwise is copyright Gary Edward Rith 2016

Friday, April 30, 2010

what makes America great????

Our village has about 300 people in it on the outskirts of the small city of Ithaca, often called the most liberal city in the US (Cambridge, Berkely and Madison are all at the top along with our Ithaca, right?).
We have no mail delivery, we are too small, but we have a PO. I once heard somebody say Pennsylvania is Pittsburg at one end and Philadelphia at the other with Alabama in the middle. And except for Ithaca, that sure feels true around here too: there are a lot of country people living in these hills.
So yesterday there is this old duffer propping up the counter at the PO jawing with the PO's only employee, saying "And I thought America was the greatest, but these liberals want to ruin it all, they should be lined up and shot".
They are gonna have to line me up and shoot me first.

ANYWAY, this guy literally does not represent the best of the US, I mean, he seemed unhealthy and ignorant and mean spirited. You want to say "its the lazy azz rednecks like you buddy that are bringing down the country" but I am not an arguier.

First, I don't know why the US has to be the best at anything. Who cares? We have a lot to be proud of though, as we do have more freedoms than most countries, and people DO have opportunities here. We are far from perfect, and if we realize that we have to change with the times, we can always work to be a better country.

What makes this country potentially the best, in my humble opinon, IS its diversity. People come here for a better life and work like heck for themselves and their families. That energy and hard working attitude is what has brought America so far, whether your ancestors are from Germany, Ireland, Africa or Mexico.

What do you think? Go to comments and leave a polite thought or two.

And dig these bowls of mine, I am getting a kick out of whacking some nice handles onto the sides.....




(bowls by Gary Rith)

Dig Motorhead. Fantastic video, like Spinal Tap but REAL!

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm glad you didn't argue with the dude at the post office... I'm all for freedoms, but *crazy* gun nuts worry me (especially the ones that have problems with individual freedoms). Bah!

I'm going to go with diversity too. One big gooey melting pot. :)

Very nice bowls/glazes, G! I love bowls with tweaked rims.

Anonymous said...

This is a dangerous topic to dip ones toe into. But here goes. I embrace the philosophy that there is enough to go around. I believe in expansiveness and inclusion rather that exclusivity and exclusion. (Damn, that was a lot a big words to put in one sentence). I also feel that the more one pushes against something, the stronger and more powerful it becomes. So the short answer is that I agree with you. Live and let live!

Liz said...

Not being American, I am not sure I should weigh in. I grew up an hour from the border, and until last year travelled across that border several times a year.I will just be my polite Canadian self and tell you a few things I love about America.
The entire state of Vermont.
Obama (he is HOT and smart!)
India says Gary is something to like about America!
Haystack Mountain School of Craft
The fact that you are all just next door and we can visit anytime, er once we get passports so we can get back in to Canada.

Busy Bee Suz said...

Love those bowls Gary.
I am far from liberal, but there is no way I could have a decent conversation with that guy. Ignorant is what he is.
I am all about diversity...that is what makes our country so wonderful.
I do hope that in the generations to come, we will have more people on board to be a ONE big UNITY type of country instead of divided.

Jay said...

It's amazing how we're all descendants of somewhere else, but we claim to be so much more awesome than everywhere else all the time. This whole American Exceptionalism thing gets to be ridiculous sometimes.

Unknown said...

Love those bowls! What a gorgeous colour glaze!!

Anonymous said...

HI Gary! Just peeking in from the WC and would like to say I like and agree with the post, love the pottery but Motorhead? Ehhhhh...not so much! To each their own and that is another reason America is a wonderful place but that right or wrong mentality has got to go, there is always room for improvement and we must move forward or get left behind. Have a wonderful weekend , I'm on the East Coast too so..you and the Mrs do something outstanding! Bramble

PS..Might those mugs come in a lovely shade of blue/green hues?!!!

Reverend Awesome said...

We are all from everywhere and we came here to be great and we are great. Not all of us, of course, but I would say that the greatness of most makes up for the suckiness of some.

Also, we're tough and we're always trying to be better as a Nation. At least, I see it that way. And sometimes we'll fail, but we come back and prove why we are what we are. Why people want to be here. Why when there is a problem people look to us to find a solution.

Cheryl said...

Gary for President!! And I love the bowls, pretty colors.

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I am a full-time studio potter, sculptor, and dog walker, married to superhawt Missus Tastycake.