Twenty-seven ago today I was one among a few hundred Technicolor-skinned and Babel-tongued immigrants who jammed into an enormous hall in Federal District Court in Brooklyn and recited the oath of citizenship. A candle-lighting has marked the occasion every year since.
Americana
From Romance to Hassle: For Younger Generations, the Car Runs Out of Rhymes
Love of the automobile seems to be the province of old guys, writes Steve Robinson, as expenses, carbon footprints and other means of staying in touch have made an anachronism of getting behind the wheel of a car simply to feel the wind in one’s hair.
Say Farewell to “Antiquated” Highway Call Boxes: Cell-Flush Florida Junks Them
The state Department of Transportation is removing all but a few of the 2,752 push button call boxes from along its highways as personal cell phones have reduced the need for the roadside phones. The removal, estimated to cost around $200,000, has already started.
At Yellowstone, a Cathedral of Peace Glories to the Very Best of America
At Yellowstone National Park, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with children of immigrants from many lands, and alongside those whose greatest hope is to become a U.S. citizen and claim ownership of a small piece of this wondrous landscape, it is impossible to fathom anyone declaring “Take Back America.”
When the New York Philharmonic Played the Star Spangled Banner in North Korea
In February 2008, the New York Philharmonic was invited to play in the North Korean capital. It was a remarkable concert. The rendition of the American national Anthem was one of its most moving moments.
Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering’s origins had plenty to do with the wily efforts of Elbridge Gerry, governor of Massachusetts in 1812, whose redistricting scheme ensured that Democrats would clobber Federalists in elections.