July 4, 2008 12:01 AM
Long Time Passing
You'll note that this is a significant departure from my normal work. Every Friday from now until the convention, and every day during the DNC, I'll be doing a new feature I call "Long Time Passing." Those of you old enough to remember the folk music craze of the sixties will get the reference. If you're under forty, ask your parents. It's a serialized graphic blog (it's too short to call it a graphic novel), generally (but not entirely) a musing about the coming of the Democratic National Convention to Denver. I hope you'll enjoy it.
July 4, 2008
3:44 AM
momma y writes:
Best work yet. I'll probably disagree with you later on. For today, you do well and celebrate the American of the people, not the politicians. Missed you when you were gone. (Extreme Conservative Republican here.)
July 4, 2008
9:12 AM
Pointed^ writes:
I remember the late 60s in college. But does the inquisitor of the serialized blog remember? DNC, change, promise... OR ...staged events with staged people, free speech people remotely located, removed, or hit with smart weapons. Yes, look to history and learn from history.
July 5, 2008
7:37 AM
Samsmargolis writes:
"We'll commemorate the real meaning of the fourth in August, when the Democrats come to town to name a candidate for President."
The Democratic National Convention is the real meaning of the 4th of July celebration? Delayed by a month and change? Darn. Here I was taught, and thought, that the real meaning behind the 4th of July celebration was the thirteen original colonies declaring their independence "from all allegiance to the British Crown."
OK, so now you need to enlighten us about the Cinco de Mayo holiday. It's really not about the Mexican army defeating the French on the 5th of May is it, Ed? C'mon, big guy. Give it up. What's it really all about? Huh? Huh?
July 5, 2008
8:56 AM
Pointed^ writes:
Hear Hear! Sam says it!
July 5, 2008
10:43 AM
hmmm writes:
What the crap you guys? The reason the founders fought the British is because they didn't want to be under the control of a monarchy. They valued democracy, and what Ed's saying is that July 4th commemorates the victory of democracy over tyranny, and that the real process of our democracy begins in August. Why do you have to turn everything into an evil, polarized, political mess? If a conservative wrote this cartoon with the RNC instead of DNC, you'd be celebrating it. Get a life!
July 5, 2008
12:10 PM
Samsmargolis writes:
Dear hmmm:
Perhaps you and your good buddy Ed need to revisit your history to get your story straight. You see, the Declaration of Independence, celebrated on the 4th of July, has nothing to do with "the real process of our democracy." All of the "real process" is discussed in the Constitution of the United States, which is celebrated (well, not really) on Constitution Day, or September 17th. The Constitution wasn't written for more than a decade after the Declaration of Independence. I know! Whoa! That document discusses all the various articles and amendments that we now use to do silly things like...oh, I don't know, elect Presidents and so on. I know all those icky dates and documents get rather confusing - 'specially for the artsy types - but, what the heck? If you're going to wistfully dream and color for the masses, you should at least try to get your references correct. PS - if a conservative wrote this cartoon, they wouldn't be so pompous as to believe the real meaning behind the 4th of July is a political party's convention.
July 5, 2008
1:45 PM
Ted in Vegas writes:
Well, it just goes to show the difference between Demonrat Ed and Republican me.
I set aside my partisanship to celebrate the country and life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
On the other hand, Ed puts party before country...
How sad.
July 5, 2008
1:45 PM
Ted in Vegas writes:
Oh, and to thank God for what He gave us!
July 5, 2008
2:42 PM
ED STEIN writes:
Congrats, hmmm. You get the cigar for getting it right. Everyone else, listen up. First, turn the partisanship detector down from ultrasensitive to normal. If the Republican convention were being held in Denver instead of the Dems, I'd have written the same cartoon, the point of which was simply that the election of our leaders by the people is the signal achievement of America, and I celebrate it as the real accomplishment of the founding of this country, which (we can debate the historical record, but the fact is) we celebrate on the Fourth of July. It may well be that the conventions these days are canned advertisements, but they're ads for something really special--the peaceful change in governments, directed by the governed. It's evident in my work that I prefer the Democratic Party's arguments to those of the Republicans, but I love the process, whoever wins. This was NOT a partisan cartoon.
July 5, 2008
3:41 PM
Samsmargolis writes:
Nice rationalization, Ed. Hmmm didn't get it right anymore than you got it right. Pretend as you will, but the real meaning of the 4th celebrations has been, and always will be, our declaration of independence and birth of a nation. Nothing more, nothing less. No reasonable person can believe your explanation knowing your leanings and reading the comments in the following pane. I know what you were trying to say...you just didn't say it very well. And, besides, I enjoy pulling your chain a little on occasion...so, shame on me, too.
July 6, 2008
7:50 PM
Point of Order writes:
Free Speech Test
July 6, 2008
9:02 PM
occasionalreader writes:
All you folk song army veterans (cf. Tom Lehrer)need to get back together. As the song went, you all hate poverty, war and injustice, unlike the rest of us squares.
August 29, 2008
11:51 PM
LC NELSON writes:
I stumbled upon Stein's work tonight when I was trying to find out the score of the Cardinals v Bronco pre-season game. What great work. I plan on telling my friends about your work. i was 12 y/o in 1968, two of my brothers were in Vietnam or just heading there. They were part of the Idaho National Guard 116th Engineer Battalion, volunteered by the Republican Governor, Don Samuelson.