The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Podcast: I Feel Snitty Episode 204: How the Dicks Stole Independence (Day) Premiere Date: 7/9/2022 Length: 4:41 (755 words) Link: https://ifeelsnitty.podbean.com/e/how-the-dicks-stole-independence-day/ Transcript:  Welcome to I Feel Snitty , episode 204, entitled, “How the Dicks Stole Independence (Day).” I’m your host, Craig Rozniecki.   So, we celebrated the 4 th of July this past week. Well, I say “we,” but not to be a Craiggy Downer, I didn’t do much celebrating. As a matter of fact, looking back, I can’t remember myself ever celebrating the true meaning of July 4 th .   As a kid, never did I sit back and reflect on all the freedoms I took for granted or how I was blessed with them. I just liked to blow shit up and see other people blow shit up. As a teenager, not once did I give thanks to all those before me who fought, and often times sacrificed their livelihoods, for my rights. No, I just liked blowing shit up and watching other people blow shit up. As a...

The latest episode of my podcast ("I Feel Snitty"), entitled "How the Dicks Stole Independence (Day)," is now available! Here's a brief description of it: In this episode, I light up and then explode at the Republican Party for ruining the 4th of July, bigly. The show can be heard here. - https://ifeelsnitty.podbean.com/e/how-the-dicks-stole-independence-day/

Time with friends and family, barbecues, music, and blowing sh*t up. What wasn't there to like about the 4th of July growing up? I especially liked lighting the fireworks in the street and then walking back, feeling all cool, like I had just done something profound. As I entered middle school, high school, and college, I became increasingly more likely to watch free fireworks shows, let other people do the lighting, and actually take into account what the holiday represented. I mean, honestly, when we were kids, how often did we actually associate the 4th of July with this country's independence? That brings me to this year's celebration, if you want to call it that. While "President" Trump was able to hold a waste-of-bigly-money parade and prove he didn't know history during his speech, I, like a lot of Americans, I think, felt an unseeming sadness when all the fireworks were going off. The holiday is supposed to celebrate our independence, our freedom, wh...

One thing I've noticed as I age is that holidays tend to lose that spark they once had. It's still highly enjoyable to get together with family over Thanksgiving and Christmas, tell stories, share a few laughs, eat way too much food, drink a bit too heavily, and reflect on life (hopefully not while eating or drinking too much). Over the years, though, perhaps partially due to repetition, a loss of naivete, and reality slowly overtaking one's dreams, many such annual celebrations lose the magic they once possessed. This is especially the case around Christmas. I can remember my younger brother and I staying up all night on Christmas Eve, not being able to sleep due to the excitement we felt about the following morning. Without bothering to bathe or change out of our pajamas, we'd jump out of bed as soon as an adult started walking around the house, would dart for the Christmas tree, and start unwrapping presents at light-speed. After a few years, that level of excitement...

In light of the Supreme Court's Citizen's United ruling, as well as their recent Hobby Lobby ruling (and other such decisions), and as we're about to celebrate Independence Day, I think it's about time we update our Declaration of Independence so that it's a more accurate reflection of contemporary society. Here is how the most well known portion should probably read: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all corporations are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Yeah, that sounds more like it... http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/