A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
[Update 28 October 2005: Now that we top the charts at Google for this phrase, it seems appropriate that we provide the original lyrics to the theme song from MisterRogers' Neighborhood — see below.]
I had a moment earlier when I was a bit gloomy and reflecting on how uncivilized Americans and American politics seems to be these days. Part of it, no doubt, is that I am easily comfirmed to be an old fart, and old farts always think that civility has declined and civilization as we know it is going to hell in a handbasket.* (Actually, civilization isn't doing all that badly so far as I can tell, but it's a particularly dark moment with all the christian fascists trying to run things.)
It seems like every other day for the last six weeks we've seen announcement that "Frist may Go Nuclear as Early as Next Week", but we note that he's managed not to for many weeks. What's that all about?
It seems to be another manifestation of the political terrorism embodied in the ever colorful DHS color-coded terrorism alert system. You may remember that. There was never anything we were supposed to do about it, but occasionally (generally driven by how much cover the administration needed because some other policy was going badly) the color would move redder, just to keep us on our toes and feeling good about maybe being threatened.
Much like Frist's continuing threat to "go nuclear". Once he's done it, there's not much left. All the anticipation will have been actualized and the Senate will be back to having to appear to accomplish something for a change. Like good sex, the "nuclear option" is all about anticipation. There's no more mileage to be gotten out of the threat once it's exercised.
But whither the civility of public discourse? It's much too facile if I decided just to blame it on the Republicans' capturing all the political majorities in the government and being bad winners. I think it's something bigger that makes them more a consequence than a cause, an indicator, an irritating red-state litmus strip of evil forces that, once held in check, have been released.
I read some off-hand remark today that set my train of thought in motion and led me to the following startling conclusion:
America's greatest period of peace and social and economic prosperity was caused by Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
"Mister Roger's Neighborhood" was first broadcast on what would become PBS in 1968. Sure, the effect wasn't immediate, but the calming influence set in very quickly. It took time to work through Vietnam, Nixon, inflation, gas crises, etc., but the turmoil of the 60s began settling down right from the beginning.
Things were finally going quite well, and then, unfortunately, Fred Rogers died in 2003 at the age of 74. Things just haven't been the same since, and are only getting worse.
Do we now all have to sing "It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood…", or can we find a way to return to the orignal lyrics?#
———-
* "…to hell in a handbasket" is a fascinating phrase, and I haven't been able to guess yet at it's origins. It seems obvious that it's a corruption of some nearby sounding phrase (what do handbaskets have to do with hell?), and I've conjectured that "handbasket" is a corruption of "handcar" (as used in coal mining), but I'd really like to hear something more definite.
# "Won't you be my Neighbor" was written by Fred McFeely Rogers in 1967; these are the original lyrics:
It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor,
Would you be mine? Could you be mine?It’s a neighborly day in this beautywood,
A neighborly day for a beauty,
Would you be mine? Could you be mine?I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you,
I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.So let’s make the most of this beautiful day,
Since we’re together, we might as well say,
Would you be mine? Could you be mine?
Won’t you be my neighbor?Won’t you please, won’t you please,
Please won’t you be my neighbor?