Appalled is too mild a world. Mortified doesn't adequately say it, either. As a Founding Father and wordsmith of the 1700s, I am actually at a loss for words. The violence I see here in your present day world is absolutely shocking. And what makes it even more ridiculous is the length of time that Congress has been diddling around, refusing to enact any meaningful legislation to stem this horrible tide of random shootings. As a time traveler, I've had the unique opportunity to be able to observe not only the happenings in this present day 21st century, but also to read up on past events — your "recent" history, dating back several decades or more. And the horrible truth is, people simply are not learning from past mistakes. The saying that "if you do not know your history, you are doomed to repeat it" is unfortunately coming true at an increasingly and frighteningly frequent rate. One shooting seems to beget another, and another, and another. And Congress is doing nothing to stop it! I actually discovered another old example of what you call a "television" program from nearly 50 years ago which beautifully illustrates this shameful pattern. I invite you to click on the picture below to watch two famous storytellers of that period, Messrs. Rowan and Martin, as they bestow a special award upon Congress for its cowardice and inactivity. My greatest fear is that it will ultimately take another, even more tragic event involving additional loss of lives in the next year or so to finally wake everybody up to the dangers of not responding to this growing threat of gun madness.
Your humble servant, B.Franklin Watching a few of these things you modern people call "television shows," I have come to one conclusion: there seems to be a lot of interest in a dramatic technique called "dream sequences."
After a bit of Ben binge viewing, I noticed that nearly every program, when it begins running out of good story ideas, very often resorts to fantasy. Some of this is quite entertaining, I will admit. But as a writer myself, back in the 1700s, I can tell you this much: it's definitely a sign of the well running dry when you see the main characters engaging in all sorts of shenanigans and absurdities, simply because there are fewer and fewer "reality" topics worth pursuing. One program in particular, "Always Sunny in Philadelphia," is a veritable embarrassment to those like myself who call Philadelphia home. In each and every episode, the five inhabitants of a very peculiar establishment called Paddy's Pub figure out every vice, every depravity, and every selfish, imprudent act known to mankind... and then go out and engage in those very same acts themselves. Their lack of common sense and morality is so all-encompassing, you simply have to laugh at how low they will sink to gain an advantage over their so-called friends. If I were to create a dream sequence starring yours truly, set in my beloved home town of Philadelphia, and featuring this gang of ridiculous ruffians, I can assure you that it would be more of a nightmare sequence in which their buffoonery and narcissistic behavior would have me tearing my hair out (what little I have remaining, that is, below the large bald spot) over the foolhardiness demonstrated by these immature simpletons on a regular basis. What has Philadelphia sunk to? What has America sunk to? That is a very scary thought. Your humble servant, B.Franklin |
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January 2021
CategoriesAuthorWriter, diplomat, scientist, philanthropist, printer, inventor, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America...and a time traveler, too! |