Card-carrying or not?

The other day, I was flipping through the junk mail and realized that one of the envelopes was from the ACLU. So I opened it and was reading through it and suddenly realized - I am not a member of the ACLU. WHY???

I mean, one of my favorite quotes is from The American President where Andrew Shepherd says, "For the record: yes, I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU. But the more important question is why aren't you, Bob? Now, this is an organization whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question: Why would a senator, his party's most powerful spokesman and a candidate for President, choose to reject upholding the Constitution? If you can answer that question, folks, then you're smarter than I am".

What's wrong with me that I did not join this organization? Sometimes, I feel that I have failed the version of my self that grew up in the 60's and went to college in the 70's. Though I suppose I have not betrayed that self as much as some others of my age group. At least, I'm not a Republican (shudder!).

So, now I am a member of the ACLU. Not card-carrying - but only because I have not yet gotten a membership card.

Yes, Russ, you are a member, too.

Why aren't you, Bob?


I thought this was an appropriate photo: the interior of the dome in Thomas Jefferson's Rotunda at UVA.