7 December 2017
There are worse symptoms of insecure tribalism than school spirit or localist conceit. Genocide, slavery, and genital mutilation all come readily to mind, but localist conceit is one that has annoyed me for most of my life.
Growing up a navy brat I moved from the best little community in America to the finest little town there is to the greatest spot on Earth. Somehow they all were, and I knew that had to be ridiculous. Sure, most folks are comfy where they lived, that’s probably why they put up with it. But it didn’t necessarily make them any better than the folks in the next town.
Boston Strong? Boston Scared is more like it. The citizenry allowed themselves to be cowed by the local authorities, while they accomplished NOTHING (the suspect was found OUTSIDE their cordon) except stealing illegal guns and drugs from perfectly decent Beantowners. The strength? Sure, there was plenty of HUMAN strength rallied in the face of these pinheads’ depravity. It’s what humans do. They did it in Boston, they did it in Charleston, they did it in Las Vegas.
The Cincinnati Way? Quoting from a local video promo: “When the lunches are packed and the kids are off to school, we get down to the business of our day. It’s the Cincinnati Way.” Sure. And in Seattle and Savannah? Those slugs just go back to bed, I guess. Apparently, those cities were built accidentally.
The Aloha Spirit? Hawaii is indeed a beautiful place, and it holds many amazing attractions, including the Aloha Spirit, but there is nothing uniquely Hawaiian about the Aloha Spirit except its name. Again, as a navy brat, I encountered the Aloha Spirit in Maine and Connecticut and Oregon, too. Of course, there they didn’t make such a big fuss over the name. In fact, if they thought it was worth mentioning at all, they called it kindness, generosity, or just plain decency.