07/05/22 This is us. – Radically Rational

07/05/22 This is us.

I love this country. I will not give up. I couldn’t if I wanted to. I’m just not wired that way.

But neither will I sugarcoat this. It’s broken.

We couldn’t even get to noon on the Fourth of July without doing what is quintessentially modern American thing—hosing down innocent strangers with an implement designed for one purpose only—killing as many humans as efficiently as possible and as quickly as possible.

However you choose to describe this, don’t’ call it an aberration. No. This IS now America.

It’s broken. I pray it’s repairable. Facts make me doubtful.

You want American symbolism on “Independence Day”? You just saw it.

I love the Fourth of July. It’s my deal. It always has been. To me, it has always represented who we truly are.

Sadly, it still does. Now more than ever.

The Fourth has always been my favorite day. Summer is my favorite time.

I just heard “Hot Fun in the Summertime.” It’s my anthem. I’m a summer baby. Now, complete with tears.

This is not an aberration. This is now who we truly are.

I will never give up. I couldn’t if I wanted to.

But no more denial.

This is us.

It is broken.

We have betrayed our promises. To ourselves. To each other. To the truth.

This happened because we somehow redefined sacred principles of freedom as mere hedonistic selfishness and blind hatred of “the other.”

Spare me the, “Yeah, but despite all of this, we are still the greatest country on Earth,” crappola. We were. Perhaps we can be again. For those of you who want to keep trying, I will stand shoulder to shoulder with you.

But right now we suck out loud. And we must all own it.

Don’t tell me today was an “aberration.” It was an accurate description of who we currently are.

We blew it. Because we got fat, stupid and selfish and decided to create God in our ridiculous image.

A nation loses its greatness when it loses sight of what made it great in the first place. Hint; it was neither autocracy nor theocracy.

Why do people keep referring to these events as “random” acts of violence?

There’s not one random thing about any of them.

And “senseless”? These things make all the sense in the world to the monsters who commit them.

Further evidence of the depths of our denial.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Paul's Bio

I clearly have the attention span of your median fruit fly.Look! Airplane!

Sorry. I’m back.

It’s both a curse and a blessing. I’ve never bought this stuff about, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But I do think that a wide range of life experiences helps us grow as people, and helps us better relate to other people. I’ve been fortunate. And I am beyond grateful.

I show up on time. I go like hell. I’m a good listener. I hold myself accountable. I own my mistakes. And I have a natural and an insatiable curiosity. I’m never afraid to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t. But then I try to find out.

The flip side is I’m a lousy ballroom dancer and my clothes sometimes fit me funny.

Stuff matters to me. I care. But while I take that stuff seriously, I try hard to never take myself seriously. As a result, I have sometimes been told, “Paul, it’s hard to tell when you’re serious and when you’re just having some fun. Which is it? Serious or fun?”

My answer is “yes.” But I think that is a legitimate criticism. I promise I’m going to work on that.

This has been the quickest and strangest half-century I’ve ever experienced. During that period, I’ve been afforded amazing opportunities in news and sports journalism across all platforms. I have taught wonderful students at the high school and collegiate level. Always, I learned more from them than they did from me. I’ve been a high school administrator. I spent ten seasons as a high school varsity football coach. I’ve been an advertising executive. I’ve hosted nationally syndicated television entertainment shows. In maybe the biggest honor I ever received, I was selected by NASA to be “Chet The Astronaut” for the “Land The Shuttle” simulator at Space Center Houston. (All I can say there, is “Do as I say, not as I do.” I put that thing in the Everglades more often than not.) Most recently, I just wrapped up a decade as a television news director, during which time our teams distinguished themselves in holding the powerful accountable, achieving both critical and ratings success.

What does all that mean? It means I am profoundly grateful. It also means I’m ready for “next.” So here we are. Radically Rational. It’s an idea I woke up with in 2017. I scribbled “Radically Rational” on a piece of notebook paper and used a magnet to stick it on our refrigerator. I saw it every day, and it just would not leave me alone.

I am second in charge at Radically Rational, LLC. My wife, Jo (also known as BB), is the president. Clearly, I have failed in my attempt to sleep my way to the top of this organization.

I hope you will learn that I’m loyal as a Labrador. But I will admit that this doggie can bite every now and then. My promise to you? I will show up on time. I will go like hell. I will listen to you earnestly and attentively. I will hold myself accountable. I will never be the least bit hesitant to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t.

But then I’ll try to find out. Let’s do it.