I had to chuckle upon reading a letter in which the writer cautions the ever self-congratulating Ed Konecnik to be careful not to dislocate his shoulder while constantly patting himself on the back.
I had the same impression upon reading Konecnik’s voluminous letters describing his interpretation of freedom and liberty. As the writer stated, it would embarrass the Statue of Liberty and what she stands for.
You know, that old “give me your tired, your poor” thing. But what the heck, what does she know about freedom and liberty?
Konecnik seems to enjoy using faux-quotes to reinforce his views. Recently he attributed “Americans are so enamored with equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom” to Alexis de Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America.”
I prefer to think of America as being more in line with the sentiments of our lady in the harbor, who describes a kinder, more compassionate America, a “good” America.
To misquote yet another Tocqueville-ism, equally faux but far more soulful, “America is great because she is good and if America ever ceases to be good, she will also cease to be great.”
Arlene Philomena
Bayside
