“Soul Man” is a 1967 song written and composed by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, first successful as a number 2 hit single by Atlantic Records soul duo Sam & Dave, which consisted of Samuel “Sam” Moore and David “Dave” Prater.
A Mocca man in a wigwam sitting on a Reservation.
With a big black hole in the belly of his soul
Waiting on an explanation
While the white man sits on his fat can
And takes pictures of the Navajo
Every time he clicks his Kodak pics
He steals a little bit of soul.
Every time he clicks his Kodak pics
He steals a little bit of soul.—John Prine, Picture Show
You’re my soul and my life’s inspiration—Righteous Brothers
Joe Biden says he is a candidate for President to restore the soul of the nation. He’s a soul man. But first he must navigate through the Democratic primary process that features 20 other qualified candidates who would also say they would restore some soul.
So how did America’s soul become diminished? It starts with electing a bombastic xenophobic authoritarian who thinks he can run the country like he ran his businesses. You know who. But it is not all his fault. Candidate Hillary made a mistake by characterizing Trump supports as “deplorables”. The Dems also took the upper Midwest for granted. Big mistake. Hopefully not one that will be repeated in 2020.
James Comey says Trump eats the soul of those around him. Trump is a soul man. Rather a soul-eating man. I visualize a Hannibal Lecter character who bragged about eating the liver of one of his victims while enjoying a glass of chianti. Yuck.
Finally I wonder about our educational system. About whether or not “civics” is still a required subject in school. Do people know about the three co-equal branches of government? Do they realize that the Congress (Article 1) has the power of the purse and oversight over the Executive (Article 2)? Have they studied the meaning of the constitutional amendments? I wonder.
American exceptionalism derives not from our vast economic or military power. Historically other countries have displayed strong economies and military might. Our uniqueness derives from the vision of our founders of a nation of laws with checks and balances. After the constitutional convention Benjamin Franklin was asked what form of government was created. His answer: A republic, if you can keep it. The soul of America is a republic, not a dictatorship. Let us keep it.
Bad Randall 