Some Welcome Perspective

It's very easy to get frustrated at political currents in the United States and our government's woeful response to events here and abroad. The most useful antidote to such frustration, I find, is to attend Ray Burton's Annual! Yes, friends, it was last night, and I feel better already.

For the uninitiated, Executive Councilor Ray Burton (R-Bath) is one of New Hampshire's five executive councilors. Unlike other tyrannical states, you see, we don't let our governor do anything! Not only do have a 400-member House, we also have a council - elected from five districts of equal population - that shares executive power. Each has a negative on the other, pretty much guaranteeing that the New Hampshire governorship has about as much power as Miss America. But I digress.

Every year (thus, 'the annual') Ray has a very informal party where his friends - political or not - come by, listen to old-timey bluegrass music, eat the Congregational Church's baked bean supper, and talk shop (before I forget, let me tell you that this year the band performed a bluegrass version of Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." If that's not the pinnacle of liberty, I have no idea what is).

Ray's "special guests" this year were three exchange students from Russia, who had traveled to the North Country of New Hampshire to learn about rural economics and government in America. Ray had in fact taken them on a tour of county government earlier in the day. I had a great time talking with them about the differences between their hometowns in rural Russia and small towns in America.

One of the biggest differences, they said, was the total lack of intermediate associations in Russia. They noticed that in just the Littleton area alone, there were Main Street groups, Chambers of Commerce, churches, Rotaries, PTAs, and the like. They were totally blown away by the fact that someone in Ray's position would have an informal baked-bean supper with his constituents. The economist of the group noted that the free association of so many people seemed to be a vital part of our successful business climate. That and the fact that we were all so gosh-darned friendly (it was sort of what I imagined De Tocqueville would have said)!

And I think that's precisely it: the annual is such a nice event because people aren't forced to be political partisans. It's ostensibly a Republican event, but there are always plenty of Democrats in the crowd and in reality there are no party lines. It's a welcome corrective to the larger world of Ann Coulters and Daily Kosses. Oh, and the potato salad is always really good.