“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” – Marcellus, Hamlet- Act I, Scene 4, Line 90
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Marcellus, a royal guard, says the line above to Horatio. Similarly, the historian Suetonius recorded the Roman Emperor Nero was responsible for a fire that burned the capital city of Rome and that he watched it from a tower while playing a ‘fiddle’ and singing about the destruction of Troy.
It is clear to me, as I hope it is to any who read these words that the sentiments of Shakespeare and Suetonius ring true for modern day America. There is something rotten in the very heart of this great republic, and our leaders stand by heming and hawing, but not making things better- they stand by as the very state and its people waste away. To me, this is unacceptable.
So this is my answer. A blog- as small an answer as one could imagine. But I want to get my ideas out there. I want someone to start talking about the truth, rather than an angle or spouting rhetoric, and real solutions instead of quick fixes. The story of America is one of a refusal to be written off and a body politic that will rise up to effect change before being cast into the night. I hope to invoke some of the spirit of my idealism out into the world and have it taken up by someone or many who can start thinking and then, start acting.
First, let me lay out my qualifications for making judgments. I have been a student of political science, history, and law for 13 years. I have a B.S. in Political Science from Hofstra University where I graduated Magna Cum Laude. I focused on domestic policy with a minor in Middle Eastern history. I had advanced studies is social policy and the history of social movements in the United States. I have a Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law where I graduated Cum Laude after beginning my studies at Hofstra University School of Law. In 2006, I ran for the Maryland House of Delegates from District 37B. In 2010, I managed the campaign of a State Senate candidate from District 37. I volunteered for the 2004 Kerry campaign and the 2008 Obama campaign. I have had numerous internship opportunities including with Kenneth Schisler and Richard Colburn, and a semester with the Committee for Education Funding. I had worked and interned at all levels of government: federal, state, and local. I have studied extensively on my own time on a plethora of topics and have spent the last 10 years preparing my treatise on reforming the American government and system. I feel confident in saying I know what I am talking about and what follows is the result of all of my experience and knowledge in politics and government.
This blog will be wide ranging. I will address topics of my book in depth, I will address developing news stories, I will cover general civics and government lessons that I think all should be aware of, and as things progress, I will also recommend books and movies which I have read or seen, and I think others should read or see. I will try to give a fair and balanced critique, but I will of course be coming from my own progressive leanings.
All writings hereafter are the intellectual property of myself, unless otherwise acknowledged, they are copyrighted, and all rights are reserved for myself. For use outside of direct, accredited quotation, please contact me.
I want to stress this above all else: We have problems, that is certain. But no one, least of all me, is saying its time to give up. Let's acknowledge those problems and address them so we can move on. I still believe we can turn it all around and achieve true greatness again.
