Gallop reports we’ve never been less proud to be Americans.
At the risk of editorializing, we should be proud to be Americans. Heading into Independence Day, we should celebrate our right to argue with each other on Facebook. Many parts of the world don’t have that luxury.
[Don’t actually blow things up, though. Texas is in a drought.]
The Gallup poll separated people into varying degrees of “proud.” The “extremely proud” level is at a record low, but if you add in the very and moderately proud, they account for 87% of us. We might be upset about the Supreme Court, Uvalde or the January 6 commission, but the country has adapted over time and regardless whether you agree or disagree with an issue, we shouldn’t take that ability for granted.
The Texas Secretary of State also explains only 67% of registered voters and 52% of the total voting age population participated in the last presidential election. Maybe the moderately proud among us or even the “not proud at all” might feel their government represents them better if they, you know, voted.
The editorial board here at 1 Scaianalysis Esplanade celebrates our freedom [and we vote]. You might feel disappointed just now, but let the professional fireworks shows blowing things up safely across Texas serve as a reminder of what we’ve accomplished long-term. We’re always evolving; if the United States stopped changing, that’d be a more troubling sign.
And what’s more American than the hot dog? The hot dog eating contest is evolving, too.
Loyal Scaiaholics will recall Curly’s Frozen Custard is the only location outside New York to host a hot dog eating contest approved by Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs. Pictured above is my competitor in the celebrity division a few years back. Even though she finished quicker, I was declared the winner of the radio division and still given a trophy. So Curly’s evolved, too.
And Curly’s continued to adapt. Even when the contest had to be cancelled during the pandemic, I was still declared victorious. I may never have, technically, eaten a hot dog faster than anyone there, but they were able to adjust and cook up a “radio” division so I could still take trophies home.
Since I have owned the radio division for so long [and I’m sure for that reason alone], the owner of Curly’s has decided against holding another contest. Instead of requiring you to eat 3 hot dogs as fast as you can in order to get them free, Curly’s will give out 200 free hot dogs when they open Monday at 11.
Giving people the freedom to eat hot dogs at their own pace on the Fourth of July is just the unprecedented action that can make us all hopeful for the future.
