Greetings, fellow readers! With election day nigh and early American literature at the forefront of my mind, I've been thinking a lot lately about that old motto of the revolution, no taxation without representation . . . only for some reason, I wrote "no taxation without defenestration." This struck me as insanely funny, defenestration being one of the English language's grossly underused words. Therefore, I decided to look up the history of the word, and I came across this delightful Wikipedia article concerning the Defenestrations of Prague, whereby unfortunate members of the city council fell out of favor and the window. I can't imagine why this practice ever fell out of fashion.
Then I got to thinking about some of the major grievances the American colonists had concerning taxation, first among them the tax on tea and stamps. I don't think this resonates with many other people today, but to me, the idea of taxing two of the products on which I spend the majority of my income is horrifying in the extreme. I drink about three cups of tea per day and send anywhere from five to ten letters per week. This behavior no doubt means I have more in common with Americans of the past, who were, in fact, British, than with my contemporaries; however, I will say this: I cannot imagine possessing the fortitude required to abstain from tea and stamps to make a political statement.
This may be indicative of weakness and lack of adherence to ideals on my part, but I seriously doubt I would have the presence of mind to follow through with such a resolution. There are few things I consider worth the fight; for my part, I'd much rather solve the problem with defenestration.
There's my version of a modest proposal for you!
Until next time,
Anna
P.S. I realize this post wasn't very much about books, but rest assured, I am busy reading away and will have more updates for you soon.
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