Men In Blue (States)

NYTimes covered a funeral for an Iraq War casualty today. Despite attendance by HRC, there were no quotes about the evil of the war or the meaninglessness of his death. Instead, the Times admitted that there's more to their city than, well, themselves.

Sergeant Engeldrum's funeral was a snapshot of New York, an old New York, which the pundits and the pollsters never seem to talk about. The American Legion was handing out American flags. Old men from the neighborhood lined up to take them. The fire hydrants were painted red, white and blue.

Respect for heroism is not a geographical thing; it's a class thing.