There's a bar in San Francisco called the 21st Amendment, after the repeal of Prohibition. I'm happy--a business named after part of the Constitution.
It made me think about what a Constitution bar would be like--sort of like a sports bar only a gathering place for people to get together and drink and watch the latest events in constitutional law.
If there was a contested controversial Constitutional amendment, like the Equal Right Amendment (for women) or a gay marriage ban that got somewhere, and it got down to the place where one more state legislature passing it would make it law, you could have sports-like coverage to watch in the Constitution bar.
"Now, like the the statehouse in Burlington Vermont, coverage of the twenty-something amendment--will they or won't they?"
The constitution bar concept does seem to have limits. Stuff doesn't happen every week or even every month. Though I suppose you could have a cop-ride-along show totally focussed on constitutional rights in that context.
Human on the street interviews about things that might involve the constitution is a possibility.
When big stuff happened, I could certainly get into going down to the old constitution bar and cheering and booing the screen. To prevent fisticuff, you might need liberal and conservative constitution bars. With sports bars, things work out because people usually root for the town team, but opinions on the constitution, what's good and what's bad, aren't as regional as sports allegiance. And are more serious, so people might not sit next to people rooting the other way in the best good humor.
--I found out about the 21st Amendment bar from the guide to neighborhoods in San Francisco and San Mateo that the Examiner put out today. It's good. I'm learning stuff. It's easy to read. It seems to be going mostly straight to trash, recycling or the gutter, which is understandable given the Examiner's uneven quality control, but I like it. Easy, informative, and there. If I ever read the part about, for example, Redwood City, I'll really be learning.
It made me think about what a Constitution bar would be like--sort of like a sports bar only a gathering place for people to get together and drink and watch the latest events in constitutional law.
If there was a contested controversial Constitutional amendment, like the Equal Right Amendment (for women) or a gay marriage ban that got somewhere, and it got down to the place where one more state legislature passing it would make it law, you could have sports-like coverage to watch in the Constitution bar.
"Now, like the the statehouse in Burlington Vermont, coverage of the twenty-something amendment--will they or won't they?"
The constitution bar concept does seem to have limits. Stuff doesn't happen every week or even every month. Though I suppose you could have a cop-ride-along show totally focussed on constitutional rights in that context.
Human on the street interviews about things that might involve the constitution is a possibility.
When big stuff happened, I could certainly get into going down to the old constitution bar and cheering and booing the screen. To prevent fisticuff, you might need liberal and conservative constitution bars. With sports bars, things work out because people usually root for the town team, but opinions on the constitution, what's good and what's bad, aren't as regional as sports allegiance. And are more serious, so people might not sit next to people rooting the other way in the best good humor.
--I found out about the 21st Amendment bar from the guide to neighborhoods in San Francisco and San Mateo that the Examiner put out today. It's good. I'm learning stuff. It's easy to read. It seems to be going mostly straight to trash, recycling or the gutter, which is understandable given the Examiner's uneven quality control, but I like it. Easy, informative, and there. If I ever read the part about, for example, Redwood City, I'll really be learning.
posted by Anne Herbert at 2:39 PM
<< Home