Empty Chair Day images

9 Comments

1. wanda says:

   4 September 2012 at 7:58 AM

   CMR has the most sobering picture I’ve seen. An empty high-chair.
2. rodin says:

   4 September 2012 at 12:56 PM

   Your picture got a laugh out of me, but the empty high-chair sounds like a real winner.

3. Pingback: Ed Driscoll » Photo of the Day

4. Papabile says:

   8 September 2012 at 12:47 AM

   Father, I want to say this is hilarious, but it actually makes me angry.

   I’m probably considered a hard-right conservative Republican. With that said, my faith comes first.

   Having worked in the political world for so many years, I know there are truly good people in both parties, irrespective of party positions. Heck…. there used to be an Opus Dei circle that met in an extremely liberal Senator’s office.

   With that said, an empty chair symbolizes so much in a democratic republic. It tells me the people have ceased caring, or are no longer critical in their voting. It tells me that the leader is hollow. It angers me, because I do not recognize my country.

   The genius of a democratic republic is that we elect people who are more informed and prepared to govern (that’s the weeding out process behind the elections) — or our “betters” as some would say. And, in doing so, they make decisions on our behalf.

   An empty seat is a failure, a big zero, one who doesn’t make decisions.

   Now… I do think there is one side benefit. The American people seem to hate Congress nowadays (also a thing that upsets me as they seem willing to enshrine an emperor every 8 years) — but I think the benefit here is that Congress is reclaiming power it has always had.

   For some reason over the last 30 years (because of a procedural budget process set up in the 74 budget act), the President has been able to decide the “priorities” for our country. But, that is the INVERSE of how our Constitution is designed. He doesn’t even have a right to submit one under our Constitution.

   I know my post is not related directly to the Faith here, but I find the results inspiring. I would prefer the imperial Presidency undergo a period of coma.
5. MPSchneiderLC says:

   8 September 2012 at 2:57 AM

   The Air Force 1 picture looks too photoshopped. (no shadow and the angle is wrong)
6. The Masked Chicken says:

   8 September 2012 at 7:43 AM

   Papabile,

   You wrote:

   “The genius of a democratic republic is that we elect people who are more informed and prepared to govern (that’s the weeding out process behind the elections) — or our “betters” as some would say. And, in doing so, they make decisions on our behalf.”

   That was the original intention, but back, then communication was slow and only a few people were in the know. It made sense to elect representatives who were not only knowledgable, but would keep a dedicated finger on the national pulse.

   Greed and the rise of mass communication have changed all of that. People, today are often better informed on issues than some elected officials, because, unlike in Colonial Times, almost everyone, today, can read (or do something resembling it) or they can listen to the radio (tv is another thing).

   The love of money and prestige has transformed the innocence of the Colonists into the advertising psychology of today. Service has largely been replaced with power-seeking. I really doubt that a poor man can get elected, today. Heck, I’ll bet there are at least 10,000 people who could do a better job of being president than anyone we’ve had in the last thirty years. Thing is, they either are too poor, too honest, or too unwilling for the ulcers to seek the office. Heck, I could fix health care relatively easily, without appealing to socialism just by using Catholic principles.

   The empty chair represents the vacuousness of modern politics. People are growing up with a spell-check mentality where they figure they can keep misspelling the word, “government,” and the situation will correct itself.

   I don’t see the situation changing for the better anytime soon. Perhaps in 300 years, when America is no more, someone will discover a copy of the Constitution in a dusty room and wonder, anew, at its passing glory.

   Maybe I’m getting old. Maybe I’m getting curmudgeonly, but the Church isn’t the only thing that is going to be purged and made smaller. The community of freedom-loving men is undergoing the same test and for the same reason – a lack of a vision of Truth and the will to be concerned about posterity.

   The Chicken
7. Liam says:

   8 September 2012 at 12:52 PM

   So much sedevacantism…oh dear!
8. Martial Artist says:

   8 September 2012 at 7:20 PM

   I very much like the upper one of the President gazing at the picture of the empty chair. This is probably because it reminded me at first glance, of the work of Rene Magritte, one of my favorite surrealist painters.

   Pax et bonum,
   Keith Töpfer
9. Elizabeth M says:

   9 September 2012 at 1:06 AM

   So sad. I drive by Solyndra at least once a week.

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