With all the talk lately about elections and among us, since we are patriots, American history, I thought I would start off with a small lesson on civic responsibilities. Some of which while still existent are beginning to be somewhat out of practice, or rather the people who practice them are out of practice.

I am of course referring to drinking during civic responsibilities.

An example presented itself to me yesterday as I was exercising the powerful and interesting responsibility of jury duty. During a break, I stepped into the hall at the courts on Filbert Street, and a gentleman beside me was heard to remark " hold up, Ima' bout to step up to the Chi-Chi's next door, get drunk as shit and be back in here like ahhhh…."

To me truer words were never spoken.

This man truly had his eyes on the prize and his foot on the throat of the issue. He was a true patriot who knew he had to exercise, that's right, responsibility. Then I started wondering "how much would it take for that man to get 'drunk as shit', as he promised," before returning to the judge's chambers? I'm afraid to say it would have been very little...two or three frozen concoctions or three of any kind of alcohol with strawberry would have knocked that man out in a cocoon of horror.

Back in the day people were better equipped to handle the awesome responsibilities of democratic government. In 1758 George Washington ran for the House of Burgessess in VA. He could not attend the election or the politicking as he was still a Col. in the militia, as a result he delegated a friend of his, Lt. Charles Smith to campaign in his absence. Smith informed Washington, via mail, that he had served 28 gallons of rum, 50 gallons of rum punch, 34 gallons of wine, 46 gallons of beer, two gallons of cider (probably hard), for a total of 160 gallons of booze to the crowds. There were 397 voters. Washington won a plurality of these. Think about that, that means that these hero citizens were far more responsible during their civic duty than I could ever be. Sure I will take in a ball game,attend an alumni event or some other patriotic municipal event all while trying to be as responsible as possible. The bottom line is I will never be responsible enough. I will keep trying though. So who's with with me for exercising our responsible duties behind the wheel this Friday?