Like most Americans, I have followed events in Washington, which are a form of theater.  Granted that it is a deadly theater, it is theater nonetheless.  When members of this Democratic administration try to explain what is being done, they overwork the words “looking forward.”  A few weeks earlier, they overworked the word “transparency.”  Robert Gibbs, who is the press secretary to the President, has a great affinity for the words “looking forward.”  And when Gibbs or the President uses “looking forward” and “transparency,” I tend to cringe.  Certainly they are better wordsmiths than that.
Now there is one other situation that is worthy of our attention.  It has to do with the word “right.”  In the earlier part of this essay, I mentioned the words “looking forward.”  Clearly no politician wants to say, “looking backward.”  So it is always looking forward.  In this case, the effort is always to be on the right side of things.
Let me give you a few examples.  In the morning after teeth are brushed, Miss Chicka and I generally weigh ourselves.  During this holiday season, the weight is not a good way to start the day.  Nonetheless, as I am about to step on the scale, Miss Chicka will usually say, “I will be right along.”  Certainly she could not say, “I will be left along.”
To go on, Americans are inclined to say that “we are well within our rights.”  They never use the phrase, “We are well within our left.”  It is always “We are well within our rights.”
When it comes down to conduct, we clearly tend to favor the phrase “right over wrong.”  I have never heard anyone say, “Left over wrong.”
Then when we are, for example, attempting to park the car, we pull up next to the car in front of us and start from the right position to back into the parking space.  Curiously, we drive on the right side of the road whereas in some other countries like England, the left side is used.
And then of course there is the division of our political system.  We have the right wing of the parties, which incidentally are considered more conservative than the left wing, which is liberal.
I am sure that many of the readers of these essays can think of terms having to do with rights.  If I were a lefty, like Margaret Murphy, I would believe that there is reason for the claim of discrimination.  If that is the case, I am certain that the politicians will claim that he or she is well within his/her rights.  Readers of these essays are invited to report cases in which the right will prevail over the left.
But usually we do not have an issue with respect to “looking forward.”  There is no such thing as looking backward, and certainly there is no such thing as looking leftward.
On this Christmas weekend, this is my contribution to the edification of Ezra’s Essays readers.  I know that this does not amount to much but remember, the author of Ezra’s Essays is an old man who can barely step on the scale to get weighed.  I am waiting for the call to say, “I will be left there in a minute.”  That will be the day that should be treasured by all students of the American language.
Finally, it seems to me that this world tends to favor those who are young, who are right handed, and who are sighted.  I can’t do much about youth, and I am right handed since my birth.  Furthermore, at this point, I am unable to do anything about being sighted.   But taking one thing with another, it follows that all of us including those who are sightless, southpaws and who are growing older must play the cards we are dealt.  That is the right way to look at things and the world will know that Americans are always looking forward, even if they can’t see.
 
E. E. CARR
December 24, 2010
Essay 521
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Kevin’s commentary: Politicians look backward all the time, in order to criticize their predecessors. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say.
In other news, I love being right-handed.