Neither Mary nor Martha

We are neither Mary nor Martha,
Neither fish nor stone,
With no regard to our station
We toil and ponder alone.

--Mark E. Horning

Kipling has been on my mind lately. In particular The Sons of Martha.

The administration, the Democrats, and especially that portion of the left referred to as the academy, are the sons of Mary. Seriously.

And the Sons of Mary smile and are blessèd -
they know the Angels are on their side.
They know in them is the Grace confessèd,
and for them are the Mercies multiplied.

They think deep thoughts, about admittedly very important subjects, but do not create. The very definition of the ivory tower academic, or the anti-pro-cause-of-the-day-week-hour protester. Sons of Mary indeed.

The Republicans are the sons of Martha. They are the ones who make the trains run on time, see to it that the roads get built, and that the bridges stay bridges rather than piles of stone. They are the ones who make it possible for the Sons of Mary to think their deep thoughts.

It is their care in all the ages
to take the buffet and cushion the shock.
It is their care that the gear engages;
it is their care that the switches lock.
It is their care that the wheels run truly;
it is their care to embark and entrain,
Tally, transport, and deliver duly
the Sons of Mary by land and main.

Talk to the folks who make things run, they are overwhelmingly republican. Even in a union shop, which is defined as working to keep from doing work, the actual workers are generally conservatives while it is the union bosses that are the liberals.

Libertarians are both, and neither. Libertarians are libertarians because they took the time to really think things all of the way through. We have a philosophy of liberty. (pure Sons of Mary right there), yet at the same time we have jobs. Standard joke, why do libertarians never show up at protest meetings, because they are working.

So who would you rather be, the Son of Mary or of Martha? The scientist or the engineer? The thinker or the doer?

Maybe a little of both.