Remember Your Roots

Ever since I started watching The Colbert Report, I have been a huge fan of the Better Know A District segment. In these segments (55 down, 380 to go), Colbert interviews members of Congress and uses his sharp, quick wit (as well as a lot of editing) to twist their words. More often than not, Colbert absolutely owns the particular member of Congress. He asks absurd questions that catch our elected officials off guard. Usually one of these questions/topics is followed by Colbert saying, "Congressman, I can see that this topic is making you uncomfortable. Moving on.."

The segments always begin with Colbert on his set highlighting a few facts about whatever district the member of Congress is representing. Also, without fail, he will refer to that district, let's say it's the 5th, as the "Fightin' Fifth!"

Last night Colbert aired his interview with my congressional representative Dan Maffei and pointed out a few facts about where I'm from. Maffei, just elected in November, is not quite a friend of the blog, but he is a friend of the family. My dad worked on Maffei's campaign and I of course got the chance to speak to Maffei a handful of times. I tell you this only because I have talked to Maffei. Maffei's talked to Colbert. Ipso facto, I've talked to Colbert.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Better Know a District - New York's 25th - Dan Maffei
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Now of course, If I was presenting my district to the (Colbert) Nation I would chose to highlight things other than the heavily polluted Onondaga Lake. If it were up to me, I would focus on the following three things.

1.)Anheuser-Busch Brewery



There are 12 Anheuser-Busch Breweries in America and one of them is located in my congressional district. I am very proud of this, because Anheuser-Busch is not only one of the staples of Americana (even though it was bought by Belgian company InBev last July), but I believe their signature product, Budweiser, is the king of all beers. Any good-natured, red-blooded American male above the age of 21 has enjoyed the delicious taste of a Budweiser beer. Well everyone except my congressman apparently. Couldn't shotgun a Bud heavy? Come onnnn. You better believe that the next time I see Maffei (who knows if I'll ever see him again), I'll teach him how to shotgun with the best of them.

2.) The Loud House



The Carrier Dome is the single greatest on campus arena in all of collegiate athletics. This facility serves beer (one of only a handful of on campus arenas that do so), annually ranks #1 in home attendance for men's basketball, and is the rowdiest place in America. Nobody, and I mean nobody, except for Akron, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Louisville (football and basketball), UCONN, Cleveland State, and Villanova comes into the Loud House and pushes the Orange around.

3.) The Irish Traffic Light



As you can see in the picture, this traffic light, on the corner of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue, has the green light on top and the red light on the bottom. It is the only traffic light in the world that is set up this way. The light is located in the neighborhood known as Tipperary Hill, which is located on the west side of Syracuse (the city of hopes and dreams). According to folklore (and Wikipedia), back in the 1920's, when the light was first installed, Irish immigrants would throw rocks at the light because the British color (red) was on top and the color of their motherland (green) was on the bottom. The city would fix the light time and time again, but the Irish immigrants kept destroying the light until the city agreed to put the green light on top.




As an American male of Irish descent, I would confidently suggest that no one's congressional district can match these three things that the "Fightin' 25th" has to offer.