My family and I attended a modern dance performance in December by Revolve, and I thought the music was quite good, and even libertarian in parts. So, I requested the music list and have now bought several CD’s. Among them is Ani DiFranco’s album Educated Guess, which has a song titled “Grand Canyon“.

There’s probably some analysis due here, because the song captures what I regard to be the libertarian mean between the poles of what might be called in this context nativism (being stuck in one place with no exit) and cosmopolitanism (being *only* a citizen of the world with few ties to local, particularistic institutions). The opening stanza:i love my country
by which i mean
i am indebted joyfully
to all the people throughout history
who have fought the government to make right
where so many cunning sons and daughters
our foremothers and forefathers
came singing through slaughter
came through hell and high water
so that we could stand here
and behold breathlessly the sight
how a raging river of tears
cut a canyon of light

the whole thing