The Strangest Aspect of the Attack on Rand Paul

Kentucky senator Rand Paul mowing his lawn.

Details have been slow to emerge on the suburban fracas between neighbors that left Kentucky libertarian senator Rand Paul with broken ribs and other less serious injuries.  There's been no definitive statement from the attacker, a next-door neighbor of 17 years, on the possible reasons for his aggressive behavior.

In the early years of the twenty-first century, physical confrontation is truly unusual, especially between members of what must be termed the upper class. That is not, however, as unusual as a sitting United States senator actually mowing his own lawn, or any lawn for that matter. You can be pretty sure that not many of the 99 other members of the world's most exclusive club personally mow their lawns. We're unlikely to see photographs of Diane Feinstein, John McCain, Kamala Harris or Robert Menendez mowing a lawn.

The revelation that Senator Paul personally cares for his own grass must be considered a positive for Americans that wish to see their elected leaders operate on a more common level.