Edgartown, MA

Edgartown, Massachusetts is one of six towns on the Island of Martha’s Vineyard

Let’s ignore the fact that this island has been my home for the last 15 years. For now, I am a visitor to this island off of the coast of Cape Cod and plan on taking you on a little trip to this vacation destination for a day to explore what the word Freedom means to the locals.



Traveling to the island with a vehicle is not so tricky if you plan ahead. The Steamship Authority controls the vehicular traffic between Cape Cod and the Islands (Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket). They have strict schedules and a limited number of vehicle spaces, yet seem to satisfy most requests for travel across the body of salt water known as Vineyard Sound. I only told you this so you can try to get a sense of isolation that the islanders feel by living 8 miles away from America and having no access to shopping malls, fast food, and a multitude of normal mainland avenues.

Islanders do not have the same freedoms that mainlanders enjoy.

Like most small American towns, the entire island of Martha’s Vineyard provides its citizens with a closeness and sense of community to rival River City, Iowa in the musical, Music Man. Islanders do have the freedom to express their views and opinions in public as well as regularly-held town meetings and most of these meetings are now recorded and televised on the community cable station, MVTV. How convenient is that? I have found it refreshing to witness America hard at work, turning problems into opportunities on such a small scale. Talking to the locals of this island and hearing what they have to say gives one a deep appreciation of Democracy and our Constitutional Rights as set forth by the founding fathers of this great country we are privileged to live in.

As I was leaving the island on a ferry boat out of the town of Oak Bluffs to continue on this adventure across America, it was very easy to stop where people were waiting for a public transportation system bus on the west end of Ocean Park and take a few pictures. Call me a wimp, but I get a little weepy, when I see the Stars and Stripes flapping in the wind along with a black flag set as a reminder of the POW-MIA military men and women who have fought for our Freedom and are not allowed to enjoy what they have given us. I am thankful for each one of them.

Upon closer examination, we see a statue of a soldier from the civil war. I believe we should not, as a nation, ever take sides within this nation of forces who fought against each other. many soldiers fought for their country and an individual cause and we should honor each one of them for the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice. 

I took this picture for my own selfish reasons. Everytime I step over the seat to take my position on Mozi for the ride towards the next town, I am reminded of this one soldier in a park on a sunny day who, by his presence alone, gives us a feeling of security when we go to sleep every night, just knowing there were, are today and will always be men and women fighting for our Freedom as a nation.

Mozi on...

OK, let’s go back a few days…On September 7, 2010 I had the pleasure to interview the Dukes County Manager in order to provide you with the opinions, political and personal views of a true Islander without his representing the Town of Edgartown, the County of Dukes County or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. By the way, do you know the meaning of a Commonwealth? Please research this, as it is very interesting. There are four Commonwealths in the USA: Massachusetts, Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Mr. Russell Smith, of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

(Currently editing video of Russell Smith)