This week, I'm reading Chapter 23, the final chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film.  Ironically, this episode will come out right after the United States' birthday (7/4/1776), at a time when there is a lot of turmoil in the country.  It's not the first time, nor will it be the last, I suspect.  I won't get into the wasteland of politics, but since this episode is on the Rocketeer, I thought it would be an interesting time to reflect on how the character fits some American ideals. Speaking of which - ideals ... the country was founded on the idea that all men are created equal and all deserve some basic rights.  Was this true in 1776?  Let's be frank (it's an American ideal).  No.  Not even close. It might have been true if you were a free white man but was probably not anywhere close to being true if you were a woman, child, slave, indentured servant, or a race other Caucasian.  It took a long time for other groups to finally catch up.  US women finally achieved the right to vote in national elections in 1920 (19th amendment to the US Constitution).  Though slavery was officially abolished after the US Civil War in 1865, black men were were not granted the right to vote in federal elections until 1870 (the 15th amendment to the US Constitution), and it was not until the 1950s and 60s and beyond that segregation practices were ended (Jim Crow laws ended on a national level in 1964, but in many cases, still exist in other, less overt forms depending on the location).  It was not until 1967 that interracial marriage was allowed on a federal level (see the 1967 US Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia).  Although the United States was founded by immigrants, the Chinese exclusion act, passed in 1882, was the first significant law that restricted the flow of immigrants into the US, targeting Chinese laborers.  While there were amendments to the law in 1943, there were still quotas and other restrictions to abide by.  It was not until 2012 (!) that the Chinese exclusion act was official condemned by Congress.  Although Native Americans were the first people on this land, they were not granted access to US citizenship until 1924 (Indian Citizenship Act), and it was not until 1965 that they were granted the federal right to vote (Voting Rights Act of 1965), though US Native Americans still are often unable to vote for various reasons to this day.  Same sex marriage was not legally allowed on federal level until 2015 (see the US Supreme Court decision of Obergefell v. Hodges). These are just a few examples of inequality in the face of a federal Constitution claiming basic rights for all.  I write all this not to condemn all the ways in which we as a country fail to live up to our ideals but rather to show that as any society, especially one made up by immigrants from all over the world, is going to have its problems and will require a lot of work and constant maintenance to work in any somewhat functional way.  The US is basically a nearly 250 year old hotel with guests constantly coming and going, clogging the sinks and toilets, running down the hot water, making messes, and yelling in the hallway.  Even in low season times, there is still plenty of maintenance to do since things break.  Nothing lasts forever.   How does all this relate to the Rocketeer?  Read more at https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/07/07/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-517-and-like-a-hood-ornament-81-reading-the-conclusion-of-the-rocketeer-movie-novelization-chapter-23/∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form on services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music. -Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk