Fireworks 7.04
Date: Jul 4th, 2007 11:12:55 am - Subscribe
Mood: Patriotic?
Weapon of Choice: Musket circa 1776
For those who are unaware I am not a fan of most holidays, save Halloween, My Birthday, Snowdays, The last day of classes, and days I decide I am taking off... July fourth, is one of the holidays that I refuse to celebrate. It has no absurd Hallmark base like say Mother or Fathers Day, or any semblance of religious relevance like christmas (as relevant as that can be).. July Fourth is Independence Day..for Americans.
This country declared its freedom, by signing the declaration of independance.. lets just reveiw the begginning for those of us who have been out of high school for a while, and dont have the declaration hanging in our dorm...
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
there is a little before and a little after...
I simply want to point out the contradiction of this country, with the whole montre of equality and God given rights etc., with the whole slavery incident, and the whole native american stealing of land and genocide issue. Not only was the declaration excusioary at its creation, but it still continues to be faulty today.
Which brings me to the dilemma of black patriotism. As an African American, and I use the 'American' part loosely, mostly as a technicality. How is a black person supposed to happily wave the red white and blue flag, for a country that was built on the backs of their people. A country who stole black people from their country, severed ties with our origins, our history. Not to mention, the physical and cultural rape of our people.. and the continued oppression that is not too hard to find today. I will not get into the institutional racism, poverty, economic disparity, the prison system etc... *sigh*
And I would be remiss if I did not bring up how absurd even mentioning independance and the spirit of democracy has been under the Bush administration. Gitmo ring any bells? Thats Guantanamo Bay Detention Center... where our government snatched "enemy combatants" (random human beings) off the streets of wherever, no charges, no trail, just imprisonment and torture etc. I don't know if you read the Military Commissions Act, but I did, and an the difference between and enemy combatant and a POW who has rights by decree of the Geneva Conventions, is that an enemy combatant has no ties with a recognizable power, is not wearing a uniform and is not engaged in battle. Hmmm. sounds like a civilian to me.. But please lets remeber that I am deluded. And we are still in Iraq..wonder when their independence day will be.
I do not celebrate the Fouth because the current state of affairs and the past state of affairs is shameful, at least in my opinion. We can land on the moon but we cant get everyone health care...
I do not hate America. I hate the reality of America and the fact that it is ignored. In fact I love the idea of America, and if it lived upto the whole, liberty and justice for all, I would wave my flag too. If the American dream was actually for everyone, and if the statue of Liberty's message "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door" were true..instead of building of wall and refusing to become more than monolingual. I too would sing america.
I don't celebrate because there is nothing to celebrate.
You can do what you want, enjoy the hot dogs, burger and try not to get your hand blown off by some fire works..because if I see it on the news I will laugh.
And yes, I am going to work today.
Happy Wednesday.
(and Happy Birthday Gabby).
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