5th of july

Happy July 5^th, the day after the red, white and blue ribbon is removed, the day after the fireworks have popped and peeked, the day after we waved our flags until our biceps burned and our wrists tired, the day after we so proudly recalled the warriors, the heroes, the fore fathers who worked and are working so tirelessly to keep America the land of the free…the day after we all thought that ALL of us were equal, just and fair.

Now the Star Bangled Banner will be sung before the start of baseball games, the Pledge of Allegiance recited at the various and sundry political events, God will bless America at the end of speeches by various politicians, and many of us will decipher, pronounce and deliberate on what was really meant when the word “we the people” was written.

It is July 5^th and the necessary songs, the important tributes and accolades, the minute for reflection will all be placed in a neat memory box, not be removed until the 4^th of July, 2012, and then once again opened as if it was opened for the first time all over again.

It is July 5^th and the catch phrase is ‘shared sacrifice’. Shared as defined by the Republican/Baggers as share the cut backs in social services by all the groups who rely on some help from the government to survive another day like the elderly the school children, the disabled, the unemployed, the poor, and sacrifice as defined by the Democrats/Progressives as why can’t owners of luxury jets, or oil companies or millionaire/billionaires do their fair share in lessening the deficit?

It is the 5^th of July and Republican/Bagger legislators and their Republican/Bagger Governors are shouting about government being too big cutting infrastructure projects, length of unemployment benefits, health care, but making government THAT much bigger when it comes to women’s health, and reproductive rights. And many of these same folks who say that government is too intrusive in our lives are planning on amendments to their Constitution stating marriage is and should only be between one man and one woman in their particular state. It matters not that the many of those appalled by same sex marriages have cheated committed adultery and seldom married out of love, but more so for religious or social convenience in the first place for themselves.

It is the 5^th of July and as so proudly we watched as we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? We NOW only watch as separate but equal, equality for some; equal is not a national concept but a state by state measure takes hold of this country fueled by fear, loathing, selfishness, gluttony, greed and goons.

It is July 5^th and what do we have to show after 235 years of rights freedoms, equality fairness and justice? How do we measure many of the successes this nation and its people have strived for when suddenly being an American means little from one state to another? When suddenly politicians must abide by there lists, create by bigots of what is correct in how you like and who you hate? When equality is challenged because of your belief in a God unlike mine, don’t believe in God, have sex my way, refrain from having sex as I do, wanting to stay healthy when I care less about my health? When there are wealthy people who want to keep you from ever attaining their quality of life. When rules for a healthy environment, finances, physical health should not be established because in establishing them the bottom line may suffer, or the free market may actually become free for all.

It is the 5^th of July and it makes me wonder if there will be anything at all to celebrate for Independence Day 2012!