Third of July

It is the third of July, we are anticipating a celebration of a nation gaining its independence from tyranny, yet on this 239th year of freedom we watch as some who claim to be patriots, pure Americans in fact want to impose laws and language far from free and equal. They carry a flag of a nation determined to undermine the US Constitution, they wear assault weapons across their shoulders and waistbands insisting that upheaval is an American value, they define others as the enemy and unless the others identify with some preconceived American God, are of Caucasian skin color and of course at one time owned slaves they are the bad guys. On this July 3 in 2015 we watch as potential presidential contenders contend for who can hate the most, who can blame the foils and foibles of the stupid on anyone but themselves, who can pretend that America was never a land of immigrants. We are told that God blesses America but then exactly whose God is doing the blessing?

Black churches are burning, governors still insist that their state will participate in segregation based on homophobia, Supreme Court Justices have no idea in the difference between church and state, women are too stupid to understand their own reproductive rights, Mexican are rapists, and billionaires hire their puppet politicians hoping to own the city of Washington DC, all of this on the third of July! Jesus is the final word on law, not just any Jesus but the one who has a membership to the NRA, loves the bankers and hates the poor, all of this on the third of July! Fools run rampant, facts are fiction, the stupid are the considered the base by which Republicans must appeal to to become the T-Pub candidate, climate isn’t changing, and family values are always an issue except when the the valueless Christian conservatives are having babies out of wedlock, enjoying adulterous affairs, or stealing money from the coffers of tax payers all of this on the third of July!

It is the third of July and on the day that follows we will pledge allegiance to our flag, sing our national anthem, we will be proud Americans, but will we all be equal Americans? We will be a people who have seen the struggles of a revolutionary war, a civil war, women’s suffrage, desegregation, affirmative action, victory at land and sea, labor unions, a minimum wage and affordable health care…but somehow when the Fourth of July 2015 arrives will we remain just a bunch of stupid folk questioning was ALL of those gains really good? We will be debating the value of fair and equal, the necessity of one person one vote, is poverty the fault of the poor, do black lives matter? We will face the Fourth as if it was the first time we have discovered freedom. How does this happen, why did this happen, when did this happen? It is the third of July and we have so many important issues to address honestly for freedom to truly ring for all!