Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Love it or leave it
A valid statement in and of itself. It's the philosophy behind so many of the freedoms we hold dear today. If you don't like what the music says, turn off the radio. If you don't like what the movie says, change the channel. If you don't like what the church says, leave. If you don't like what the email says, delete it. You are free to do this so that the ones who want to have their say can do so.
Let's examine that for a minute. Someone writes a book about beating his wife and sleeping with all 4 of his daughters at the same time. Disgusting to most people. I sure as hell wouldn't buy it. But according to the First Amendment, he has every right to write this book and if he can find a publisher to buy it, he can sell it. And as much as people scream for censorship of things they consider indecent i.e. pornography, the right to publish/distribute these things will never be completely abridged because the minute it is, someone will go after something they find offensive but other people don't. The Slippery Slope argument. A valid point of view and in the aforementioned instances I wholeheartedly agree. You can't and shouldn't change or censor something someone writes or creates or their religion and you shouldn't force exposure to it on someone who doesn't want to be so exposed.
BUT
Let's look at it from a different perspective.
America: Love it or Leave it.
(America is a democratic/capitalistic society but for the purposes of this ramble I will focus on the democratic part. And most of my initial commments will be framed in the "Ideal Scenario" rather than how things have actually been done.)
A government of the people, by the people, for the people. When the constitution was drafted, it was created as a living document. In other words, it wasn't intended to be a staid, inflexible, unchanging set of rules carved in stone and never to be questioned. There was written into the process the ability to amend it when situations within the nation called for it.
We, the people, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and out posterity do ordain and establish this constitutuion for the united states of america.(Thanks Schoolhouse Rock :oD )
The people elect the person they feel will be most likely to represent their best interest in the governing body (congress). They trust that person to represent them to the best of their ability. Making sure that no laws are passed that will be detrimental to their interests while establishing other laws that will be beneficial. And the theory is that with congresspeople from every state working for the best interests of the people they represent and the whole body of congress working for the best interest of the country at large everything will work out fine for everyone.
I will stop the euphoric picture here because we all know this ain't how it works. For hundreds of reasons including people not voting, special interest money, greedy, corrupt politicians, a crippling two party system.... You get the idea.
So, what about the minority american. And I'm not just talking about racial minorities. I also include ideological minorities, particularly, because I am in one. How do we get represented in a democracy? Unfortunately, we don't it would seem. Those of us who feel that something is wrong but are in the minority aren't brought to the table to be helped into the process, to be negotiated with and compromised with. We are told "Tough shit, you don't like it, leave. You don't think like everyone else you're not worthy to be an american, just pack up your crystals and incense and get your peace-mongerin' ass the hell out." Well, I was born here, where am I supposed to go? I am an american by birthright. Some of my ancestors were here before the europeans realized the earth isn't flat!
There's a cute term that some politicians are using for folks like me.
Disinfranchised Somehow the fact that I now have an official label doesn't make me feel much better because I still have no voice. And the current administration is just enabling this process of disinfranchising the minorities. We can stand on the mountaintop and scream at the top of our lungs and we are written off as insignificant, unimportant, irrelevant. But as society in america grows, there are more and more minorities, each with their own agendas. Native Americans and African Americans have always been the most vocal and with the most obvious claims. There is no denying that the united states government broke treaties, stole lands and committed genocide against the tribes of North America. It's well documented in the government's own records. And you can't argue that Africans were kidnapped from their homelands, brought here against their will and forced into slavery. Again, it's in the government's own records. Now if
THESE groups, who have irrefutable PROOF of their greivances against the government can't get a word in edgewise, let alone redress, how are a bunch of tree-huggers, pagans, pacifists or animal lovers going to fare?
They don't have a snowball's chance in the firey furnace. Trust me. I can't tell you how many times I have entered a conversation with "But if we could change this..." and been cut off with "This is america, love it or leave it." We don't have a voice. We don't have a choice. We are the minority and when the majority that rules are the "I got mine and I wanna keep it" "I'm in charge so I can tell you how to live" types we are screwed.
I mentioned Schoolhouse Rock earlier and I must say that now, 30 odd years later, as I watch them with my kids I feel robbed. I used to be proud to be an american because america stood for something. We were the Great American Melting Pot. Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free, the wretched refuse from your teaming shores, I lift my lamp beside the golden door. (9th grade chorus lol) We rooted for the little guy and the underdog, we were the small towns where everyone knew everyone else and their business, you checked on the old folks and went to town picnics. Even in the big cities, the neighborhoods were like small towns. You are only as strong as your weakest link, so you worked hard to strengthen all the links. Now you cut the weak links out and chuck em. America was about making the best country possible. Taking care of all americans lifting everyone up. It's not about that anymore. It's about finding the ones you like and getting rid of the rest. Calling them unamerican, unpatriotic because they don't fit your view of what an american OUGHT to be so you don't feel so bad about cutting them out of the process.
I'm not proud to be an american anymore. I don't like america right now. It's cold-hearted and mean and nasty and greedy. It's self-centered, self-important and self-riteous. But I'm not going to leave it. It's my home. I was born here. Raised here. I love america. I know it can be better than this because I've seen it. And I will die here. God and Godess willing it will be a better place when that happens.
I will keep trying until it does.
posted by Unknown
at 1:47 PM ::
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(1) comments
1 Comments:
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, at
2:40 AM
