"America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, because it's gonna put up a fight."
~ Michael Douglas as Andrew Shepard, The American President ~
Every day, men and women by the hundreds sign up for active duty in our military. Thousands more are putting their lives on the line each and every day in a land foreign to them. Every day, an American soldier or an ally dies and you never see it on the news. Not any more you don't. Don't you think it should be? Don't you think, above all else, soldiers dying for a cause they barely understand should be front page news?
Once again, the media calls the shots on what's news and what isn't, and we soak it up like sponges. It doesn't matter whether you watch Fox or CNN, you're being fed a pre-scripted line of crap designed to wash your brain. And we just keep feeding at the trough.
The sad part is, we think we're fighting for "freedom." The truth is, we're fighting to support a money-generating war machine that World Bank discovered long before most of us were born. War on terror? No. We're killing young soldiers to help the rich get richer.
But let's assume, just for the sake of argument, what these young men and women are fighting for is American Freedom. Each and every one of them that read the brochure or enlistment papers will tell you that's why they're putting their lives on the line. They're risking it all for your freedom. But what exactly IS freedom? It's certainly not something good for one, and not good for another.
Our news if full of tragedy. If it's not the Neo Whatever movement, it's a mass shooting or some dispute over confederate flags, or the American flag, or even confederate monuments. There's fighting over health care, racism, land rights, kneeling during a football game, ad infinitum. We're being divided. The sad part is, we're volunteering.
So, let's discuss freedom. That's the roof we reside under, right? For starters, let's clear up this whole "democracy" thing. The good ole U.S. isn't a democracy. It's a Republic. Look it up. And within that free republic, you and I are free to do anything. Anything. Stick with me here.
I think racism is wrong. It's ugly, grotesque, ignorant, and cruel. But if you're a racist, you're free to believe that way. I'm free to disagree with you. In fact, you're completely free to host your own little rally to support your cause. If you do it peacefully, it's lawful. If it gets ugly, it's no longer lawful, but you're free to do it. And I'm free to oppose it under the same rules. If I dissent peacefully, I'm good. If not, I can go to jail.....just like you. We're both free to make the same choices.
Guns are another hot topic. You're free to own one. Hell, I don't even like guns and I own two. But I am free to disagree with you about assault and automatic weapons. It doesn't even really matter what the debate is. The bottom line is, we're both free to believe what we wish. I just wish we'd stop using a "this side or that" mentality about EVERYTHING!! When it comes to guns, there are a dozen things that need addressed, including addressing mental health issues. There isn't a single solution, and I don't care what side of the argument you're on. The world isn't black or white. It's a million shades of gray.
I'll do you one better. You're free to kill someone. Nothing stopping you. You'll probably go to jail or get put to death for it, but you're free to do it, nonetheless. Freedom isn't about things. It's about choice. And in this country, we're free to do what we choose. That includes taking a knee during the National Anthem (it's a song, for Christ's sake), firing your players for taking a knee, saluting a flag, burning a flag, or standing in protest about whatever it is you feel "protesty" about. You want freedom without consequences? Now you're just being silly.
America isn't easy. We are free. But if you're going to go around using the word "freedom" as a catch-phrase, you'd better understand what it means. Because if you use the word freedom and then give an example of why you're free to do something and someone else isn't, well, that just makes you a hypocrite. But you're free to be one!
You know which freedom I wish we'd exercise? I wish we'd exercise the freedom to love each other.
I keep hoping.
Namaste
