With Liberty and Justice for All
On this holiday, I ask that people look back and recall that America, a country that was revered around the world only a few decades ago as a beacon of hope and freedom, began not on the Fourth of July, the day the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, but was conceived in the hearts and minds of every person who set foot on this continent with the desire to be free of tyranny and were willing to fight to remain free of authoritarian rule.
Sadly, we find ourselves ruled by tyranny again, only this time our country's "Decider" wears our flag like an imperial robe and twists our salute of patriotism into an oath of subjugation.
Shame. That's what I feel today. Shame for those who refuse to take responsibility for allowing our country to become feared by the world, to become reviled for selfish excesses, and for sitting in silence as our hallowed Constitution is ripped to shreds and prostituted to the highest bidder.
Today, I will be celebrating this holiday at Fort Lewis, participating in its "Liberty Celebration" alongside the rest of our military families, who are waiting for our loved ones to return home from Iraq after serving 15 months in Bush's Hell.
Today I heard from my son, Ben, who wished me happy birthday and happy Fourth of July from Iraq. While our night skies will be rent with explosions and fiery lights, I will be praying that he will be getting a cool shower, a hearty meal, a soft bed and a night without the terror of war.
Today will probably be the last Fourth of July celebrated with noisy fanfare. I would expect that from now on, my son will probably want (or need) to get as far away as humanly possible from displays of "mock warfare."
And as I hold my hand over my heart, saying the Pledge of Allegiance today, I will be honoring and grieving those who sacrificed their lives, limbs and liberty for the country THEY believe in and praying those who supported Bush and Company will find the courage to stand up to the tyranny we ought to be fighting here at home.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, with LIBERTY and JUSTICE FOR ALL.
To your son and all his companions:
"The most sublime act is to set another before you." William Blake
July 4, 2007 4:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
George W. Bush - a bigger threat to America than George III.
Tom
July 4, 2007 6:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
If it was up to me, your piece and Deanie's would be on the front page.
"Thank God George Bush is our president." -Rudy Giuliani
July 4, 2007 6:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree without qualification.
July 4, 2007 8:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank God George Bush is our president." -Rudy Giulian
Don't you know that Bush could have prevented 9-11? He was warned, despite the history of AQ attacks on the USA, he snoozed. So we got clobbered on 9-11.
To wish Bush is president, is to wish for 9-11.
July 4, 2007 9:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Brilliant piece, Kiddo! You, Deanie and a few others on this site should be nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for journalism for your bravery and eloquence in the face of these monsters.
July 4, 2007 10:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're too kind, Chuck. It's not for prizes or fame that I write ... it's damn good therapy. And if it helps anyone else in some way, that's good enough for me.
Thank you.
Morgan
With reasonable men I will reason; with humane men I will plea; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost.
-- William Lloyd Garrison (1805 - 1879)
July 5, 2007 2:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Morgan,
I am a friend of Deanie's and Marine mom. I only wish I could put on paper my feelings as well as you and Deanie do. We spent the 4th in Oklahoma listening to Trent Willmon and watching fireworks. The fireworks only reminded me of explosions that were going on over there.
I longed to have my son with me last night, how he would of loved to hear a good ole west Texas boy singing and be able to celebrate with us. I could not enjoy one minute of the celebration because I knew he was laying in a bed, in a diaper, probably in his room alone. My son Ben was hit by a car the day he returned from Iraq, completing his second tour of duty, we believed he was safe back home. Unable to speak or go to the bathroom on his own, I blame George Weasel Bush for his accident. Ben would not have been where he was if not for the b.s. that weasel has gotten us into.
I don't have the eloquent words that yall have to express myself. But I wanted you to know that myself and my son Ben will be praying for your son Ben to make a safe return home.
Jamie
July 5, 2007 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, USMC Mom.. Your eloquence is right up there with those you envy! Tell your son Semper Fi from a Vietnam Corpsman and hang in there, Kiddo. There are MANY of us who want these brave Americans home. Though few are as eloquent as Deanie, if enough raise their voices maybe even the arrogant and incompetent group in the White House will begin to hear.
July 5, 2007 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I don't know how you do on paper, but on a keyboard, I'd say you're pretty darn eloquent.
"Thank God George Bush is our president." -Rudy Giuliani
July 5, 2007 1:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
usmcmom,
I am so sorry to hear about what has happened to your son and to you, too. When I hear Bush say that we need to be more patient, show more courage and to accept more sacrifice, I think about families like yours and I want to scream, "Where's yours? Why aren't you asking your friends and family to make sacrifices?"
The sad truth is he doesn't care about the military other than what it can do for him, and he doesn't care about the tragedies we military families must endure because of him.
My thoughts and prayers go out to you, your son and all the military families who have been hurt by this administration.
Morgan
With reasonable men I will reason; with humane men I will plea; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost.
-- William Lloyd Garrison (1805 - 1879)
July 5, 2007 2:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you, Debra, for still saying it straight up. I, too, had your Ben on my mind yesterday and was hoping his day was calm. You know what it was like up here...all parades, flags, fireworks and big talk. I would so much rather have seen the entire community stand in silence for five minutes to honor our troops who have served and who, like Ben, are still serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. That would have been a far truer acknowledgement of the meaning of the fourth of July.
Your voice and Deanies and others are being heard.
July 5, 2007 12:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good to see you here, "mt." Suse sent me a YouTube clip of the parade in your area and there was plenty of patriotism on display, huh?
Fort Lewis was more like a very small county fair, with mostly women and children attending ... because the men are all in Iraq. I didn't see a lot of joy and, oddly, I didn't see a lot of flag-wavers either. The closest thing I saw to a display of "patriotism" was a booth set up by a local radio station with a big banner that read, "Hear the Truth."
No one was queued up to hear "the truth," so I asked the guy sitting under the banner, looking more like an over-sized rat dressed in fatigues (sans ANY military insignia) than a DJ, "What is the truth."
He launched into why he was REALLY there ... drumming up business for Rush "The Junkie" Limbaugh's radio program.
I almost puked.
I said, "Thanks," and walked away in the middle of his squeaky sales pitch.
The "truth" apparently is that conservatives, being the hucksters they are, are still trying to make money off our misery and our fear. The kind of people you could see stealing wedding bands and gold fillings off dead solders in the battlefield.
I hope Rush and his ilk all rot in hell.
Morgan
With reasonable men I will reason; with humane men I will plea; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost.
-- William Lloyd Garrison (1805 - 1879)
July 5, 2007 2:48 PM | Reply | Permalink