235 Years and Still Going Strong

Today is a day we celebrate our Independence from Britain.  After a long revolution, the battle cries, the tea parties, the midnight rides, the letters and speeches, a final decision was made and a letter was written to our favorite penpal of yore; the Declaration of Independence was signed and sent to Parliament in Great Britain.  On July 4, 1776, it was adopted by Congress.  Democracy was established, a Constitution was written, and the Thirteen United States of America were in full swing.

Today is our 235th anniversary as a nation.  I read about the days when our founding fathers were laying the foundation of a powerful nation (no, they weren't working hard to abolish slavery, Ms. Bachmann), independent and strong, with a vision for a land of opportunities.  They had a vision.  Would they be proud of where we are today?

Let's think about it.  We have a Bill of Rights, permitting us such liberties as Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, and the Right to Bear Arms.  We fought a Civil War.  Slavery was eventually abolished.  Women can vote.  People "of color" can vote and use the same facilities and services as the "Whites."  We have grown to 50 States.  We have our first black President in office.

While our nation may be young, we have come a long way over the last 235 years.  I'm not sure if the founding fathers would be proud of where we stand, but they would definitely say that we have grown.

Sure.  There are things that need work.  Our immigration policy, our foreign policy, and a handful of freedoms that have yet to be granted.  Is our government too strong?  Without it, we wouldn't be where we are today.  What do you think?

What would you change if you could?  

Political Influence...

Somebody recently asked me why the First Lady and our other leaders spend so much time traveling/touring the world, when we have so many problems here with the economy.

So I thought about it for a few minutes.  I once learned that 1% of the companies in the United States actually export.  And then I keep hearing about how poorly most of the world thinks of the United States right now.  So then, it only makes sense that they are trying to better our relationships with other countries to be able to partake in this global economy in which we live...

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."  That applies to so many aspects of life!  But for today, let's look at it from a global standpoint.

Look at China's economy.  It's growing exponentially.  Why?  I would say it has a lot to do with their export rates.  It has nothing to do with Communism, but everything to do with Globalism.  And they understand that. Look at the European Union.  What a way to cross borders, languages, cultures, and governments!  The members of the EU really seem to have grasped the concept of Globalism.

Wait, what's "globalism?"  My dear friends at Merriam-Webster say that globalism is "a national policy of treating the whole world as a proper sphere for political influence."  So that makes it a lot easier to understand the extensive travel schedules of our leaders.  There are over 200 countries on this planet, which means there exist many an opportunity to have some sort of political influence.   Please note that I'm not saying that we should force our politics upon every other country.  I am admitting that having political influence is a great thing, economically speaking.  Show them that we have something they want.  


It's time to accept that we are not supreme in this world; but merely one country out of hundreds that could stand to compete a little.  Who wouldn't agree that our "Land of the Free" needs a little economic boost right now?  The best solutions to problems are usually found by looking outside of the box.  Perhaps we haven't mastered the art of self-sufficiency as much as we'd like to think we have!  Maybe the ultimate ideal is not closing our borders off to third-world countries, but to giving ourselves a first-world shot at setting an example in Globalism!  


Seriously...who wants to perish as a fool??

Are YOU a Terrorist?

A terrorist, with all fancy wording aside, is someone who imposes terrorism.  Once again, I'm enlisting the assistance of my friends over at Merriam-Webster's website to paint this picture.  Terrorism is defined as "the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion."  Terror, my friends, refers to a "state of intense fear."

Photo courtesy of britannica.com

Have you ever been caught up in a conversation with someone, and all of a sudden they are talking about how much they hate a certain type of person, or what they would do if said type of person were to walk in front of them?  I have heard several people speak this way about the GLBT community.  I have heard people talk like that about black people, Hispanics, even non-religious people.  Or perhaps about religious people.  "I dare one of those forsaken fa***ts to walk in front of me right now!"  "In America we speak English; don't you dare talk to me in that Spanish-talk!"  "Don't even think about knocking on my door again; I don't care about your message!"  The examples are endless.  Americans, who have the luxury of shouting "U.S.A!" upon learning of the death of Osama bin Laden, are the same ones sometimes capable (and guilty) of a sort of terrorism on their own soil.

What happens is that the people attacked by these such statements are terrorized; coerced to live in "intense fear," denying who they are, afraid to speak out or reveal their "true selves."  Closeted gays are afraid to come out of the closet; they may be teased, ridiculed, beaten, or even killed.  Spanish-speakers are afraid to have an accent because they may be denied a job or other opportunity.  These people are living with the terror used by societal terrorists to force them to live in silence.  To live a lie.

This type of judgement is injust.  It's not fair to either party.  To close your mind to not allow diversity in your social or professional circles.  To live in intense fear of being yourself.  Once again, I seek an end to hatred.  Educate yourselves.  Ask questions.  Be tolerant and accepting.  Above all, do not be a terrorist.

Bin Laden's Dead. Now What?

Terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.

I will start by saying that I was ashamed to see several of my fellow Americans posting racial slurs regarding the death of Mr. bin Laden.  Things along the lines of, "Are they sure they have the right guy?  They all look the same over there!"  Seriously?!  Where is your tact, your respect, your education?  The man was not the poster child for Arabs.  He just happened to be one of them.  That gives you no right to say what you have said.  Completely uncalled for.  End of point one.

Furthermore, Osama bin Laden was not the only man involved in the terror regime.  Will there be repercussions?  One can only hope not.  But it is, unfortunately, highly probable.  There are still lives at stake in Afghanistan (and now Pakistan).  While the death of bin Laden represents a (huge) victory in the War on Terror, it does not signal a new non-existence of hate in the world.

What is my point? -You may ask.  We should take advantage of the unity we are feeling as Americans right now.  We should rise up in the strength that is our nation's "indivisibility," and stop the hate.  Understand that "United we stand."  Support our leaders in the tough decisions they have to make in the coming days, weeks, months.  There are far more pressing issues than birth certificates, countries of birth, and bad comb-overs.  Over 300 people lost their lives last week in the South.  A large part of Texas is destroyed from widespread fire.  There are countless Americans without jobs, homes, or food.  In our unity in this victory, let's reach out to those in need on our own soil.  The one thing we have in common is our country.  "The Land of the Free, the Home of the Brave."

Let's make strides toward true "Liberty and Justice for all."  Let's not forget that, while there is a lot of excitement overseas right now, we have a country under our feet that needs the strength of her people. Be strong.  Take a stand.  Spread love, tolerance, liberty, and justice.  We are the United States of America, not the Divided States...

Take pride in our nation's diversity.  Become an Equal Opportunity Citizen.   

The Modern-Day Patriot

No, she doesn't have an American flag sewn on like a cape.  He doesn't break out in random bouts of the Star Spangled Banner.  There is no fanfare played when she walks into the room.  He doesn't trot along to the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy.  Red, white, and blue glitter does not lace every word that comes out of her mouth.

He's intelligent.  Well-versed.  Votes in every election.  She has actually written (using pen and paper, envelope and stamp) to her Congressmen.  She can tell you about current issues.  He knows that our forefathers were not the ones to abolish slavery, and that Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address.  Who am I describing?

The modern-day Patriot.

This post is the second in a series I started last week regarding patriotism.  You can read the first post here.  To be patriotic does not require one to quote the Preamble to the Constitution, nor does it mean that "USofA" is every third word coming out of your mouth.  It means that you pay attention to what's happening.  You don't buy into the "birther" crap.  You aren't afraid to say "I'm an American."  You understand that your country isn't perfect (really, what country is?), but it's a pretty darn good place to be.

Sure, maybe you didn't vote for Obama.  But you know what?  He's your President too.  He doesn't just lead the ones that voted for him.  He leads us all.  He has to listen to the Republicans and the Democrats.  One decision may have been suggested by the Republicans, but that doesn't mean it doesn't apply to the Democrats as well.  And the same with the Democrat-backed proposals.  Why all of the Obama-bashing?  Like it or not, he is President of the United States.  So why not suck it up and say, "You know what, Mr. President?  Even though I didn't vote for you and I probably won't vote for you in the next election, I'm going to stand behind you while you're in office.  I believe in this country, and I believe that we can make it the best place on Earth.  So cheers to you, Mr. President!  I will make known my opinions and what I'd like to see happen while you're in office so you can have as much knowledge of what the American People want while you're in office!"

Stand up!  Set an example!  Be an active American!!  Patriotism has to do with loving your country, so naturally you should do whatever is in the best interest of your country, and if that means jumping on board and supporting those in office while they're there, so be it.

DOMA v ROMA

DOMA is the commonly used acronym to represent the Defense of Marriage Act signed into law in 1996 by President Bill Clinton.  It is the law that defines "marriage" as between a man and a woman, or two members of opposite genders.  It also provides that an individual state does not have to recognize a same-sex "marriage" honored by another state.  Basically, it makes discrimination legal.


Those are the facts.  Now we'll enter into opinion.  This law has MUCH to do with the separation of church and state.  I know of several religions that define marriage as between a man and a woman.  John Locke, author of the principle of social contract, believed that the government had no business dealing with matters of individual conscience.  Now.  Isn't a relationship, which could possibly lead to marriage, a matter of individual conscience?  How many of you have a son- or daughter-in-law that you really don't like?  See where I'm going with this?  By defining "marriage" as between a man and a woman, we are bordering the adoption of arranged marriages in our culture.  If your brother happens to fall in love (read: matter of individual conscience) with another man, who does that harm?  Nobody.  With whom a person sleeps or spends the rest of their life should not depend upon another person's (or organization's) interpretation of marriage.  Just because the federal government may decide that same-sex marriages should indeed be recognized for legal purposes does not mean that you have to immediately marry a person of the same sex.  


Enter ROMA.  The Respect of Marriage Act.  No, it doesn't require States to issue marriage certificates/licenses to same-sex couples.  However, it requires any state to recognize ("for the purposes of any Federal law") a same-sex marriage performed in a state that does recognize them.  It doesn't make you gay.  It doesn't mean that you have to accept or agree with homosexuality.  It doesn't require churches to perform religious ceremonies.  It does mean that gays can live happily in our country, the Land of the Free, as first-class citizens.  It means that gays can pay child support.  Alimony.  They can visit their loved ones in the hospital (or prison).  They can file their taxes jointly.  They may adopt a child into a loving home.  They can join the elite leagues of heterosexuals who can file for divorce.  I know of many "straight" relationships that have exercised their right to do any or all of the listed things here, and they don't even think twice about it.  Perhaps it's time to think twice.  


The American Psychological Association gives another argument in support of same-sex marriage: "financial, psychological and physical well-being are enhanced by marriage, and that children of same-sex couples benefit from being raised by two parents within a legally recognized union supported by society’s institutions."  See?  It doesn't harm.  In fact, being able to marry improves health!   


Do you agree?  Disagree?  What are your thoughts on the subject?  

Majority Doesn't Always Rule

Samuel Adams, a revolutionary superstar and the second president of this Great Nation, was very adept with words.  "It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds."

The Revolutionaries in the late 1700s wanted one thing: Freedom from England.  I'm sure that Samuel Adams was originally in a very, very small minority when the idea first started to spread.  Just look at what happened then.  Our forefathers were irate at the way England was trying to take advantage of the colonies, so they (read: the minority) mobilized an entire people to fight for what they believed in: freedom.

Martin Luther King, Jr, and the other civil rights leaders of the 1960s were not known as a majority.  But they definitely set such "brush fires" in the minds of enough to gain equal rights.  The African Americans were irate.  They were tireless.  And they were keen on being recognized as Americans, with the same rights the Whites had.  So what happened?  Boycotts.  Outcries.  Deaths.  And now, color is not an issue (for the most part) in the United States.

LGBT populations all over the United States are now shouting to be recognized as equal citizens, to have equal rights, and to end discrimination against them.  Hispanics are experiencing discrimination simply for their skin color.  Sound familiar?  Sure, it may seem like a minority to some.  But just wait.  Brush fires are being set.  A new civil rights revolution is in the works.  And before you know it, the outcry will become the common cry.

...and liberty and justice for all...