I’m not a religious guy. I think I am a decent human being and I try to do the right thing towards my fellow man. But, I don’t go to church, sing the hymns, and aspire to go to Heaven. Of the latter concept, I think it is right here on Earth, and it is what you make of it. (Hell’s here, too.)
I suppose what chafed me so much about churchgoing, back in the day, was the hypocrisy. You know, the guy who’s making a big show out of dropping a wad in the collection plate, but is a total, insufferable, sinning asshole once he steps out onto the street. Or, the smiling, over-the-top gracious lady, who sings the loudest Hallelujahs, but is cheating on her husband. Or, worse, the preachers who act high and mighty, and look with scorn upon the sinners and atheists, but use the “prosperity gospel” to fleece their flock. Say one thing, do the other.
That behavior is, by the way, part and parcel of being a politician; promise one thing with no intention of doing it. In fact, that is what Populism is. Finding out what really energizes a group of voters, tell them you’ve got their back, and then ignore them when you’ve been elected. Because… you’re not there to drain the swamp, you’re there to fill it.
Patriotism is a divisive concept. I guess it means what you want it to mean. Have you ever noticed all of the D.C. politicians who wear the blue suit (who else wears those gaudy things?), white shirt, red tie, and have the American flag pin on the lapel? (See above) It’s the standard uniform of conservative Republican legislators. They are patriots, right? They love America; that’s why they wanted to get elected…right? To do the right thing, for America. Presumably.
He looks like he could be trusted, right? He’s wearing two flag pins!
Then these so-called patriots go and propose laws that would disenfranchise American voters, deny health care to those citizens who are in the most need, give tax breaks to the richest 1 percent of our people, and water down regulations that protect our Country’s environment. And, continue to do and say things that disrespect 42 million African Americans. Do these sound like the actions of folks who love their Country and their fellow citizens?
Would it surprise you to know that an African American man, in the 21st century, is five times more likely to be found guilty and sentenced to prison than a white person charged with the same crime? It’s sad but true; we live in a racist society.
The past few weeks have seen an increase of modest public protest by (predominantly) African American athletes over the endemic issue of police brutality toward minorities, blatant efforts by Bible Belt politicians to suppress minority voting, the reawakening of fascism in the United States, and the divisive, racist comments by our President week after week. It’s the Black Lives Matter issue…”in your face” version.
Accordingly, an increasing number of NFL players are refusing to stand at attention during the National Anthem before games, preferring to take a knee, with head bowed. Basically saying, “I’m not proud of America, right now.” I get it, and they’re using a powerful, televised podium to symbolically make their case and plea for change.
President Trump and his boys are incensed that these sports icons are doing this. The Prez went on a Tweet blitzkrieg this past week, eighteen tweets so far, calling the athletes un-patriotic, disrespectful, even “sons of bitches”, and called upon NFL owners to fire them. It was the most pressing thing on his agenda, evidently.
Of course, Mr. Trump doesn’t get it, like so many other matters that are important to Americans.
In this case, he doesn’t seem to think that free speech and protest are patriotic. He’s wrong about that. That’s how change is affected. And, apparently, that’s the last thing that Trump wants, even though his rebellious campaign was all about change (a change back to the good old days…of whiteness?).
The New England Patriots, the Super Bowl Champs, are named after those early Americans who protested British tyranny, threw a Tea Party, and prompted the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Without those patriots’ strong voices and protest, we’d still be under the heel of the English monarchy.
Free speech and protest in this Country brought us change in labor laws, helped secure the right to vote for women, countered McCarthyism in the 1950’s, enabled the Civil Rights movement, and pressured our government to end the War in Vietnam.
The people who were involved in those struggles were true patriots, attempting to help America be greater than it was. Is that what our Prez is doing?
Donald Trump is a Lapel Pin Patriot. He says he loves America, but doesn’t even understand it, and surely doesn’t show it. He has a nasty habit of disrespecting the people and the institutions of this Country…and those are what America is, the things that give us pride in our wonderful land. But, he loves wearing the lapel pin and waving the flag. Abe Lincoln, if he were alive, would “take a knee”, ashamed of this Prez.
Free speech is the bedrock of our democracy, but the President doesn’t believe in that, really, particularly if someone says anything which reflects poorly on his actions. In his view, athletes, entertainers, and other celebrities should keep their mouths shut regarding this Administration.
If only we could get this guy to shut HIS big mouth.
It seems that every day President Trump either tweets something offensive about minorities, disrespects other elected officials, or embarrasses the United States in public blasts at antagonistic foreign leaders, allies, etc. Rather than the Leader of the Free World, he acts like a braying donkey.
While President Trump was absorbed all week with shouting down the NFL “sons-of-bitches”, the people of Puerto Rico (all U.S. citizens) were trying to survive after being slam-dunked by Hurricane Maria. No power, no electricity, most housing destroyed, no food, water…a living Hell. It was Hurricane Katrina, revisited, with citizens begging for help, and not getting it fast enough. Those Puerto Ricans are probably not too proud of America right now; I wonder how many would “take a knee” if the Star Spangled Banner was sung?
There is great irony here. President Trump and his Administration are Hell-bent to limit immigration by Latinos, because the campaign’s subliminal theme was all about making America white again. Hence, Trump’s ridiculous Wall proposal, attacks on the Dreamers program, and crackdowns by ICE agents. However, if the Federal government’s aid to Puerto Rico is not sufficient, nor timely, the island’s precarious economy will collapse, and hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans (Latinos) will probably legally move to the mainland U.S., because they can (they are already U.S. citizens).
Not surprisingly, someone must have mentioned this to the President, mid-week, when he suddenly stopped bashing those NFL “sons of bitches” with his Tweets, and jumped on the “OMG, we’ve got to help out those Puerto Ricans!” bandwagon. The man is a fool, but he is not totally stupid. Of course, he spent most of the week congratulating himself and his Administration for rushing to the aid of the Puerto Ricans, and lambasting the Mayor of San Juan for complaining that the aid is too slow in coming: “People are dying here!” Trump’s response: “Help yourself.”
Speaking of fools and their ideas, the Trump campaign to limit immigration is hardly in the interest of “Making America Great Again”. America is a country of immigrants, it is the Great Melting Pot, where the American Dream is offered to all. Immigration has made our country great. Trump’s grandfather was German. (If we’d only had a Wall back then to repulse the Trump clan!)
Immigration has brought us hard workers and people with new ideas. These newcomers actually believe in the Dream (i.e. if you work hard, anything is possible), as opposed to many of our own children and grandchildren, who seem to think that society owes them something, that their prospects are hopeless, etc. Hard work is anathema to them.
We have a number of friends and acquaintances who are living the Dream. One Vietnamese couple came to the U.S. with nothing; they now own several profitable businesses while employing many young folks. A Romanian friend sneaked into the country illegally years ago; he now owns a thriving photography business in Orange County, and is a wonderful human being. A Greek/Canadian couple own the hair salon that we frequent; they left Canada years ago, with nothing, left their clients behind, came out to California and gave free haircuts to passersby to drum up business, and, years later…their Temecula salon has been named one of the Top 100 in the United States for the past two years. My friend Randy’s thriving Wood Mountain Christmas Tree business wouldn’t make a dime if it weren’t for the agricultural workers in Oregon who plant, nurture, harvest, and ship the product; I’ve worked alongside of these Central American illegals for the past four years, and I’ve never seen harder workers. Our housekeeper is a Mexican lady, and her husband is a commercial house painter. They work hard every day to give their children the opportunity for success that they didn’t have in their own country.
America is about these people and the millions of other Orientals, Europeans, Africans, and Latin Americans who immigrated here, worked hard, brought new ideas, and gave us a rich, vibrant culture. Even the Irish contributed!
Loving your country, enthusiastically saluting the flag and singing the Anthem is all about embracing the diversity that makes America wonderful. It’s about our democratic system of government and the freedoms we enjoy…the envy of the world. It’s about the opportunity for betterment that is supposed to be available to all.
When so-called “Patriots” demean that diversity, seek to deny freedoms from some Americans, and scheme to reduce the opportunities for the lower class to rise above their station in life, then…they reveal that they do not love THIS country and what it stands for. Rather, they dishonor that American Flag that they wear on their lapel.
Freedom of speech was guaranteed to all of us over two hundred years ago. Negro slaves were emancipated one hundred and fifty year ago. Why are Black Americans still having to beg for equality, having to plead for humane treatment by the police and the courts, and being asked to curtail their freedom of speech when they complain about the inequality?
Why, Mr. President?
`z
