It is going to be a beautiful day today..🌞
Today's the 4th of July, and I do not feel festive. I've never been one to hold back, so I guess here it is..
I don't understand patriotism. American patriotism is a divisive word by people in suits, many of whom don't understand the responsibility associated with the term patriotism. It's just fancy and catchy, and it draws upon the instincts we all have as Americans to be grateful and passionate for the country that we live in.
But what exactly are we supposed to be grateful for?
Half of this country voted for a felon, rapist and pedophile, for the most powerful position in the world.
Corporations and big money run our government. We don't have any sort of subsidized health care. People barely make enough money to live, and let's be honest, all of us are one missed paycheck or life-altering experience away from being homeless.
Cars cost $100,000 and are now equipped with AI data packages and surveillance programs. People can't buy homes. The goal of corporations and our government is to keep people working their entire lives because corporations have bought our government, so therefore, we must fund corporations through our labor and ever expanding time.
Maybe I'm missing the grateful part..
My ex serves in the military. He's active. Every day Americans don't understand how service members and their families are treated by the same government that uses patriotism as propaganda each and every year. The military is pun by politicians. It's a pun by our government. To date, 32,000 of America's homeless population are U.S. veterans. The same veterans who go to war for these same politicians over power and money and corporations.
But today, we will all honor America and our accomplishments as a nation. We will all honor oppression, a wealth gap that continues to increase, inequality, and corruption by those we elect to serve.
We will pledge allegiance to a nation that covers up a world wide child trafficking ring and continue to unknowingly support Middle Eastern genocide, our tax dollars going to fund worldwide terrorism, all the while the same government strikes lucrative arms deals with those same nations who sponsor and fund terrorism.
That doesn't sound like freedom or patriotism to me.
I don't want to tell anybody what to do. You can do your own thing. But for me, today isn't about America or some racist touting falsehoods and lies on the National Mall.
Today is about you and me. Today is about those who serve and served. Today is about everybody who worries about finding a job, buying a home, their future, gas prices, rent, or putting food on the table. Today is about your neighbor, your community, friends, and family.
That's what today is about. Real Americans, not a false ideology that benefits the 1%.
