INDEPENDENCE DAY- IS THIS THE BEST WE CAN DO?

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I wish it wasn’t so, but there are an awful lot of things going on as this National holiday approaches that have me feeling curmudgeonly. It’s hard to celebrate the greatness of America without acknowledging that quite a few things have been incredibly out of synchronization in the past few years. As I type this, I’m forced to deal with issues that I previously could not even imagine. I’m very grateful to be able to say that both of my parents are alive, but the harsh realities of 2008 are weighing very heavily on both of them. My father has worked hard his entire life, and he put away what seemed to be a more than adequate nest egg. However, instead of retiring into a life of leisure, my parents are deeply concerned about the inadequacy of a health care system that may bankrupt them at any minute, increasing fuel and food expenses that have risen so high as to dwindle their principle, and a drop in the value of their home which leaves them with little equity to spare.

            Meanwhile, there have been oversight hearings in Washington, D.C. about the “disappearance” of 363 tons of U.S. cash, most of which has been stolen by corrupt, ‘privatized’ members of the armed forces, or has fallen into the hands of the very same people we have been claiming to be our enemy. Imagine 363 tons of cash – and we aren’t talking about copper pennies. We aren’t even talking about $1 dollar bills. It is estimated that we lost 363 tons of bills valued between $20 and $100 dollars. Can you even fathom this? Can you imagine what Americans could do with that money? How can we even wonder why the American dollar is so devalued when billions and billions of dollars are stolen or lost to war profiteers and scoundrels? 99% of Americans struggle to keep their heads above water, but a fraction of 1% know which pot to stick their fingers in. The rest of us pay for it.

            Furthermore, we live in a time when Hispanic non-citizens are quickly becoming America’s #1 export. Who does this benefit? Our civil rights have practically vanished in the name of war, with quasi-legal wiretapping, endorsed “coaxing” techniques (we can’t call it ‘torture’) of illegal combatants, and an Executive branch that is unaccountable for ANY of this. Each one of us is a little less American each and every day that we allow this to happen. That is why I am having a hard time celebrating the greatness of America. As citizens, we have allowed the thieves to rule the roost, and we have been either hypnotized by the media, or collectively cowardly in chastising leaders who do nothing while our lives and values as American citizens crumble before our very eyes. So, I will celebrate the longevity of America’s existence, but my celebration is tempered by a desire to see that justice is done to those who have raped our savings, pillaged our civil rights and stole our dignity as citizens, and I’ll try to retain the naive optimistic hope that better times – and better politicians – are coming.

            Here’s a list of curmudgeonly songs that convey my spirit this 4^th of July

1)    Moneyland – The Del McCoury Band

2)    American Gangster Time – Elvis Costello

3)    America Loves a Minstrel Show – American Music Club

4)    American Idiot – Green Day

5)    I Can’t Take It No More – John Fogerty

6)    Shock and Awe – Neil Young

7)    American Dream – Lucinda Williams

8)    What Happened? – Merle Haggard

9)    Amerika v 6.0 (The Best We Can Do) – Steve Earle

10)  This Land Is Your Land – Woody Guthrie