This is a lttle prayer dedicated to the separation of church and state. I guess if they are going to force those kids to pray in schools they might as well have a nice prayer like this: Our Father who art in heaven, and to the republic for which it stands, thy kingdom come, one nation indivisible as in heaven, give us this day as we forgive those who so proudly we hail. Crown thy good into temptation but deliver us from the twilight’s last gleaming. Amen and Awomen.
- George Carlin
As I do every year ‘round about this time, I find myself reflecting on the state of our collective commitment to the spirit of the season. Once again, as has been the case over the past several years, I’m not seeing a lot more than mere lip service. Man, I’m beginning to sense a very disturbing pattern here….
Peace on Earth? Goodwill toward men? Hmm…well, let’s take a closer look, shall we? We’re still embroiled in a senseless war of occupation in Iraq, and Americans continue coming home in flag-draped coffins. Meanwhile, no one, least of all Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader © can or will provide any indication as to when our sons and daughters will no longer be required to die for the sake of his legacy. Ever-increasing amounts of American blood and treasure continue to be expended in the name of Empire and Oil, and yet far too many Americans continue to believe that this war is about The War Against Terror and/or Protecting Our Freedom.
On a not wholly unrelated note, there seems to be plenty of money to fund our Excellent Adventure in Iraq. Taking care of our own, however, finds BushWorld pleading poverty. We’ve poured untold billions into the war in Iraq, yet we somehow lack sufficient resources to rebuild New Orleans more than two years after Hurrican Katrina devastated the city and parts of the Gulf Coast. With even a portion of the money wasted in Iraq, FEMA could have paved the Ninth Ward in gold filigree, never mind rebuild still-devastated parts of one of our nation’s great cities. Then again, we’re talking about a city full of poor African-Americans who don’t vote Republican, so what else could you reasonably expect? If Katrina had wiped out the Hamptons, you can bet that no expense would have been spared putting things back together for the rich, well-connected White Folks who reliably vote Republican and donate large sums of money to the GOP.
Cynical? Who, me??
We live in a world where self-righteous Fundamentalists can insist that Teri Schiavo be kept alive because it serves their Dominionist agenda as they work to achieve their dream of scrapping the Constitution in favor of an American Theocracy. Yet a single-payer health care system that would guarantee coverage to all Americans is OF THE DEVIL. (CANADIAN SOCIALISM!!!) We have neither the money nor the wherewithal to take care of our own, but the spigot never seems to run dry when it comes to the pursuit of Empire as befits the world’s only remaining superpower.
Call me a wooly-headed, bleeding-heart Liberal if you must, but I can’t help but wonder why taking care of Americans at home remains such a low priority for our own government. This isn’t necessariily about Bush-bashing, though The Worst President EVER © does bear his share of responsibility…and then some. This sorry state of affairs is a problem that predates this Administration and will no doubt survive intact long after it’s departed the scene. It’s sympomatic of a sizable chunk of the American power structure that is authoritarian and anti-egalitarian by nature (somewhere, Ayn Rand is smiling….). To each according to what he can get for himself seems to be the unspoken motto in play here, and far too many Americans seem to be OK with a system that is anything but egalitarian. “That’s OK, just as long as I and mine get what we have coming” is a damn poor way to care for the least among us…and yet there are those who firmly believe that you get what you deserve. Natural selection, don’tchaknow??
I dream of a world where we look out for one another, where the collection of material goods to the exclusion of all else is universally considered a net evil. No, this isn’t to say that we should shave our heads, live in saffron robes, and give away our wordly wealth, but I do believe that to whom much is given, much should be expected. As a society, we fall far short of that goal…and I include myself among those who can and should do better.
My hope is that next year at this time, I’ll be able to look around me and see an America that’s decided to take care of it’s own before trying to conquer and dominate the world. I hope to see an America where our resources are used to build up and support the least among us, instead of propping up a senseless war designed primarily to ensure a uninterrupted supply of oil and the highly-propagandized legacy of a thug and tyrant. In a country where homeless continues to be a scourge and millions of Americans have no health insurance, can we really claim to be the most powerful and enlightened country in the world?
I know…call me a dreamer….
Merry Christmas, y’all. May this find you safe and happy and surrounded by those you love. May this holiday season be everything you dream of and then some. Now get off the Internet and go spend some time with your kids!
