It's Still "We the People", Right? Right?
Dearest America,
I am writing to help remind us all a little bit of the things that make you great but that seem to get forgotten. So on this, the 231st anniversary of your little coming out party, we should all read again the documents that were seminal in forming this 'more perfect union' of ours:
"To all to whom these Presents shall come, we the undersigned Delegates of the States affixed to our Names send greeting." These Articles of Confederation were the first attempt at putting a face on the country, something that was easy to understand but ended up not being comprehensive enough. For a first draft of a democratic country, though, not bad.
So the Framers of the Constitution decided pretty quickly that they'd forgotten a couple of things and made some changes that still apply today, called The Bill of Rights that are somehow perverted to individual ends and aims while stepping all over the guaranteed 'inalienable rights' contained therein of others. What's happening today is alot like Orwell's Animal Farm where all creatures are equal, 'but some are more equal than others'. You remember of course, America, that the collective established on the animal farm was based on communist Russia, don't you? Of course you do. We all need to be reminded of these things from time to time, though, because we're all so busy nowadays that it's even difficult to remember to use your turn signal when you want to change lanes or even make a left turn. What with all the cell phone calls and texting that just have to be done while driving or shopping for groceries, it's amazing we remember to even go to the bathroom. If there wasn't a TV in there, we probably never would, would we?
America, do you remember when you were the Greatest Nation on Earth? When all the others looked to you for leadership and understanding? While it's true we weren't always the best example of what was right here at home (and now things are much worse, with far too many citizens uncovered by health insurance or even a simple blanket in a safe home), we always stood for what was Ultimately Right, understanding the Human Condition better and more honorably (in general, mind you, the few bad apples in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Abu Ghraib can't take away all of that though try they might) than the rest of the world. So it's distressing beyond belief that our leaders have decided to ignore the one good thing that kept our soldiers safe when they had to travel abroad. The Geneva Conventions are sound documents that keep everyone safe and guarantee the same basic rights that our own Constitution gurantees to us. Does it bother you, America, that too few of us have read these documents, and fewer still understand what they really mean?
Do we have to take things down to gradeschool levels in order to understand them?
America, you're the greatest country in the history of this world, and I'm bothered that not enough of us citizens think about that. We take you for granted, and I'm terribly, terribly frightened that even though you may last for my lifetime, you might not be here during the rest of my child's life. It's time, isn't it America, to stand up and hold everyone accountable, try to win some respect back and get on with rebuilding the things that have been torn down that once made us great in the eyes of the world. While we haven't been universally respected, America has been since its inception a force to be reckoned with. Not any more. And maybe never if the general population doesn't start taking a bit of notice and even more interest and put down the cell phone, read a book or newspaper and step up to the plate to become informed and ask the wonderfully human question "Why?" of its leaders.
And when the answer is "because I said so" switches should be flipped and those leaders told "that's not good enough, I need more details because this is my country,too, and you'll be my EX-leader come next election if you don't tell me. I'm smart enough, big enough, I can handle it. Fucking tell me now."
I love you, America. I'm glad you're here. I"m glad to be part of you. Please don't go away. Please let's go outside and shake off the fat and start exercising our rights, our brains and our bodies. Let's get healthy, America. We can do it together.
Love,
Jason
I am writing to help remind us all a little bit of the things that make you great but that seem to get forgotten. So on this, the 231st anniversary of your little coming out party, we should all read again the documents that were seminal in forming this 'more perfect union' of ours:
"To all to whom these Presents shall come, we the undersigned Delegates of the States affixed to our Names send greeting." These Articles of Confederation were the first attempt at putting a face on the country, something that was easy to understand but ended up not being comprehensive enough. For a first draft of a democratic country, though, not bad.
So the Framers of the Constitution decided pretty quickly that they'd forgotten a couple of things and made some changes that still apply today, called The Bill of Rights that are somehow perverted to individual ends and aims while stepping all over the guaranteed 'inalienable rights' contained therein of others. What's happening today is alot like Orwell's Animal Farm where all creatures are equal, 'but some are more equal than others'. You remember of course, America, that the collective established on the animal farm was based on communist Russia, don't you? Of course you do. We all need to be reminded of these things from time to time, though, because we're all so busy nowadays that it's even difficult to remember to use your turn signal when you want to change lanes or even make a left turn. What with all the cell phone calls and texting that just have to be done while driving or shopping for groceries, it's amazing we remember to even go to the bathroom. If there wasn't a TV in there, we probably never would, would we?
America, do you remember when you were the Greatest Nation on Earth? When all the others looked to you for leadership and understanding? While it's true we weren't always the best example of what was right here at home (and now things are much worse, with far too many citizens uncovered by health insurance or even a simple blanket in a safe home), we always stood for what was Ultimately Right, understanding the Human Condition better and more honorably (in general, mind you, the few bad apples in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Abu Ghraib can't take away all of that though try they might) than the rest of the world. So it's distressing beyond belief that our leaders have decided to ignore the one good thing that kept our soldiers safe when they had to travel abroad. The Geneva Conventions are sound documents that keep everyone safe and guarantee the same basic rights that our own Constitution gurantees to us. Does it bother you, America, that too few of us have read these documents, and fewer still understand what they really mean?
Do we have to take things down to gradeschool levels in order to understand them?
Click to viewAmerica, you're the greatest country in the history of this world, and I'm bothered that not enough of us citizens think about that. We take you for granted, and I'm terribly, terribly frightened that even though you may last for my lifetime, you might not be here during the rest of my child's life. It's time, isn't it America, to stand up and hold everyone accountable, try to win some respect back and get on with rebuilding the things that have been torn down that once made us great in the eyes of the world. While we haven't been universally respected, America has been since its inception a force to be reckoned with. Not any more. And maybe never if the general population doesn't start taking a bit of notice and even more interest and put down the cell phone, read a book or newspaper and step up to the plate to become informed and ask the wonderfully human question "Why?" of its leaders.
And when the answer is "because I said so" switches should be flipped and those leaders told "that's not good enough, I need more details because this is my country,too, and you'll be my EX-leader come next election if you don't tell me. I'm smart enough, big enough, I can handle it. Fucking tell me now."
I love you, America. I'm glad you're here. I"m glad to be part of you. Please don't go away. Please let's go outside and shake off the fat and start exercising our rights, our brains and our bodies. Let's get healthy, America. We can do it together.
Love,
Jason