(no subject)
For some reason, something about Fourth of July really rubs me the wrong way.
I'm not sure if it's the firecrackers, which really hurt my ears, or the fact that I'm not a big fan of apple pie that puts me into a cranky mood today. Or maybe, it's the general sense of over-zealous patriotism one sees on a die-hard American's face whenever Fourth of July is mentioned, and the repulsion expressed by the same American when listening to one who dares suggest that patriotism hasn't exactly gotten our country where it needs to be today, nor will it ever.
It could be the fact that celebrating breaking free from tyranny seems awfully hypocritical when our proud, no-nonsense country is under the same kind of oppression King George III enforced, instead, cleverly dubbing it as "Good, wholesome leadership."
It's probably the science nerd in me that cringes every time I hear the phrase, "Happy Birthday, America!" shouted in my ear, knowing that a continent takes over millions of years to fully form, much less inhabit, and for one to adequately appreciate America's birth"day", one would have wear that same red, white, and blue jumpsuit every second for the rest of their lives, and then some. But I'm probably mistaking that cringing for a strong urge to tell the shouter that, while I'm sure the United States of America doesn't mind hearing the Birthday Song sung at full blast, my eardrums do.
..Maybe it's just seeing obese people in red, white, and blue bathing suits, waving paper flags in ill-timed tempo to a mangled version of "The Washington Post March" that irks me. I don't know.
Whatever the thing is, I will just blame Americana culture for it, and go home happy. Well, not happy, but feeling that well-known sense of accomplishment in knowing I'd found something else to blame for my cynicism.
..Let freedom ring..
I'm not sure if it's the firecrackers, which really hurt my ears, or the fact that I'm not a big fan of apple pie that puts me into a cranky mood today. Or maybe, it's the general sense of over-zealous patriotism one sees on a die-hard American's face whenever Fourth of July is mentioned, and the repulsion expressed by the same American when listening to one who dares suggest that patriotism hasn't exactly gotten our country where it needs to be today, nor will it ever.
It could be the fact that celebrating breaking free from tyranny seems awfully hypocritical when our proud, no-nonsense country is under the same kind of oppression King George III enforced, instead, cleverly dubbing it as "Good, wholesome leadership."
It's probably the science nerd in me that cringes every time I hear the phrase, "Happy Birthday, America!" shouted in my ear, knowing that a continent takes over millions of years to fully form, much less inhabit, and for one to adequately appreciate America's birth"day", one would have wear that same red, white, and blue jumpsuit every second for the rest of their lives, and then some. But I'm probably mistaking that cringing for a strong urge to tell the shouter that, while I'm sure the United States of America doesn't mind hearing the Birthday Song sung at full blast, my eardrums do.
..Maybe it's just seeing obese people in red, white, and blue bathing suits, waving paper flags in ill-timed tempo to a mangled version of "The Washington Post March" that irks me. I don't know.
Whatever the thing is, I will just blame Americana culture for it, and go home happy. Well, not happy, but feeling that well-known sense of accomplishment in knowing I'd found something else to blame for my cynicism.
..Let freedom ring..