But they don't. In fact, it's the opposite. At least it's the opposite of what the values of America are supposed to be. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave. We are one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We believe in promoting the general welfare. Anyone who's ever attended a public school or been to any sporting event has heard these phrases repeatedly. Yet those who wave this flag the highest are the ones who are attempting to deny those promised ideals to those this nation has routinely and historically oppressed.
If we had liberty and justice for all, we would not have a system designed to keep certain segments of the population from receiving those promised ideals. Look at education. Every state in the nation, to some degree, links education funding with property taxes. This means that the lower the income of a city or town, the less educational funding they receive, and it's no coincidence that those areas are often non-white populations. Look at Arkansas as an example of how these conditions impact education. Without necessary education, progress in any field is impossible, ensuring that those with means are primarily the ones who will advance, while those without means, often people of color, are trapped in a never-ending cycle of poverty.
If we were the land of the free, people would not be denied basic rights based on gender identity. They would not be prohibited from serving their country in the military based on how they identify. If we were the home of the brave, people would have the courage to stand up for what's right, to stand up for those being oppressed, yet those waving the flag like this are the ones voting for people, at all levels, who refuse to let everyone in this nation enjoy the same rights. Look at the voting restrictions red states are implementing, those that would deny people, usually of color, the ability to vote by mail or on Sundays or after nine-to-five working hours.
If we were one nation, everyone would have equal access to health care, yet conservatives, primarily white men, are doing everything they can to deny women their own reproductive rights based on beliefs derived from a religious text instead of medical science. The hypocrisy is palpable as red state after red state passes cardiac activity based legislation to deny women safe access to abortion, yet in every single state it is legal to take someone deemed brain dead off life support even though their heart is still beating.
If we believed in promoting the general welfare, every single eligible person in this country would be vaccinated and boostered against COVID, the same way we're vaccinated against the mumps, the measles, rubella, Hepatitis, Tetanus, and Polio. Vaccines were once lauded as miracles, and scientists were praised for their contributions. Instead, the far right are launching successful efforts to take over local school boards for the right to be ignorant (at best) and a health risk to others (at worst) based on meritless conspiracy theories instead of believing in and trusting medical science.
It is because of the values of those broadcasting their self-described patriotism that I proclaim those supporting these mentalities as unfit to wave this flag. Instead, I propose that those in favor of supporting every American, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual identity; those who believe that all people are indeed created equal; those who are more concerned with helping the majority instead of hampering them be the ones to wave the flag. Wave it alongside the Pride flag. Wave it alongside the Black Lives Matter flag. Wave it alongside whatever way you can proclaim your faith in science.
If we had liberty and justice for all, we would not have a system designed to keep certain segments of the population from receiving those promised ideals. Look at education. Every state in the nation, to some degree, links education funding with property taxes. This means that the lower the income of a city or town, the less educational funding they receive, and it's no coincidence that those areas are often non-white populations. Look at Arkansas as an example of how these conditions impact education. Without necessary education, progress in any field is impossible, ensuring that those with means are primarily the ones who will advance, while those without means, often people of color, are trapped in a never-ending cycle of poverty.
If we were the land of the free, people would not be denied basic rights based on gender identity. They would not be prohibited from serving their country in the military based on how they identify. If we were the home of the brave, people would have the courage to stand up for what's right, to stand up for those being oppressed, yet those waving the flag like this are the ones voting for people, at all levels, who refuse to let everyone in this nation enjoy the same rights. Look at the voting restrictions red states are implementing, those that would deny people, usually of color, the ability to vote by mail or on Sundays or after nine-to-five working hours.
If we were one nation, everyone would have equal access to health care, yet conservatives, primarily white men, are doing everything they can to deny women their own reproductive rights based on beliefs derived from a religious text instead of medical science. The hypocrisy is palpable as red state after red state passes cardiac activity based legislation to deny women safe access to abortion, yet in every single state it is legal to take someone deemed brain dead off life support even though their heart is still beating.
If we believed in promoting the general welfare, every single eligible person in this country would be vaccinated and boostered against COVID, the same way we're vaccinated against the mumps, the measles, rubella, Hepatitis, Tetanus, and Polio. Vaccines were once lauded as miracles, and scientists were praised for their contributions. Instead, the far right are launching successful efforts to take over local school boards for the right to be ignorant (at best) and a health risk to others (at worst) based on meritless conspiracy theories instead of believing in and trusting medical science.
Let those who would deny others the ideals promised by this nation yell about taking our country back; let the rest of us take our country forward.
And if for some reason you disagree with any of these thoughts and observations, please don't ignore me. Don't block me. Don't flame me. Talk to me.
If you've read this far, here's a picture of Horatio playing in the snow:
And if for some reason you disagree with any of these thoughts and observations, please don't ignore me. Don't block me. Don't flame me. Talk to me.
If you've read this far, here's a picture of Horatio playing in the snow:
I also bristle when I see the pickup truck with the flag....
ReplyDeleteI love that you are back to blogging; the format is beautiful, and the content wise! I know I *should* weigh in on the flag issue but, since your last two posts have included pictures of Horatio as a P.S., in my heart I am hoping that trend continues (please... <3 )
ReplyDeletePreach! Love this!
ReplyDelete