misc | 4th Of July: Part II

Have you ever had the thought that like Canada, Australia, and India, yes, the U.S.A would have become independent without the so-called Revolutionary War? Well, we got our political independence, but let's not say freedom. How can we say freedom when we're corporately enslaved? How can we say free when political apathy is rampant? Back then, at least one knew who the enemy was; now the assumption of freedom makes our dependence all the more debilitating. I'm glad, however, that there are always voices on the margins:


Maybe the most patriotic thing one can do is listen to voices from the underbelly of the American experiment and of the world, Emma Lazarus' huddled masses, the wretched refuse, and the homeless. Maybe it would be to celebrate the recent immigrants and aliens among us, those who most exemplify the spirit of escaping tyranny (economic or political) in search of freedom and opportunity. Maybe it means shuttering our military bases abroad in the spirit of combating our own colonial whims or sharing a meal with someone of a differing race, religion, orientation or class. There is plenty to celebrate in the United States and there are plenty of ways to be patriotic which go beyond unfurling flags and the lighting of bottle rockets. We probably need more patriots and less patriot blood.

[AYT][Theology][America][4th]