After-Sundown Patriots
We watched the fireworks along with everyone else on Wednesday. This year, we watched from a distance, because Mom’s foot is all bandaged up after some minor surgery, and walking from a parking space to the “front row” seats would have been too much. And that was okay, although we couldn’t feel the chest-thumper percussion fireworks, and the sounds of explosion were a little out of sync with the radio accompaniment. Perhaps the physical distance was responsible for my emotional distance from the patriotic display, but I don’t think so. I think, instead, I wasn’t prepared to join in.
This was the first year, ever, that I didn’t feel patriotic swellings to match the fireworks. Our national leaders have ruined our international standing, politicized our courts, politicized election oversight, emptied the treasury, launched an unjust war, weakened our military, profited personally from each of these transgressions, ignored its citizens’ constitutional rights, endangered public servants to punish dissent, and above all have done everything possible to eliminate government accountability to the voters for its actions, and their own accountability to anyone for anything. The opposition has shown no will to resist, much less reverse, these profound threats to America, even after winning a majority in congress, and are now preparing to lose again in 2008. The news media have tamely abandoned their role as political watchdogs.
We, the people, don’t care enough to stop it.
I love my country, and I am proud to be an American. But never have I loved it less, or been less proud. Instead of stirring my pride, this year’s fireworks made me conscious of our collective shame.