Dear President Obama,
I am a middle-aged white woman from a working class family. Growing up, I was fortunate to have had stable family, a good education, food to eat and a place to live. I was born in Massachusetts and now live in South Florida. My political views are moderate to liberal. I am a patriotic, American Flag waving democrat. I believe Abraham Lincoln was our greatest President. I admire Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith for her fierce independence and willingness to stand up to her Republican colleagues in the Senate when they, led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, were destroying American lives with lies. I wish more Republicans had her courage. I am gay. I voted for you. I supported the Affordable Care Act and celebrated when it passed, when it was upheld by the Supreme Court the first time and the second time. I can afford and now have health insurance only because of the Affordable Care Act.
The Civil War ended 150 years ago and still the struggles continue. You are the first African American President. That is reason to celebrate how far we have come as a nation, but instead, we are forced to look in the mirror and realize just how very far we have to go and just how few steps we have taken. I am sorry that some of my fellow white Americans refuse to support you not because of your political ideology, but simply because of the color of your skin. I am sorry that my fellow white Americans who hold public office refuse to work with you not just because they disagree with your political platform, but also because of the color of your skin. I am sorry for all that you have not been able to accomplish throughout your Presidency because a group of white American politicians decided that stopping you was so much more important than moving our country forward and part of their reason for doing so was the color of your skin. I am sorry for all the disrespectful names you have been called and all the times that you have been heckled. Many Presidents have been heckled and called names, including President Abraham Lincoln, who was subjected to much ridicule and derision. But all of those men were white and none were subjected to the overt racism you have dealt with on a daily basis.
I want to apologize to you, President Obama, not for what I have done, but for what I have failed to do. I have seen the racist posts and pictures shared on Facebook by people I know. I have shaken my head and deleted them. I have sometimes been stunned that people I know, including a few family members, have "liked" or shared certain things, but I have, until recently, said very little and never posted anything directly to my friends and family who are sharing those posts. I've posted a couple of comments on Facebook and even wrote a blog post asking "Is that really what you believe?" But i have come to understand that my silence becomes my acceptance of not just what I do mot accept, but must not accept. I will no longer be silent, Mr. President!
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Ah, equal rights, we are moving closer...
Thursday June 25 and Friday June 26, 2015 were good days, actually great days, for equal rights. On Thursday, The Supreme Court upheld, for the second time, that the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, is constitutional. The decision means that everyone must have equal access to healthcare, not just the well-off and well-paid. While not a perfect system, the ACA has enabled more people to afford insurance. I know because I am one of the people who can now afford health insurance. I also happen to be one of the people who would have lost my government subsidy if the Supreme Court had ruled differently. I live in Florida, one of the States that has refused to either expand Medicaid or set up its own healthcare exchange.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court also upheld the Fair Housing Act which means equal opportunity for housing. Such a simple concept, really. Those responsible for making decisions as to who can rent any rental property cannot discriminate.
Friday was a day of great jubilation for members of the LGBT community. Finally, marriage equality for same sex couples is and must be recognized in every State. Finally, same sex couples will receive the same protections and benefits as husbands and wives receive. This is bittersweet for me. I am happy for all those couples who can now and will in the future be able to get married. The ruling is a little over nine years too late for my partner and me. She died in March 2006.
Along with the Supreme Court issuing decisions to solidify equal rights, many States have begun to either remove or take steps to remove the Confederate Flag from government buildings and grounds as well as license plates. The Confederate Flag has long been a symbol of white supremacy, of defiance to the Federal Government's orders to end the "Whites only" and "Blacks only" segregation throughout the South, in protest against giving Blacks equal rights in the voting booth and in their every day lives. The Confederate Flag was a weapon of fear and those carrying that Flag sought to terrorize Black people.
Ah, so many steps toward equal rights, yet we still have more steps to take. Too often, the very people who are fighting for equality for themselves are fighting against equality for others. Some members of the Black community, long engaged in a struggle to be treated equally, refused to extend those same rights to members of the LGBT community because of religious beliefs. Some White members of the LGBT community are racists who support efforts to suppress rights for the Black community. How ironic that people are so willing to deny others the rights they want for themselves.
This concept is not new and has pervaded our country throughout its history. Americans of English descent believed they were superior to other white ethnic groups. Irish Catholics emigrating to the United States struggled to find jobs and employers often posted signs which said: "Irish or catholic need not apply". Yet the Irish, after achieving some sense of equality, did not as a group support other minorities in their struggles for equal rights. Despite their history of oppression and mistreatment at the hands of the English in their own homeland, some Irish in America objected to fighting in the Civil war to end slavery. It is a sad legacy for all minorities that some of them were and still are all too willing to deny the equality they want to others,
Women could make so many changes in this country, but some women continue to vote against themselves. Some women do not believe that a woman should receive the same pay as men or the same protections under the law. The biggest obstacle to women achieving equality is women and has always been women. This is not a battle between working women and stay at home mothers, but often that is where the lines are drawn. This is not a battle between modern and traditional values, though that becomes a point of anger and animosity. This is just a matter women being treated the same and paid the same and having the same opportunities as men.
We, as a country, have the opportunity to take this moment and make something more of it. We, as a county, have been given the chance to hold in our hands, a small flame of our Statue of Liberty's torch of freedom and equality. Whether we walk forward holding high our flames or extinguish them will determine how much closer we move toward equal rights for everyone. What message will we send to future generations? What will be our legacy? That we had the courage to say this is the moment that we let freedom ring louder and stronger? Or that we refused to stand up for freedom and equality?
On Thursday, the Supreme Court also upheld the Fair Housing Act which means equal opportunity for housing. Such a simple concept, really. Those responsible for making decisions as to who can rent any rental property cannot discriminate.
Friday was a day of great jubilation for members of the LGBT community. Finally, marriage equality for same sex couples is and must be recognized in every State. Finally, same sex couples will receive the same protections and benefits as husbands and wives receive. This is bittersweet for me. I am happy for all those couples who can now and will in the future be able to get married. The ruling is a little over nine years too late for my partner and me. She died in March 2006.
Along with the Supreme Court issuing decisions to solidify equal rights, many States have begun to either remove or take steps to remove the Confederate Flag from government buildings and grounds as well as license plates. The Confederate Flag has long been a symbol of white supremacy, of defiance to the Federal Government's orders to end the "Whites only" and "Blacks only" segregation throughout the South, in protest against giving Blacks equal rights in the voting booth and in their every day lives. The Confederate Flag was a weapon of fear and those carrying that Flag sought to terrorize Black people.
Ah, so many steps toward equal rights, yet we still have more steps to take. Too often, the very people who are fighting for equality for themselves are fighting against equality for others. Some members of the Black community, long engaged in a struggle to be treated equally, refused to extend those same rights to members of the LGBT community because of religious beliefs. Some White members of the LGBT community are racists who support efforts to suppress rights for the Black community. How ironic that people are so willing to deny others the rights they want for themselves.
This concept is not new and has pervaded our country throughout its history. Americans of English descent believed they were superior to other white ethnic groups. Irish Catholics emigrating to the United States struggled to find jobs and employers often posted signs which said: "Irish or catholic need not apply". Yet the Irish, after achieving some sense of equality, did not as a group support other minorities in their struggles for equal rights. Despite their history of oppression and mistreatment at the hands of the English in their own homeland, some Irish in America objected to fighting in the Civil war to end slavery. It is a sad legacy for all minorities that some of them were and still are all too willing to deny the equality they want to others,
Women could make so many changes in this country, but some women continue to vote against themselves. Some women do not believe that a woman should receive the same pay as men or the same protections under the law. The biggest obstacle to women achieving equality is women and has always been women. This is not a battle between working women and stay at home mothers, but often that is where the lines are drawn. This is not a battle between modern and traditional values, though that becomes a point of anger and animosity. This is just a matter women being treated the same and paid the same and having the same opportunities as men.
We, as a country, have the opportunity to take this moment and make something more of it. We, as a county, have been given the chance to hold in our hands, a small flame of our Statue of Liberty's torch of freedom and equality. Whether we walk forward holding high our flames or extinguish them will determine how much closer we move toward equal rights for everyone. What message will we send to future generations? What will be our legacy? That we had the courage to say this is the moment that we let freedom ring louder and stronger? Or that we refused to stand up for freedom and equality?
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Is that really what you believe?
I know you. I speak with you, I count you among my friends. I have even been the recipient of your kindness and generosity. But when you share posts from conservative groups on Facebook, I am not just surprised, but stunned. You have shared words that are overtly racist and words that, while not specifically racist, certainly invoke the ideals and ideas of racism. When I see those posts, I am left wondering whether the words you have shared are words you really believe and if so, why?
Do you also agree with other conservative ideas about women? That women do not deserve the same pay as men? That women do not deserve the same protection under the law as men? Do you also share conservative views about gays and gay rights? Do you believe that gay people do not deserve the same rights and protections as straight people? Do you believe that gay people, including me, are an abomination?
Do you really believe that social service programs which help the elderly, veterans, children and those most in need of help should be eliminated? Do you honestly believe that people should not be able to get affordable healthcare? Do you really believe that everyone receiving government assistance is just too lazy to help themselves? Are you so well off that you know you will never need Social Security or Medicare when you are older? Are you so well off that you can retire without worrying about how you will pay for health insurance or prescriptions or any other medical expenses?
I already know the answer is "No!" because I know some things about you. I know a bit about your finances because you've shared that information with me. I know a bit about your financial struggles because you've shared them with me. I know that you are or have been with someone who received government assistance in some form and that assistance does or did help you financially. What would happen or would have happened if you did not have that income? I also know you have friends or relatives who are or have received some form of government assistance. Do you believe they should not be receiving that help or should not have received that help? You share posts from groups who want to end all social service programs. You proudly support a political party that does not support you, yet for some reason you can not or will not see that. I know you are holding on to the party of your birth, but that is not the party you are now supporting!
But what leaves me stunned is the racist posts you are sharing especially after nine people were killed by a young white racist. A young man who was influenced by long held racists beliefs. The blood of those nine people just as surely stains the hands of all who have spoken and spread hatred and racism as that blood stains the hands of the killer and the floor of the Emanuel AME Church. Are those the words you really want to share? Is that really what you believe?
Do you also agree with other conservative ideas about women? That women do not deserve the same pay as men? That women do not deserve the same protection under the law as men? Do you also share conservative views about gays and gay rights? Do you believe that gay people do not deserve the same rights and protections as straight people? Do you believe that gay people, including me, are an abomination?
Do you really believe that social service programs which help the elderly, veterans, children and those most in need of help should be eliminated? Do you honestly believe that people should not be able to get affordable healthcare? Do you really believe that everyone receiving government assistance is just too lazy to help themselves? Are you so well off that you know you will never need Social Security or Medicare when you are older? Are you so well off that you can retire without worrying about how you will pay for health insurance or prescriptions or any other medical expenses?
I already know the answer is "No!" because I know some things about you. I know a bit about your finances because you've shared that information with me. I know a bit about your financial struggles because you've shared them with me. I know that you are or have been with someone who received government assistance in some form and that assistance does or did help you financially. What would happen or would have happened if you did not have that income? I also know you have friends or relatives who are or have received some form of government assistance. Do you believe they should not be receiving that help or should not have received that help? You share posts from groups who want to end all social service programs. You proudly support a political party that does not support you, yet for some reason you can not or will not see that. I know you are holding on to the party of your birth, but that is not the party you are now supporting!
But what leaves me stunned is the racist posts you are sharing especially after nine people were killed by a young white racist. A young man who was influenced by long held racists beliefs. The blood of those nine people just as surely stains the hands of all who have spoken and spread hatred and racism as that blood stains the hands of the killer and the floor of the Emanuel AME Church. Are those the words you really want to share? Is that really what you believe?
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
What you do not know hurts our country
Ah, the old saying "what you don't know won't hurt you" is, of course, a false statement for so many reasons. What you don't know about your health issues can kill you. Fortunately, with healthcare more accessible here in the United States, people have a better chance of finding out if they have potential life-threatening illnesses or complications. They can then use that information to make informed decisions about how best to move forward to take better care of themselves and manage health issues that otherwise might have gone undetected until near fatal or fatal.
Health is not the only area where knowledge is important. Equally as important is knowing and having a basic understanding of the history of the United States, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and how government functions Why type of government did the Constitution create? Why are there three branches of government? What can the executive branch do and not do? What can the legislative branch do and not do? What can the judicial branch do and not do? What is judicial review and why is it important? What is the system of checks and balances and why is it important? How does a bill become a law? What rights are granted to the Federal government by the Constitution? What rights are retained by the States?
Why is knowing the answers to these questions so important? Because not knowing them means relying on "others" to provide that information. Too often the "sources" of such vital information are politicians and commentators who either do not know the answers themselves or willfully mislead with incorrect answers. This, then, creates voters who are not making the best decisions for either themselves or our country. These voters then believe that whatever the politicians and commentators say is factual. They also believe that the only way to resolve problems is to do what these politicians and commentators say must be done, regardless of the fact that what they are being told is completely false and can not work precisely because of how the government was created by the framers of the Constitution.
Misinformed voters elect candidates who are either also misinformed and therefore incapable of making the best decisions for the country or willfully trying to put forth their own agenda which will never be best for the country. The government created by our Constitution will never be perfect because it will always be run by imperfect people. However, the government was designed to work best when all parties and interests strive to find that most common ground. When all parties and interests look for and follow that path which moves the country forward together, not attempts to tear us apart and divide us into enemies. We went down that path once before and thankfully survived to remain united. Let us all become more informed about our government, our history, our Constitution and our Bill of Rights. Let us then use that information to make the best choices for all of us. We can do that. We have the ability to do that. We can vote and our votes count. Let's make them informed votes!
Health is not the only area where knowledge is important. Equally as important is knowing and having a basic understanding of the history of the United States, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and how government functions Why type of government did the Constitution create? Why are there three branches of government? What can the executive branch do and not do? What can the legislative branch do and not do? What can the judicial branch do and not do? What is judicial review and why is it important? What is the system of checks and balances and why is it important? How does a bill become a law? What rights are granted to the Federal government by the Constitution? What rights are retained by the States?
Why is knowing the answers to these questions so important? Because not knowing them means relying on "others" to provide that information. Too often the "sources" of such vital information are politicians and commentators who either do not know the answers themselves or willfully mislead with incorrect answers. This, then, creates voters who are not making the best decisions for either themselves or our country. These voters then believe that whatever the politicians and commentators say is factual. They also believe that the only way to resolve problems is to do what these politicians and commentators say must be done, regardless of the fact that what they are being told is completely false and can not work precisely because of how the government was created by the framers of the Constitution.
Misinformed voters elect candidates who are either also misinformed and therefore incapable of making the best decisions for the country or willfully trying to put forth their own agenda which will never be best for the country. The government created by our Constitution will never be perfect because it will always be run by imperfect people. However, the government was designed to work best when all parties and interests strive to find that most common ground. When all parties and interests look for and follow that path which moves the country forward together, not attempts to tear us apart and divide us into enemies. We went down that path once before and thankfully survived to remain united. Let us all become more informed about our government, our history, our Constitution and our Bill of Rights. Let us then use that information to make the best choices for all of us. We can do that. We have the ability to do that. We can vote and our votes count. Let's make them informed votes!
Liberty Enlightening The World
She arrived in New York harbor 130 years ago today. A gift from the citizens of France to the citizens of the United States. She came in pieces and had to be assembled. She was named "Liberty Enlightening the World" by her creator, Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi. At her dedication ceremony on October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland said, "We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home." Yes, Liberty had made her home here in the United States just twenty years after the end of a civil war that nearly destroyed our country. Just twenty years after the assassination of President Lincoln. Just twenty-three years after President Lincoln called on his fellow Americans to join with him to ensure "that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."
She also became know as the "Mother of Exiles." For immigrants sailing into New York harbor, she stood, torch lit, guiding them to a new land. She held their hopes and dreams just as surely as she held her torch. She held the promise of liberty and freedom just as surely as she held the tablet inscribed July 4, 1776. The broken chains at her feet echoed the words of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence that all are created equal and Abraham Lincoln's call at Gettysburg for "a new birth of freedom." She gave light and form to this illusive concept of liberty and freedom.
Her new home country still struggled with achieving equality when she arrived. Women had yet to be given a voice. Former slaves still struggled to be treated equally. Struggles for equality still remain today. The voices have changed but the battle for freedom against those who still want to deny equality to all continues. The Statue of Liberty still stands in the harbor holding her torch, Her flame has not been extinguished, despite the best efforts of various groups throughout these 130 years. Neither will our quest for equality and liberty for all. We will continue to move forward, our path lit by Liberty's torch.
She also became know as the "Mother of Exiles." For immigrants sailing into New York harbor, she stood, torch lit, guiding them to a new land. She held their hopes and dreams just as surely as she held her torch. She held the promise of liberty and freedom just as surely as she held the tablet inscribed July 4, 1776. The broken chains at her feet echoed the words of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence that all are created equal and Abraham Lincoln's call at Gettysburg for "a new birth of freedom." She gave light and form to this illusive concept of liberty and freedom.
Her new home country still struggled with achieving equality when she arrived. Women had yet to be given a voice. Former slaves still struggled to be treated equally. Struggles for equality still remain today. The voices have changed but the battle for freedom against those who still want to deny equality to all continues. The Statue of Liberty still stands in the harbor holding her torch, Her flame has not been extinguished, despite the best efforts of various groups throughout these 130 years. Neither will our quest for equality and liberty for all. We will continue to move forward, our path lit by Liberty's torch.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
The Pledge of Allegiance
"I pledge allegiance
to the flag of the United States of America,
and to the republic for which it stands,
one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
From the first grade in September 1965 until the end of senior year in high school in May 1977, I stood up, faced the American Flag, put my hand over my heart said the Pledge of Allegiance. I was quite surprised to see a child not stand when the Pledge of Allegiance was recited when I worked briefly as a teacher aide in the spring of 1988. I was equally surprised when I learned in the years after that the Pledge of Allegiance was no longer recited in all elementary and high schools.
Some people have rejected the idea of saying the Pledge of Allegiance based on their religious convictions. Others choose not to say the Pledge of Allegiance because of the words "under God" which were not part of the original Pledge and are quick to point that out through social media outlets such as Facebook. Some view the Pledge of Allegiance as a way of "indoctrinating" or perhaps "brainwashing" children into unquestioning loyalty much like Hitler did with loyalty oaths in Germany. Somehow saying the Pledge of Allegiance as a child will create a mindless adult who will be loyal regardless of what the country and its leadership does. A "my country right or wrong" doctrine that no one questions.
I attended Roman Catholic schools from grades 1 through 6 and grades 8-12. I received a wonderful education that gave me the opportunity to look at the facts and come to my own opinions and conclusions. My love for The United States, The Constitution, the Flag and the Statue of liberty comes not from being "brainwashed" or persuaded to think a certain way or believe a truth, but from a deep understanding of what our country can be based on the principles in both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
"I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America" that doesn't force people to say the Pledge of Allegiance. In other countries, refusal to take oaths of loyalty often result in imprisonment or death.
"I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America" that represents all those who died and those who risked their lives fighting for independence.
"I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America" that represents the form of government created by the Constitution, a new experiment that relied not on a monarchy or dictator, but shared powers and a system of checks and balances. A government that gave votes and voices to its citizens.
"I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America". The flag of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Monroe, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and all the men and women who guided the country through its beginning.
"I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America" that Abraham Lincoln and the northern States fought so long and hard to preserve.
"I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America" that draped the coffin of Abraham Lincoln and all those who have died to ensure that we remain united and free.
"I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America" that says "that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from this earth."
"I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America" that every immigrant who has made the journey to our country sees. The flag that offers freedom. The flag that welcomes.
"I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America" that Francis Scott Key saw still flying at Fort McHenry in the early morning hours after the Fort had been bombarded by by the British throughout the night.
"I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America". A flag which is not merely a piece of cloth with some stars and stripes on it, but a flag which symbolizes the ideals of freedom, equality and democracy. A flag whose country and people have been tested time and time again, but still stand tall just like our flag.
"I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America" that says all must be equal and we will continue that quest until equality is achieved. We will not allow anyone or any group to deny equality.
"I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America" that says everyone's voice and vote does count and must be counted. The right to vote was not granted to all citizens immediately. The struggle was long and difficult. Our flag reminds us that we must never allow anyone or any group to turn back the hands of time and deny anyone the right to vote or silence any voice.
"I pledge allegiance to flag of the United States of America", will you join me?
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
The National Anthem
Last Thursday, my co-worker was listening to the first game of the NBA Championship. When I heard the announcement that the National Anthem was about to be sung, I walked closer to the radio. As the first notes were played, I placed my hand over my heart. My co-worker saw me and he, too, placed his hand over his heart. We stood silently, hands on our hearts, listening to the National Anthem of our country. That is not the first time I have stopped what I was doing and placed my hand over my heart when the National Anthem was sung. I do not need to be at a sporting event or any other event, for that matter, where the National Anthem is played, to honor the playing of National Anthem. It is enough for me just to hear the music being played on the television or the radio.
Francis Scott Key wrote the poem which became the Star Spangled Banner and our National Anthem. He had witnessed the British attack on Fort McHenry and saw the American Flag still flying as the sun rose.
The first stanza is used as the National Anthem:
In 1986, Claire Cloninger, to celebrate the Re-dedication of the Statue of Liberty, wrote another verse:
Francis Scott Key wrote the poem which became the Star Spangled Banner and our National Anthem. He had witnessed the British attack on Fort McHenry and saw the American Flag still flying as the sun rose.
The first stanza is used as the National Anthem:
O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
In 1986, Claire Cloninger, to celebrate the Re-dedication of the Statue of Liberty, wrote another verse:
And still we can see, as the years have gone by,
there's a dream in our land like a flame that keeps burning.
And the lantern of hope from the harbor still shines.
Those who seek freedom's dream, to its light are still turning.
Now we look to the skies and we lift up our eyes,
for we know with the dawn we will see our flag rise.
And this is our star spangled banner unfurled
as a sign to the free and a hope to the world.
Both stanzas speak of a country unafraid. A country which looks forward with hope not back with fear. A country which offers hope to the world not closed doors and borders. A country which has accomplished so much and still has so much to accomplish. A country that can withstand difficulty and hardship without giving up and being defeated. A country that was nearly torn apart by a Civil War and remains united in a belief "that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Today we remain very much a country divided. There are those who wish to deny equality to all people and place restrictions on the very principle of the right to life by suggesting that only those who can afford the basic necessities of life ought to have the basic necessities of life: food, shelter, health care. They are the ones who shout the loudest and fight the hardest to protect the unborn only to shun the born.
But our National Anthem is louder than those voices. Our National Anthem represents a country and a people who say: we have been tested and tried. We have faced those who sought to destroy our government and our liberty. We have stood together and withstood the attacks each and every time and we will again! Our national Anthem says that we have heard this talk before in the years before the Civil War and the question has already been answered! We have already say a loud and clear "Yes!" to continuing our democracy and our pursuit of equality.
I will place my hand on my heart whenever and wherever I hear our National Anthem because for me, it is so much more than just the words of a poem set to music. To me, our National Anthem is what we can be! A country and a people that never surrender!
Today we remain very much a country divided. There are those who wish to deny equality to all people and place restrictions on the very principle of the right to life by suggesting that only those who can afford the basic necessities of life ought to have the basic necessities of life: food, shelter, health care. They are the ones who shout the loudest and fight the hardest to protect the unborn only to shun the born.
But our National Anthem is louder than those voices. Our National Anthem represents a country and a people who say: we have been tested and tried. We have faced those who sought to destroy our government and our liberty. We have stood together and withstood the attacks each and every time and we will again! Our national Anthem says that we have heard this talk before in the years before the Civil War and the question has already been answered! We have already say a loud and clear "Yes!" to continuing our democracy and our pursuit of equality.
I will place my hand on my heart whenever and wherever I hear our National Anthem because for me, it is so much more than just the words of a poem set to music. To me, our National Anthem is what we can be! A country and a people that never surrender!
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
"What has happened to a free America?"
That is the question that was part of a comment posted on a quote by President Obama that I'd posted on Facebook about the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare). President Obama said that people's "lives are better. This is now part of the fabric of how we care for one another." The person who posted the comment posed the question "What has happened to a free America?" Then stated that "Now we are being forced" to get insurance. That kind of thinking and those questions are not new. Quite the contrary, they have been repeated many times when citizens do not like a particular law passed by the Local, State or Federal government.
I remember when Massachusetts passed the seat belt law. Signs were placed on the side of all the interstate roads alerting motorists that they must wear seat belts in Massachusetts. Oh how the conservative Republicans rose up in anger at being forced to wear a seat belt. How dare the Government of Massachusetts tell anyone that they must wear a seat belt? Apparently the right to impale one's self on a steering wheel or smash one's head into the windshield are rights that must never be taken away and always defended. The conservatives did win that early battle and all the signs were changed from Massachusetts requires seat belts to Massachusetts strongly encourages the use of seat belts.
The same argument has also been used regarding wearing motorcycle helmets. How dare any Government require motorcycle riders to wear helmets? How dare any Government take away the right to crack one's head open on the pavement?
Regarding healthcare, how dare the Government take away one's right to be sick and not be able to afford to go to the doctor? How dare any Government take away one's right to not be able to afford prescriptions? How dare any Government take away one's right to wait until an illness becomes life-threatening and a trip to the Emergency Room becomes a necessity because there is no alternative? No health insurance to provide a way to afford a doctor visit?
Lastly, there is the question: "What has happened to a free America?" Absolutely nothing has happened to free America! Nothing at all! We still have a free America! If anyone doubts our freedom, think about the fact that we can speak out against the policies of our Local, State and National Governments without fear of reprisal. We can speak out against our elected officials, including our President, without fear of reprisal. Not all people in all countries have that freedom. In Cuba, China and North Korea, speaking out against the government and the countries' leaders will get one arrested and often killed.
Go look up images of the protests that took place in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Chinese students were killed for speaking out! That is loss of freedom! That is loss of life! To suggest that Americans are not free because they have to have life-saving healthcare insurance is an insult to those who truly are not free and whose blood has been spilled in an effort to become free!
I remember when Massachusetts passed the seat belt law. Signs were placed on the side of all the interstate roads alerting motorists that they must wear seat belts in Massachusetts. Oh how the conservative Republicans rose up in anger at being forced to wear a seat belt. How dare the Government of Massachusetts tell anyone that they must wear a seat belt? Apparently the right to impale one's self on a steering wheel or smash one's head into the windshield are rights that must never be taken away and always defended. The conservatives did win that early battle and all the signs were changed from Massachusetts requires seat belts to Massachusetts strongly encourages the use of seat belts.
The same argument has also been used regarding wearing motorcycle helmets. How dare any Government require motorcycle riders to wear helmets? How dare any Government take away the right to crack one's head open on the pavement?
Regarding healthcare, how dare the Government take away one's right to be sick and not be able to afford to go to the doctor? How dare any Government take away one's right to not be able to afford prescriptions? How dare any Government take away one's right to wait until an illness becomes life-threatening and a trip to the Emergency Room becomes a necessity because there is no alternative? No health insurance to provide a way to afford a doctor visit?
Lastly, there is the question: "What has happened to a free America?" Absolutely nothing has happened to free America! Nothing at all! We still have a free America! If anyone doubts our freedom, think about the fact that we can speak out against the policies of our Local, State and National Governments without fear of reprisal. We can speak out against our elected officials, including our President, without fear of reprisal. Not all people in all countries have that freedom. In Cuba, China and North Korea, speaking out against the government and the countries' leaders will get one arrested and often killed.
Go look up images of the protests that took place in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Chinese students were killed for speaking out! That is loss of freedom! That is loss of life! To suggest that Americans are not free because they have to have life-saving healthcare insurance is an insult to those who truly are not free and whose blood has been spilled in an effort to become free!
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