There are enough “Happy Birthday, America!” thoughts going around that I don’t feel any need to add my modest weight to them. Anne republished the Declaration of Independence over at The Golden Pencil, and over breakfast Kerri and I read it aloud in its entirety. I couldn’t help but be struck by some of what I read. While Will has posted his Top 5 Abuses, these are more like Abuses that to me ring strangely relevant in our time. Consider: (My commentary is in bold.)
- He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. I may be engaging in hyperbole, but this sounds a lot like today’s ever expanding Federal government.
- He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. Again, military tribunals and such.
- He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation… For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offenses. Air Torture?
- He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us. - Again, I’m using hyperbole, but there is something amiss with the vilification and demonization that now occurs between the two major political parties.
Now, I’m not patriotic, which might seem odd coming from the child of a career airman married another child of a career airman with veterans of military and government service replete on both sides of the family. It is odd, and I am fully aware of the irony (hypocrisy?) that I write from safe within the US heartland. Yet, there it is. I’m grateful for the “sole surviving son” draft exemption, for it will save me the potential trouble of choosing whether of not to be a concientious objector.
My lack of patriotism, however, is derived not so much from disapproval of US policy and values. Yes, I have my questions and concerns illustrated by the Abuses I picked out above, but there are also passages in the Declaration that ring true and noble. Rather my lack of US patriotism grows from a new, “first citizenship” that I believe ought to characterize all who claim to be Christians.
My point, since I suppose I ought to have one, is to call attention to the above listed Abuses from an outsider/insider perspective. Perhaps those who proudly wave the flag can mine out any truth resident in my comments and do their part to effect a resolution. There is for much patriotic Americans to be proud of. I pray their pride would not blind them to the shadows that exist.
