Un-July 4th * Celebrate Peace - Go Vegan *

Yes, I am sending out a message of distress at what I see happening to a country that I once would have defended, even at the cost of my life... You see, I was always proud to be a first born American.  I was what I thought to be a defender of justice through my Libertarian Party membership.  I burned my social security card in protest of a failed system... And in a demonstration I portrayed the Statue of Liberty sporting a black eye... This was done to convey the urgency that something was terribly wrong with the way we operate our country.  Wrong in what we value.  Wrong in carrying on the charade of being a "proud" American.


Many decades and political parties later, I still ask myself:  What exactly is it that we should be so proud of?


This July 4th ought to remind us that while the colonists were taking steps to secure their freedom - They simultaneously enslaved blacks and seized every bit of earth the First Nations called home.  In the years to follow, we'd engage in bloody battles with Mexico, another civilization trampled by our domination and self-proclaimed manifest destiny.  

'Manifest Destiny' John Gast (1872)

Then after we'd conquer everything within "our" borders we went across oceans into foreign lands to profit from resources there, that were "ours" too. All this to give the wealthiest nation more cheap oil and other goodies that go to the victor.


To our shame we should also acknowledge that we sent our own citizens "Japs" as they were called, into internment camps.

And If anyone doubts our history of consumer driven "prosperous" wars - thumb through the 1972 issue of Life magazine and see the array of ads for cars, liquor, cigarettes and ironically, life insurance. 

It should have been a sure sign to us all what the agenda of war is when we were encouraged to "shop" after the 9/11 event.  Yes, we needed to spend worthless money for frivolous things... Lest our American way were to un-ravel.

Sadly, in material ways I probably have benefited... But it was without my knowledge that my "stuff" came at great cost to others.  I was able to want the spoils without the recognition that they were gotten through corruption, wars and violence.  I was a good (dumb) consumer. Happily shielded from seeing the child without legs lost to a land mine, as I was purchasing a "cheap" pair of sneakers.  Because of a compromised media - it's so easy to not know how our vicious national acts, oppresses every bit of peace other (smaller, lesser, insignificant, defenseless) countries have.  Aside from destroying human lives - our American consumer ideology, has become a global model - Causing our planet environmental disaster as well.

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And the same has to be true in our bliss and denial of what our species does to inflict endless violence on nonhumans as well... They suffer through our greedy wars too - Meat fuels armies:

And even in "peace" through destruction of habitat and the insatiable "use" of their bodies, it's clear that we've been at war with "them" since before recorded time.


So on this day in July that is after the 3rd and before the 5th - I speak out in protest of the bizarre, half-witted notions of what deserves celebration and pride.  So the un-aware today will seek comforts in the sales, blank out the realities with glittering fireworks, and roast sacrificed bodies on a grill.  I'd tell them what else they could throw upon the fire... But oh yeah, that's illegal - 

I'll have no part of it.  I declare that I have no weapons - And I want no fight against any of my fellow Earthlings.

Celebrate Peace... Go Vegan