Our U.S. of A legacy - to be continued
Face the truth: our legacy: on our shoulders
What makes it so hard – besides the desire for us to believe we are truly a good people, a good nation, a good society – are the, what shall I call them? The lies, the thick, malevolent cover, the pervasive propaganda – all of that and then some that twists and tricks us into deeply believing such prevarications from "the first Europeans came here seeking freedom" to the desire to pursue the “American Dream”.
Until we look at the truths of our nation, we will not be able to change, but we will just be attempting to hold onto and (re)claim those prevarications for ourselves.
Most people today realize we stole this land, securing it for white folks, by committing genocide against the First People here, going to war against Mexico, enslaving Africans.
Most people in this country do not acknowledge that we have used our military might to kill people, grab their resources, and subjugate especially people of color while creating and maintaining a country benefiting white society.
To list the number of countries we have invaded and occupied – not counting this one – since 1801, would take a zillion pages.
We sent the marines to Tripoli in 1801-1805 to “protect American business interests” and have been invading & occupying countries outside this land every since then.
To mention a few: 1815 Algiers; 1822, 23, 24 Cuba; 1824 Puerto Rico; 1825 Cuba; 1831 Falkland Islands; 1832 Sumatra, Indonesia; 1833 Argentina; 1835-36 Peru; 1838-39 Sumatra again; 1840 Fiji Islands; 1841 Somoa; 1841 Gilbert Islands; 1843 China; 1843 Africa; 1846 Mexico – and that’s just some of the first half of the 19th century.
So this means for us that everything we have here in the country – and look around, the houses, the land you are standing on, the clothes, the access to resources, schools, hospitals, food, water – every fucking thing we got through the destruction and devastation of people of color, stealing their land, their lives, and their resources.
This is what the “American Dream” is built on. We must immediately cease in pursuing this nitemare.
PARADIGM CHANGE
We are brought up to believe not only is it totally right to have more then other people, but to believe that we deserve to have more and that we’ve earned what we have.
Another lie. Another done deal. Rarely do we think about, let alone teach our children, whether we SHOULD pursue this life style: a home(s), car(s), education, career, etc.etc.etc. but rather we put all our energy into figuring out HOW we are going to pursue this life style.
We have not earned anything in this country, nor is our life any more precious then anyone else’s life on this planet. We have oppressed, stolen, raped, committed genocide to have more then almost every other country in the world.
We HAVE to have two paradigm changes: 1) We will not bring, inflict, perpetuate physical harm to any other human being NO MATTER WHAT! And 2) We will not allow anyone to have less then what we have.
Simple.
So we HAVE to disarm, period.
In ancient Jewish life, if someone stole something from you, YOU were the one who was punished. You were not supposed to hoard things, you were supposed to take care of everyone, share, not have more then anyone else.
So very simple.
We can do it!
posted by Xan @ 4:17 PM
3 Comments:
At 17/3/12 5:47 PM,
Anonymous said…
Thought you'd like to see this. From your, now 76yrs, CodePink sistah! love, Eliz
From the article titled The First Amendment Needs a Rape Kit
H.R. 347 may well make the arrest and conviction of peaceful protesters much easier.
Police StateH.R. 347 passed the House on February 27th by a vote of 388–3. The Senate version (S. 1794) passed unanimously. With President Obama's signature, the Act became law on March 8.
Original article by Wendy McElroy with links to PDF files etc:
http://www.fff.org/comment/com1203l.asp
In conclusion, "
It is criminally naive to believe that the police and courts will not eventually use the expanded latitude granted by H.R. 347. The Occupy movement frightened and angered the authorities it yanked control away from. For years, “free speech zones,” in which protesters speak from behind barred walls, as though in cages, contained dissenters and kept them far from government officials. They were allowed to protest only where the elite and the mainstream media would not hear them.
Occupy changed that. And the authorities have struggled to find ways to contain dissent ever since; they never want to lose control again. And, especially in this election season, politicians are eager to avoid a repeat of the public outrage that surrounded the 1968 Democratic convention, when police were filmed brutally beating peaceful demonstrators in the street.
The elites are losing patience with civil rights. This January, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel pushed through two anti-protest ordinances that were widely termed “sit down and shut up” measures. The online periodical and voice of Occupy, the Dissenter, describes two of several repressive new requirements.
1. Ahead of demonstrations, “organizers would be required to provide the City with a list of all signs, banners, sound equipment or ‘attention-getting devices’ that require more than one person to carry them,” creating “a license for the city to ‘ding’ organizers with absurd fines.”
2. All downtown protest marches would be required to get $1 million insurance coverage to “indemnify the city against any additional or uncovered third party claims against the city arising out of or caused by the parade.” They would have to “agree to reimburse the city for any damage to the public way or city property arising out of or caused by the parade.”
Clearly, Emanuel is determined that the upcoming NATO/G8 meetings in his city will go smoothly.
Emanuel and his ilk would not hesitate to use the free hand provided by H.R. 347 to prosecute “offenders.” And god help them if the protesters are found to be in possession of a pair of nail clippers, small scissors, or any other item that could be construed as a “dangerous weapon.” The penalty could then rise to ten years imprisonment for young people still idealistic enough to believe they have free speech, freedom of assembly, and the right to petition officials with their grievances.
At 17/3/12 5:48 PM,
Anonymous said…
I just left a comment. You know who I is! love, Eliz
At 17/3/12 9:35 PM,
Xan said…
LOVE YOU ELIZ! The 'funny' thing is when I posted this info to the list the day it was voted for by ALL our so-called 'progressive' congresspeople, I was accused of "shooting from the hip" and spreading a "provocative lie"!
Shooting US in the hip maybe!
I claim to be as provocative as I am able, but I do not lie!!!
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