The America I Love

[rubydick]

Today is the American Independence Day. The following essay comes from the pen of someone I''ve been reading since I was 18 years'' old, Richard Neville. In Thailand, there is a saying: "when elephants fight, the grass gets trampled." America is an elephant in today''s world. And we are responsible for so much trampling of the grass.

Journal of a Futurist - 4 July 2005

The America I Love

The America I Love

is rubbing the sleep from its eyes

and counting its dead,

and the dead of its enemies

who were not its enemies

until Bushwhacked.

The America I love

is looking aghast in the mirror and asking,

what have we become?

As the mutilated children multiply.

The America I love

is aware that freedom isn’t served by torture,

whether outsourced or inhouse.

The America I love

is sinking in the quagmire of Iraq

as it ascends from a quagmire of the soul.

For every PSY-OPS plot

there’s a 100 bloggers to expose it.

The families of teenagers targeted

by military recruiters say … NO!

The America I love

curses its President.

The America I love

is awash with poetry, flash art, graffiti, satire, docos

and all manner of dissent, including country music.

When the Pentagon claimed

“we never used napalm”

the cyber scribblers revealed

the time, date and place of the crime.

The America I love

is driving Donald Rumsfeld crazy.

The America I love

is aware that the tragedy of 9/11,

because of its savage misdirected vengeance,

is an escalating tragedy for everyone on Earth,

except arms dealers.

The America I love

- which long ago sparked a youth revolution

to kick out the jams, have fun, stop wars -

is waking from its dark sleep of unreason

and mindless acquisition, to ask

Who wrote the script for the liars?

Who fabricated the evidence?

Who pushed us to the brink of madness?

Big Oil … Big Media …Big Military?

Maybe all three.

On the board of the Washington Post sits Lockheed Martin,

hotly marketing a warhead

“that successfully demonstrates lethality

against urban structures”.

Boeing & Halliburton are on the board of Disney (ABC TV),

Bechtel & Chevron/Texaco are linked to NBC,

The New York Times is embedded with

notorious war profiteers with blood on their hands

and intimate ties to BushWorld - the Carlyle Group.

And so it goes.

The richest 10% of Americans receive an income equivalent

to nearly half the total population of the world.

How long is this morally sustainable?

Oil fields are now the killing fields,

of both people and planet,

and the ice caps are melting,

so the America I love

is wondering aloud who reaps the rewards

of mindless extraction,

endless distraction,

compulsive consumption, and

never ending destruction?

The answers, my friend, or at least some of the answers,

are blowing in the blogs.

Richard Neville

Postscript
Richard Neville is not American, but Australian. The fact that he has an opinion on America''s independence day speaks volumes.

When I was bumping around Europe and Asia at age 18, I carried a hitchhiker’s guidebook that quoted extensively from a book called "Play Power" by one Richard Neville. Upon my return from my round-the-world sojourn, I made it a point of finding a copy to read and it was worth the effort. Neville founded the controversial youth magazine Oz, which was published in Sydney and later, London, after a 1966 overland journey from Australia. In this book Neville dissects the youth underground, as well as the political policies of powerful nations. His descriptions of the overland trail are some of the best ever put to paper. The original edition of this book came with a notorious board game, “Headopoly” and copies were seized in some countries, making it a collector’s item. Neville later authored a classic of the dark side of overland travel about serial killer Charles Sobraj. Today Neville maintains an excellent website at RichardNeville.com.au, where many of his writings can be found.

 

[MINE!!]

Blessing of being American:
Shortly the America people will celebrate the 227th year of her birth,
I earnestly muse to myself regarding the characters that give her worth.

An American citizen''s equality is guaranteed to all, as a national ideal,
One man can improve or change our national course due to personal zeal.

America is usually the first country to lend a hand or to give others aid,
Most Americans surge with pride when our flag passes by in a parade.

We have a guaranteed privilege allowing us worship or to say grace.
Americans are given the precious freedom to move from place to place.

Each man or woman is allowed his or her search for the Pursuit of Truth,
Most every American citizen loves the USA with the loyalty of Ruth.

Everyday countless good neighbors give service without thought of self.
Our land if full of brilliant and caring doctors that daily repair our health.

America has so many lavish cars that transport people form here to there,
The USA has so many passionate teachers that train our children to care.

The US is full of people that have emigrated from almost every other land,
We have so many fine people who believe in god''s providential hand.

We have solders who die defending protesters, who burn our honorable flag,
Our courts have defense lawyers appointed to defend even a blatant scumbag.

Many of our children get the long desired blessings, for which they have yearned,
Most of our hard working folk receive the financial bounties that have earned.

Each citizen will defend the right of others to believe in values that we abhor,
The bounties or our farmland is arrayed beautifully at the corner grocery store.

America has vast national resources that sustain our enchanted way of life,
For years our shores have been predominately free from bloodshed and strife.

Our republic is the standard that most all nations use as a yardstick of liberty.
Freedom is the glue that firmly binds each American despite our vast diversity.

The self-expressed freedom we enjoy has allowed us to be collective great,
Our collective greatness has made America the world''s most powerful state.

The constitution is the framework that guides and directs each Americans life,
The checks and balances it mandates help us to order our problems and strife.

Like most families, Americans struggle, bicker, and argue with each other,
But when outsiders threaten us we link arms, as devoted sisters and brothers.

Other nations are quick to see all the problems that arise from people being free,
As Americans we know there are good and bad associated with a free humanity.

Some Americans do not always choose to do what is best for the grater good,
In America we have developed complex laws that act as our sheltering hood.

Soon we will celebrate the 4th of July with many outdoor events and fireworks,
As I see the sky fill with sparkling lights, I will ponder America''s inherent perks.

May I find a quite moment to remember those who have died to make me free,
And passionately remember that the blood of many others is the cost of liberty.

When I see an American dieing in a foreign land defending liberty''s cause,
May I always feel a deep reverence that causes me to reflectively pause!

May I often reflect on America goodness and the things that make her great!
And may my role as a loving citizen positively contribute to her glorious fate.



Oh yeh.. this one was written about America.. BY an AMERICAN!!

 

[MINE!!]

I LOVE AMERICA by Von Weeks..(an American)

I love the beauty of America from one magnificent state to the other,
And the many wonderfully unique cultures of each sister and brother,

I love our workers white-collar or those who work in trades,
From Alaska’s pristine glaciers to Florida’s unique everglades.

I love the dependability of Old faithful spraying forth wet steam,
And the pure water that cascades from a Rocky Mountain stream.

I love the time carved beaches that reside within the shores of Hawaii,
And the crops of the Heartland with grains as far as one can see.

I love America and I’m sure that my love is true.
May I be an example of what a patriot should do?
As I behold the majesty of our wonderful nation,
Help me to sense her splendor with every sensation.
May my soul swell with grandeur and adoration?
And may I be filled with a sense of grateful elation!
I pray my life’s energy will fortify our liberty!
So every American can remain forever free.

I love the assurance of presidents carved into Mt. Rushmore,
And the enormous crevice called Grand Canyon that nature tore.

I love the tall lady with the torch that watches over this great land,
And that the Liberty she represents is a rite of each-and-every man.

I love the coastal cities where millions of our best make their home,
And that faith in God illuminates our lives like polished chrome.

I love the small town goodness where right is taught as a general rule,
And the sunshine states where one can take a dip in a backyard pool.

I love America and I’m sure that my love is true.
May I be an example of what a patriot should do?
As I behold the majesty of our wonderful nation,
Help me to sense her splendor with every sensation.
May my soul swell with grandeur and adoration?
And may I be filled with a sense of grateful elation!
I pray my life’s energy will fortify our liberty!
So every American can remain forever free.

I love our constitution and the guidance it gives to freedoms pursuit,
And the vast nationwide orchards with loads of scrumptious fruit.

I Love the spirit of goodness that lives within hearts of the average guy,
And the empathy that allows our nation to collectively laugh and cry.

I love the green forests where the air smells so very pure and sweet,
And the mountains rising to the sky in granger for thousands of feet.

I love the confident attitude of success in our American business culture,
And the vigilant agencies that safeguard against a corporate vulture.

I love America and I’m sure that my love is true.
May I be an example of what a patriot should do?
As I behold the majesty of our wonderful nation,
Help me to sense her splendor with every sensation.
May my soul swell with grandeur and adoration?
And may I be filled with a sense of grateful elation!
I pray my life’s energy will fortify our liberty!
So every American can remain forever free.

I love parents, who sacrifice so their children can live a better life,
And the countless people who achieve success after incredible strife.

I love the little innovations that make our lives so simple and sweet.
And the engineering marvels that make our complex lives complete.

I love that Trust in God is a constant source of our daily hope and joy,
And that freedom’s opportunities brightly shine for future girls and boys.

I love the goodness I see in others when a neighbor needs a helping hand,
And the spontaneity of countless service given throughout our land.

I love America and I’m sure that my love is true.
May I be an example of what a patriot should do?
As I behold the majesty of our wonderful nation,
Help me to sense her splendor with every sensation.
May my soul swell with grandeur and adoration?
And may I be filled with a sense of grateful elation!
I pray my life’s energy will fortify our liberty!
So every American can remain forever free.

I love the many youth sports programs where teamwork is taught to all,
And each American mother who teaches her children to stand proud and tall.

I love the numerous churches that dot the landscape of our great homeland,
And that American’s faith in God warrants rich blessings from his hand.

I love fathers that value their family more than attaining the almighty buck,
And that success in America is built on hard work, not ancestries luck.

I love the awe of Niagara’s waters thundering in turbulent bursts of glory,
And the greatness I see in America as each new chapter is added to her story.

I love America and I’m sure that my love is true.
May I be an example of what a patriot should do?
As I behold the majesty of our wonderful nation,
Help me to sense her splendor with every sensation.
May my soul swell with grandeur and adoration?
And may I be filled with a sense of grateful elation!
I pray my life’s energy will fortify our liberty!
So every American can remain forever free.

Von E. Weeks

 

[MINE!!]

May we see America through her eyes! Always!

 

[widget]

...America....

...is rubbing the sleep from its eyes...

... is looking aghast in the mirror and asking,
what have we become?...

...is waking from its dark sleep of unreason.....

If only this were true!!


(I know how lucky and blessed I am to be an American. But more and more I fear that America is not a blessing to the rest of the world. This makes me ashamed and deeply saddened...)

widget

 

[IrishEyes]

Widget, your last statement is absolutely true. Unfortuantely, it doesn''t seem like a blessing to others in the world, but rather, an inconvience to them for having to deal with us. I hope one day this can change....


God Bless America

 

[AGBF]

For America
by Jackson Browne

As if I really didn''t understand
That I was just another part of their plan
I went off looking for the promise
Believing in the Motherland
And from the comfort of a dreamer''s bed


And the safety of my own head
I went on speaking of the future
While other people fought and bled
The kid I was when I first left home
Was looking for his freedom and a life of his own
But the freedom that he found wasn''t quite as sweet
When the truth was known
I have prayed for America
I was made for America
It''s in my blood and in my bones
By the dawn''s early light
By all I know is right
We''re going to reap what we have sown

As if freedom was a question of might
As if loyalty was black and white
You hear people say it all the time-
"My country wrong or right"
I want to know what that''s got to do
With what it takes to find out what''s true
With everyone from the President on down
Trying to keep it from you

The thing I wonder about the Dads and Moms
Who send their sons to the Vietnams
Will they really think their way of life
Has been protected as the next war comes?
I have prayed for America
I was made for America
Her shining dream plays in my mind
By the rockets red glare
A generation''s blank stare
We better wake her up this time

The kid I was when I first left home
Was looking for his freedom and a life of his own
But the freedom that he found wasn''t quite as sweet
When the truth was known
I have prayed for America
I was made for America
I can''t let go till she comes around
Until the land of the free
Is awake and can see
And until her conscience has been found

 

[AGBF]

The Word Justice

(Jackson Browne & Scott Thurston)

A man stands up before God and country
Raises his right hand and takes an oath
Swears he has acted in the line of duty
And he more than anyone wants to tell the truth

But there is a need to keep some things a secret
Some weapons shipments-some private wars
In the future democracy will be defended
Behind closed doors

Now the men of Congress who convene to determine
If covert war is a business or a crime
Are the same men who routinely give their permission
For the shedding of blood in security''s name

And there is a need to keep some things a secret
The names of some countries-the terms of some deals
And above all the sound of the screams of the innocent
Beneath our wheels

Does the word justice mean anything to you?
Are the features of a lie beginning to come through?

In the streets of America the children are buried
Caught in an avalanche of weapons and drugs
They live and they die in the bowels of a business
That''s disguised as a war between The Crips and The Bloods

And there is a need to keep some things a secret
The C.I.A. deals protecting the source
And the government policies directly connecting the drugs and our wars
Does the word justice mean anything to you?

As the battlefield comes home and democracy falls through
I am waiting for the time to come
When the word will be real for everyone
And not just a word but a thing that can be done
But justice must be won

 

[AGBF]

The Power and Glory
Phil Ochs

Come and take a walk with me thru this green and growing land
Walk thru the meadows and the mountains and the sand
Walk thru the valleys and the rivers and the plains
Walk thru the sun and walk thru the rain

Here is a land full of power and glory
Beauty that words cannot recall
Oh her power shall rest on the strength of her freedom
Her glory shall rest on us all (on us all)

From Colorado, Kansas, and the Carolinas too
Virginia and Alaska, from the old to the new
Texas and Ohio and the California shore
Tell me, who could ask for more?

Yet she''s only as rich as the poorest of her poor
Only as free as the padlocked prison door
Only as strong as our love for this land
Only as tall as we stand

 

[AGBF]

With God on Our Side
by Bob Dylan

Oh my name it is nothin''
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I''s taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side.

Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.

Oh the Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I''s made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side.

Oh the First World War, boys
It closed out its fate
The reason for fighting
I never got straight
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don''t count the dead
When God''s on your side.

When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side.

I''ve learned to hate Russians
All through my whole life
If another war starts
It''s them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side.

But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we''re forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God''s on your side.

In a many dark hour
I''ve been thinkin'' about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can''t think for you
You''ll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I''m leavin''
I''m weary as Hell
The confusion I''m feelin''
Ain''t no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God''s on our side
He''ll stop the next war.

 

[AGBF]

SEND IN THE MARINES
By Tom Leher

When someone makes a move
Of which we don''t approve,
Who is it that always intervenes?
U.N. and O.A.S., They have their place, I guess,
But first - send the Marines!

We''ll send them all we''ve got,
John Wayne and Randolph Scott;
Remember those exciting fighting scenes?
To the shores of Tripoli,
But not to Mississippoli,
What do we do? We send the Marines!

For might makes right,
And till they''ve seen the light,
They''ve got to be protected,
All their rights respected,
Till somebody we like can be elected.
Members of the corps
All hate the thought of war;
They''d rather kill them off by peaceful means.
Stop calling it aggression,
Ooh, we hate that expression!
We only want the world to know
That we support the status quo.
They love us everywhere we go,
So when in doubt,
Send the Marines!

 

[AGBF]

LIVES IN THE BALANCE
By Jackson Brown

I''ve been waiting for something to happen
For a week or a month or a year
With the blood in the ink of the headlines
And the sound of the crowd in my ear

You might ask what it takes to remember
When you know that you''ve seen it before
Where a government lies to a people
And a country is drifting to war

And there''s a shadow on the faces
Of the men who send the guns
To the wars that are fought in places
Where their business interest runs

On the radio talk shows and the T.V.
You hear one thing again and again
How the U.S.A. stands for freedom
And we come to the aid of a friend

But who are the ones that we call our friends--
These governments killing their own?
Or the people who finally can''t take any more
And they pick up a gun or a brick or a stone

There are lives in the balance
There are people under fire
There are children at the cannons
And there is blood on the wire
There''s a shadow on the faces
Of the men who fan the flames
Of the wars that are fought in places
Where we can''t even say the names

They sell us the President the same way
They sell us our clothes and our cars
They sell us every thing from youth to religion
The same time they sell us our wars

I want to know who the men in the shadows are
I want to hear somebody asking them why
They can be counted on to tell us who our enemies are
But they''re never the ones to fight or to die

And there are lives in the balance
There are people under fire
There are children at the cannons
And there is blood on the wire

 

[AGBF]

Date: 7/4/2005 12:16:05 PM
Author: MINE!!
May we see America through her eyes! Always!

I have another wish, one that would serve the world better than to view the world through the eyes of someone ignorant of what is happening. I wish that the United States would look within itself to what made us great in 1776 and 1789 and become worthy of that little girl. Let us live up to the ideal in which she now believes in her innocence.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 7/4/2005 5:17:11 PM
Author: AGBF

Date: 7/4/2005 12:16:05 PM

Author: MINE!!

May we see America through her eyes! Always!

I have another wish, one that would serve the world better than to view the world through the eyes of someone ignorant of what is happening. I wish that the United States would look within itself to what made us great in 1776 and 1789 and become worthy of that little girl. Let us live up to the ideal in which she now believes in her innocence.

HA!
The sheeple couldnt live without the handouts and couldnt handle the freedom of the day.
We have turned from a what can we do then do it country to a what can the goverment do about it country.

 

[AGBF]

I Am A Patriot
by Little Steven

And the river opens for the righteous,
And the river opens for the righteous,
And the river opens for the righteous, someday

I was walking with my brother
And he wondered what was on my mind
I said what I believe in my soul
It ain''t what I see with my eyes
And we can''t turn our backs this time

I am a patriot and I love my country
Because my country is all I know
I want to be with my family
With people who understand me
I got nowhere else to go
I am a patriot

And the river opens for the righteous, someday

I was talking with my sister
She looked so fine
I said baby what''s on your mind
She said I want to run like the lion
Released from the cages
Released from the rages
Burning in my heart tonight

I am a patriot and I love my country
Because my country is all I know

And I ain''t no communist, and I ain''t no capitalist
And I ain''t no socialist
and I sure ain''t no imperialist
And I ain''t no democrat
And I ain''t no republican either
And I only know one party
and its name is freedom
I am a patriot

And the river opens for the righteous, someday

 

[AGBF]

Date: 7/4/2005 5:29:50 PM
Author: strmrdr

HA!

The sheeple couldnt live without the handouts and couldnt handle the freedom of the day.

We have turned from a what can we do then do it country to a what can the goverment do about it country.

What "sheeple" couldn''t live without what handouts? And what does that have to do with the wars America enters, the reasons for those wars, and the deception with which a President gets Congress and the people to agree to those wars?

I have one question for you: did President Bush have the right to lie to Congress and the American people in order to get them into a war? That is what he did. Do you defend the right of an American President to lie to the people and to Congress? When President Bush agreed to cook up an excuse to go to war, lied to Congress and the people, was that OK? If so, why do we bother to have a Constitution that says Congress has the right to declare war? Why have a Congress at all? Why not just elect a dictator? After all, you trust him to do what''s right without having to tell the truth. Why bother with the sham of having a Congress?

 

[MINE!!]

Date: 7/4/2005 5:17:11 PM
Author: AGBF

Date: 7/4/2005 12:16:05 PM
Author: MINE!!
May we see America through her eyes! Always!

I have another wish, one that would serve the world better than to view the world through the eyes of someone ignorant of what is happening. I wish that the United States would look within itself to what made us great in 1776 and 1789 and become worthy of that little girl. Let us live up to the ideal in which she now believes in her innocence.

Once again through her eyes.. Faith, Hope, Pride and Trust.. this is what made this country great.. you see ignorance... I see strength...

 

[AGBF]

Date: 7/4/2005 11:44:50 PM
Author: MINE!!
Once again through her eyes.. Faith, Hope, Pride and Trust.. this is what made this country great.. you see ignorance... I see strength...

I am not sure that I agree that those four elements (faith, hope, pride, trust) were any more instrumental than a slew of other virtues in making this country great. The men who wrote the basic documents on which the United States was built also had strong intellects and the courage to question conventional wisdom. They were, in general, highly educated and had the ability to compare many governments from the past in an effort to plan this one well.

I believe in children. I think they are the future. I do not think they should be running the country now, however. A child being awed by fireworks is beautiful. Or being awed by a big wave the first time she sees the ocean. We expect our children to grow with time, however. For example, we expect that the child will grow to understand that fireworks and big waves can be dangerous. We expect that the child will, in time, not need parental supervision 24 hours a day as he does at two.

Yes, I do see ignorance in a two year old. It is not a crime to be ignorant at two, but to be that ignorant after hanging around in the world for 20 or 30 years is criminal.

That is why I do not want a lot of people with the intellect of two year-olds making policy decisions for this country.

 

[MINE!!]

This child is not in awe of fireworks.. perhaps you do not remember where this picture was taken. As for the founders of this country being educated.. Please AGBF you were a history teacher.. come on now... they built this country because they no longer wanted the taxes and law of the British Government.

This type of glorification of past figures is not unusual though, so I understand. It is kinda like the glorification of a ethnicity, for exmaple... the communing and respect of nature so pushed by High school historians about the Native American peoples. It is much easier to say that these men built this country with great intellect and the true belief that all people and groups were equal and deserved freedom. (hee hee) Yehhhhhh.... sureeee.....

 

[AGBF]

Date: 7/5/2005 2:50:09 PM
Author: MINE!!
This child is not in awe of fireworks.. perhaps you do not remember where this picture was taken.

I don''t have a clue where the picture was taken!

As to intellect, have you actually read anything by Thomas Jefferson (besides the Declaration of Independence)? He was educated and brilliant.

Deb

 

[Rank Amateur]

Don''t let the facts get in the way of an opportunity to bash the Prez, Deb!

Hint: Those people around the girl don''t appear too happy, do they? Hmmm. I wonder what it could be...

One need not have read Jefferson to figure this out!

 

[MINE!!]

Naw.. only read what was required by my High School History teacher...

Funny that you do not remember this picture... how easily some people forget...

Anyway, Maybe if it had been in a publication that bashed the administration than most would remember it..LOL..

 

[AGBF]

Date: 7/5/2005 5:16:40 PM
Author: Rank Amateur
Don't let the facts get in the way of an opportunity to bash the Prez, Deb!


Hint: Those people around the girl don't appear too happy, do they? Hmmm. I wonder what it could be...


One need not have read Jefferson to figure this out!

This is not a rebuttal of anything I said. It is just babyish baiting. Enjoy your forum. You have made it into what you deserve: the intellectual equivalent of a comic strip.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 7/5/2005 6:10:39 PM
Author: MINE!!
Naw.. only read what was required by my High School History teacher...

Funny that you do not remember this picture... how easily some people forget...


Anyway, Maybe if it had been in a publication that bashed the administration than most would remember it..LOL..

Another brilliant analysis of the facts. Enjoy R/A; he writes in one-liners, too.

 

[fire&ice]

As usual - an interesting re-direct.

Oopss - was that a one liner also?

 

[Rank Amateur]

Hey Richard

Do you think the USA does anything good? I have seen nary a positive word from your pen.

Anything? Anything at all? Charity? Medicine? Technology? Baseball? Democracy? Diversity? Landscape? Greenbacks? Opportunity? 401k?

Anything?

 

[Rank Amateur]

I forgot hot dogs and apple pie.

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 7/6/2005 12:45:53 AM
Author: Rank Amateur
Hey Richard

Do you think the USA does anything good? I have seen nary a positive word from your pen.

Anything? Anything at all? Charity? Medicine? Technology? Baseball? Democracy? Diversity? Landscape? Greenbacks? Opportunity? 401k?

Anything?

That''s been precisely my point. This guy lives in a shroud of darkness. Always a negative spin on anyone & anything & when all else fails show a comparision to Hitler.

 

[Rank Amateur]

Bar-B-Q.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 7/6/2005 12:33:17 PM
Author: Rank Amateur
Bar-B-Q.

ribs