Are you proud of our nation in disarray? It’s certainly a graceless time that we find ourselves in. An obvious sign of our fracturing is all the different variations of the flag as displayed on our homes. You see less of the standard red, white and blue with the blue field of 50 stars, upper left and 13 horizontal red and white stripes. We all want to sent a message about the tribe we support by changing the flag, most frequently, the center dark blue stripe to remind us of the sanctity and sacrifice of our police officers. It’s a kind of sanctimonious groveling to the powerful men in blue. Generally I like police officers. Why wouldn’t I?? I’m not profiled as a threat – age 64, business man, balding…not likely to be shot in the back during a traffic stop.
And all those other flags, most of their message escapes me. Rainbow flags are gay pride, I suppose. Although I noticed the home of married gay men that live nearby yesterday displayed the standard “Old Glory”, no rainbow needed for these guys, they know who they are – American Citizens – with the full rights of marriage. For now….
So, no flag on our house. We’re taking a break from public displays shallow patriotism.
And, of course, in most states women, who are the majority, are again reminded that civil rights are not equal on the basis of sex. The intensely personal decision about when, and with whom, they will have a baby is no longer theirs to decide. As the father of two adult, married, daughters, this Supreme Court scares me.
And I will save you, dear reader, from all the myriad circumstances that justify terminating a pregnancy. The simple point is, unless it’s your baby, it’s none of your business. Please don’t delude yourself, it’s not about pro-life. It never has been. The same states that have quickly outlawed abortion, also haven’t expanded Medicaid under the ACA (Obamacare). A most sarcastic congratulations to the flyover states with third world rates of maternal mortality and no Planned Parenthood services. How is that Abstinence Only school health curricula working out for you?
So let’s all get drunk and shoot off some fireworks or a AR15 into a crowd. Happy Birthday America!
Today, on our walk around the Village of Broadalbin, Bill & I walked past a house on N.Main displaying a “2nd Amendment” version of old glory: the stars & stripes juxtaposed with an AR15 . Wtf are we?
Ro, Generally we are selfish. We want freedom, right to firearms, etc, but we don’t want the responsibility that flows, inevitablitible, from unregulated and unregistered guns. We are less safe and more threatened by arming ourselves.
BTW, remember Maria Butina? The Russian spy that infiltrated the NRA? Russia has a lot to gain by leveraging the radical gun lobby to their own ends, which is to dissolve the cohesion of the American society.