Hello America, Have you got a moment? I’d like to talk to you for a bit. Can I get you a cup of coffee?
I wonder if you feel what I’m feeling because, I’m feeling a little lost. Is this the country you grew up in? I don’t feel like it’s my neighborhood anymore, do you?
I remember things, like that ancient Revolutionary War flag that was so American- “Don’t tread on me!” and once, I told myself, “Yes, that’s American!” Each of us heartily aware that any one of us was as good as any one of them and always ready to prove it. But, nowadays, it feels more like a whimper. Like, someone dropped a “Please” in there and stitched it onto the flag.
I remember the school I went to where I first absorbed “Father, I cannot tell a lie!” and we all know that’s about a cherry tree, don’t we? I remember when that was taught with the idea that George was an impetuous young child who was growing up to be an honorable man. Now, if George says “I cannot tell a lie!” Too many of us, we Americans, snicker and mutter- “Sucker.”
I remember when saying it was good enough wasn’t good enough, it had to be good to get the affirmation. And if you lied too much, made a habit or career of it, well, you were shunned, not celebrated. I remember when lying was a vice, not a virtue and good business.
I recall a tale, I believe I was ten, of a man who had managed to buy fifty dollars worth of gold every month for the length of his employment at the “Good” factory. It was the one where they made all their assemblers wear ties, even in the seventies and maybe even now today- and that man, well, he’d done alright by himself! Retired early, paid off his house, he was good! And that was more than enough for admiration back then. Nowadays, in this America, why, that’s small potatoes!
If you aren’t a billionaire, the girls won’t want to ride in your car and your life will be worthless, that’s the overarching meme anymore, are we truly that shallow? Somehow, we went from admiring the hard workers who went to work every day, paid off a house, raised a family and were able to live a good life at retirement to disdain for them. Those people became marks in the steal their I.R.A. game and rubes- to BE somebody, you have to make a million by your twentieth and that really hurts- is that us? I feel like I’m about to see local churches with payday lenders in their sacrosanct halls and, wow, history does repeat itself, sadly. Does anyone have a whip and a holy man handy?
I recall a time, not that long ago, when our enemies actually made plans to attack America, but not attempt to hold American soil, it was thought that the American populous was just too damn cantankerous and freedom loving to be effectively put down and , man, man, man, it just does not feel like that anymore. Does it to you? It seems like we roll over for anyone who raises their voice at us or, gasp, calls us a bad name. Have we become that weak?
Now it feels like we are toys to another power, or maybe two or three, anyone who is willing to spend enough money, we can be bought for a fee. Make that check payable to our president. I don’t like feeling that way and I don’t remember being asked, I’m not willing to let this go on like this any longer!
This is an intervention I guess.
Oh, do you need sugar for your coffee? Here, need a spoon too?
Now, I’ve always been on the lower end of the income scale, but I always had my pride. Sure, I worked for a guy or a corporation, but they needed what I had and I needed what they had, my skills and time for their money and a place to use my skills. Fair enough.
It doesn’t feel fair or proud anymore. My skills got better with time and the kids coming up behind me are sharp, but the other side of the agreement wants more from me and give ever less in return. Even more disturbing, it feels to me that the richer they get, the more they sneer at me when they toss me my- pittance.
And I’m starting to take that amiss. This is not the America I want, I am a free citizen and I’m not begging anyone- and your money doesn’t entitle you to anything except higher taxes.
I remember Nixon, no, I’ll not give him the title of president or even the civil Mr. - he betrayed our trust and our values and you don’t get to do that. Or do you? Suddenly, all the people who never, really, liked anyone, the folks who were always complaining- about the Chinese, the French, the Young, the peace mongers and the takers! Oh, yeah- and the Russians- the ones that LOVED Nixon, they are the loud ones! They were usually alone or in little groups because they knew their baloney wasn’t appreciated anywhere and the sight of rolling eyes just drove them crazy. Well, now they ARE the government and they’re the ones to be wary of.
No, I don’t want to be wary of my government, I don’t want to sit still for a pogrom or a cleansing. I’m a pagan, a pot smoker who believes people should love whom they love and a lot of other things they disapprove of, so I’m definitely on their enemies list. My government doesn’t HAVE an enemies list.
No!
I remember a contested election, and the outrage when one branch of the government installed another branch of government despite the vote not being counted. Now I hear that we cant impeach the most corrupt, traitorous and incompetent person ever to hold the reins of power in America because- we might piss off the grumpy people, they would automatically call that a coup! Gasp and draw back in liberal shock!
So, their outrage matters and mine was what- liberal tears for them to enjoy?
No!
I recall a good and honorable president, unarguably the best this nation has had in my lifetime, asking the major networks for time to disseminate information that we, the people, needed to know. They told him no, he accepted that as their good right. Now, I’m being told that my time, my attention and their fealty is being demanded.
Demanded, as though I were not a free man nor they free companies, as though we were and are not a free people but chattels, by a man who I do not and cannot respect. I do not respect criminals.
Does this feel good to you? Does this feel like America, to you?
I remember so many times when the world shook or war touched a land, hurricanes and sickness, America, my golden, beloved America, she stepped up and helped. It was commonplace, you heard it so much. America is sending aid to- Now we won’t even help people in our own nation because they are the wrong color and everything has become about money and the bottom line.
Cost, cost, cost and yeah, we can’t be wasteful, but when did our nation become a corporation? I don’t want us to stop helping and I don’t want us to make a profit. Don’t tell me this is a nation of good and caring people when Puerto Rico is still suffering and children are being ripped from their parents and held in cages. I remember when we gasped at pictures of such things, now we seem to revel in them. What have we become? Must we exceed the Khmer Rouge before we realize what is happening? Will that be our American Exceptionalism? We can kill and torture more than anyone else?
No!
They can only do this if we let them, I cannot become them, nor can I live in quiet silence as they follow a path that this world has walked too many times. I cannot sit back and not say a word because it might offend people who are actively out to hurt people! America is too powerful and damn it, we are too damn outspoken to not speak our minds. Or we used to be.
We are all Americans, and that’s why I wanted to have this talk.
Personally, I’ve had it, I’m fed up and I think most of my fellow citizens are too. Honor, your word is your bond, integrity- these mean something to me, they mean something to us and just because a segment of our population disagrees- well, they’ll play hell getting me to walk their road.
I’d rather die first.
And that is not hyperbole. I took an oath, many of us took that oath, to defend this nation, no matter what. My contract had an end date, my oath didn’t come with one and I did not take it frivolously.
I understand the America of my youth wasn’t some beautiful fairy tale, I get that, but I also want to say that I feel that we had a common decency and a shared grit about us that it seems is lacking now.
That’s why I wanted to talk to you about it, America, because, no!
We’re not going to keep doing that any more and they can’t go there unless we all go there.
Enough is enough!
Thanks for your time, no, it’s cool, I’ve got the coffee, it’s only a couple of bucks, I can scrape that up.
Catch you next time-
Neighbor.