The 4th of July

I don't reckon we give this holiday the respect it deserves. Then again, I don't reckon we give many holidays the respect they deserve. Oh sure an extra day off from work is great - and a reason to BBQ and drink beer is cool - Christmas is about giving presents, if your lucky you get to do so with your family and that is nice - Memorial Day, well that has become the marking of the beginning of the end of the school year, or the beginning of summer, or for the fashion conscious - you can wear white again! Veteran's Day - my Dad marches in a parade every year - both my Dad's served in the military as did my grandfathers. My Uncle was a Rear Admiral in the Navy - I was raised in a town that was apple pie, baseball, and American made - of course what is American made anymore? I call to have my "Made in the USA" product installed and I am speaking to someone in Pakistan - How many millions of Americans are out of work? I know it is all about the economics, I know, I know - My Mother always said you get what you pay for! Am I willing to pay extra if it means I will be supporting an American Company, a fellow American - Yes I am! Not that it would be easy, because hard times fall on me. We forget, everyday we forget - and then we have the holidays to remind us, yet we are so busy planning what to do we don't stop for a moment and remember why we do it.
How many times do you pause and consider the events of 09/11 - Is that even in our stream of consciousness anymore? I do, every time I go through airport security, or when I hear a plane flying a little lower than usual - or when I look around me at the rainbow of people I see here in Los Angeles - I think about what happened on that September day. I also think about how our own government used that tragedy as a means to strip away a little more of our independence - they used the fear and they used scare tactics and  we all went along because what else could we do - Today is Independence Day! Let's take some of that back, let us honor the men and women who gave us Independence by taking back what our own government has slowly taken from us! I don't want to own a gun - I just want us to vote! How can more people vote for American Idol than President? How in the world is that possible? I want us to protest, get out in the streets, call congress people (and it is people, not men, because we are Independent, and a lot of women suffered a lot of years so we could say "congress people") Buy American - check the labels - I bought an American Flag pin the other day - never once thought  it wasn't made in the USA - It was made in China - It was a US Flag pin - made in China, there is something seriously wrong with that. Let us support our Unions - and our police, teachers, firefighters, military personnel, and our political leaders - we can disagree and we should - we should ask questions and challenge authority - because that is what Independence allows us to do. Do go getting stupid, just exercise the rights you have! We could stop being so compliant! We could get up and do something - I've got mine so why should I care about anyone else - I'll tell you why, because that anyone else was once where you are now - Today you are fine so you don't need to speak up or out, when tomorrow comes you might not be so fine, then you will want to speak up; but will you? Nah, we are not about that anymore. Not everyone and not everywhere - there are no absolutes, no one size fits all anythings - I am just proud to be a citizen of the United States, and sometimes people look at me crazy for feeling that way. Checking labels so I can buy Made in the USA merchandise, some people think I am nuts! I wear an American Flag, and a USA jacket, I even have USA socks - So there it is I am a citizen of the United States, and I am proud of that - I am grateful to those who sacrificed so I could write this silly blog, or BBQ, or watch fireworks, or baseball - and I am grateful because I had the opportunity to go to college, or to work, or to travel - and when some look at me like I am a relic from the past, well that is OK! I am a relic, a good old made in the USA relic of a citizen - nothing wrong with that! Now, I must go call tech support for my Made in the USA television - where do you think it will be - Uruguay?