Let us honor the rare few politicians, like Maxine Waters, Lynn Woolsey, Dennis Kucinich, John Walters, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes, and Ilhan Omar, who have not surrendered their integrity, claiming to be "realistic" or "practical."
On Memorial Day, we must rage against our country that spends in the name of "defense," nearly a trillion dollars a year on military weaponry, yet won't even think about providing universal health care, a living wage and social justice. Those in power, say we must not deplete our defenses. Yet, those in power have unconscionably depleted our livelihood, and depleted our youth, as they have consistently stolen our precious resources and applied them to war.
It is not easy, in the corrupting atmosphere of Washington D.C., to hold firmly to the truth, to resist the temptation of capitulation that presents itself as compromise. We are not politicians, but citizens. We have no office to hold on to, only our consciences, which insist on seeking and telling the truth. That, history suggests, is the most realistic thing a citizen can do.
Americans have hidden behind the mask of their countries good intentions for so long, that their faces have grown into that mask. The mask that hides and deludes the lies of empire and ruthless resource acquisition. The lies of 9/11, the lies that brought us the Iraq War, the lies of the new heresy hunt of the "war on terror," and today with the criminal in the White House and his co-conspirators, the lies put before us regarding Venezuela and Iran, in the immoral attempt to foment even more war.
Soon, profound change will come to this country, this world, so tired of its approaching spiritual death, so tired of war, so tired of a Fox media that is a cancer on our democracy, so tired of seeing our wealth squandered, while the basic needs of our families are not met. These needs are very practical and are requirements of the soul. The need for affordable health care for all, living wages, a sense of dignity, and a feeling of being at one with our fellow humans on earth.
Let us on this and all Memorial Days, put flowers on the graves of our grandfathers, fathers and sons and daughters, and then destroy the weapons of death that endanger us, and waste our resources, and now even threaten our children and grandchildren.
"We the people," have or own agenda, our own mandate. We must all join the BDS movement, boycott, disinvestment and sanctions against all the forces that year after year spend more money on military defense, than on programs of social uplift.
Let us on this Memorial Day, not bask in the same old stupefied celebrations and obedience to the hypocrisy of war.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
1
