Month: July 2008

Back in the saddle again. I’ll pick up the dropped series “Issues and Answers” next week, but meanwhile, I thought it might be profitable to ask…

Is America Worth Saving?

Consider: what is “America”? These (Dys)United States? A federal constitutional republic in which the Constitution is largely ignored or deliberately “misread” to fit the whims of its political masters? A people of whiny, “Gimme-gimme-gimme, the world owes me a luxurious life” victim classes?

What has America become that is worth saving?

OTOH, from the record (Katrina, Tsunami, etc., on down the line), individual Americans seem to also be the most generous folks on the planet. The actual documents that are supposedly “the law of the land” do still make powerful sense (even though our political masters do everything in their power to deny the actual words). And sometimes an ocassional state does act like the States that formed the original union and actually assert itself as political body actually concerned with legitimate governance. Rarely, but sometimes.

But, is America salvageable? Have things deteriorated too far to be repaired? Has our federal government proceeded too far down the path King George chose, lo these many years ago, that resulted in The People declaring,

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Thereafter, of course, followed the infamous “long train of abuses” which the government of Great Britain had thrust upn the colonies.

Is the “train of abuses” from our federal government any shorter or less odious today? By a smidgeon, perhaps.

But. Are the American people of today capable of demanding good government or are we so consumed by trivialities and self-serving conflicts as to be incapable of the fortitude that was demanded of the Founders?

A recent kerfuffle from the pages of contemporary “news” and blogospherical reactions suggests to me that although America may be worth saving and our political masters do need a swift (metaphorical) kick upside their collective heads, the attention of America cannot be brought to bear upon serious issues for as long as the attention span of a gnat. We just have too many other “important” issues to deal with, like,

The “Black National Anthem” pseudo-issue.

Y’all know the story by now, no doubt. A gal was asked to sing the National Anthem for a gathering in Denver. She chose to sing the so-called “Black National Anthem” instead of the supposed “white” National Anthem.

Twittering classes erupted in the kerffufle du jour.

*Yawn*

Folks, this is NOT something worth getting our panties in a knot over. The singer showed her own poor judgement and racial bigotry. Sad for her, and sad for anyone who either endorsed her racial bigotry or overreacted against it, giving her the attention she obviously craves. (You will notice that I do not name the singer, nor do I link to any article reporting her rude racial bigotry.)

I happen to very much like, appreciate and enjoy both singing and hearing sung,

“Lift every voice and sing
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us,
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won”

I have often scheduled it for singing in patriotic or “God and Country” meetings, etc.

But. It is not a substitute for the National Anthem, which includes the verse so infrequently sung,

“Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”

Neither song need stand in conflict with the other. Each has its own proper place. I do regret that “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” is somehow known as an exclusively “black” song, when its lyrics should be singable by every true American, and I regret as well the idea that the Star Spangled Banner is somehow viewed by some racist bigots (on both sides of an arbitrary skin color divide) as the “white” National anthem. That such a view persists only serves the purpose of racial bigots of any and all skin tones.

What people, standing in sight of long-desired liberty (or in our case, fast fading liberties), could not embrace the song,

“God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, Our God, where we met Thee;
Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand.
True to our GOD,
True to our native land”

The kerffufle over some tasteless racial bigot substituting what she sees as her “national anthem” for the National Anthem she had agreed to sing is simply evidence that far, far too many Americans are unable to concentrate on real issues and are ready, willing and far, far too able (EAGER!) to be distracted by triffles.

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