Thoughts on Independence Day

The United States is, purportedly, a Democracy;  which Dictionary.com defines as: "a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges."  Today, supposedly, is the Holiday named for the day on which it became an independent country, (which was really July 2nd, 1776).   Actually, the 4th of July, 1776, was the date when the wording of the Declaration of Independence was approved, and the document created, and signed.

Currently, Nighttime Fireworks displays, with it's attendant noise, have become traditional aspects of the day, along with picnics and the gathering of family, friends and neighbors. This is not an annual event I favor.  Perhaps because of the noise factor.  I am grateful that the personal noise-making in my neighborhood has, seemingly, tapered off over the last few years.

Having declared ourselves a new country, free of the control of England, therefore underlies our Independence Day celebrations.  Throughout the world that independence has been what the United States stands for.  It is purportedly the reason we have tens of thousands of young people, along with women and young children arriving in droves, from Central America, lo these last months.  They and those many others applying for citizenship, apparently believe the words of music by Mrs. Barbara Silberg, (which are inscribed on the Statue of Liberty,) proclaiming: "Give me your tired, your poor; your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

Obviously, those who protest this most recent swell of arrivals, (rather than the educated and well-off from other countries of the world), are also expressing, "well, that was then, this is now."  In actuality, earlier arrivals of the, "tired, poor, and huddled masses," who yearned to be free, were just as unwelcome by those who were already here, as are accorded those currently arriving.

On this day, in particular, (in addition to election days, of course), we delude ourselves into thinking that we are a Democracy, as well as the country with the most individual freedoms in all the world   An underlying premise of wars we have waged, was purportedly about spreading Democracy.  In recent involvements, citizens have been shown holding up purple fingers as an indication that they were able to vote in an election in their country.  (As an indication of how that worked out in the past, only the United States and Canada are currently considered to be Democracies; nonetheless, many of those on the right side of politics in this country insist Canada is a Socialist country.)

Democracy.  The first definition of "Democracy" to be found at Dictionary.com is that it  is a: "government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system."  (In my humble opinion, the problems began with the, "by their elected agents") 

Instead of a Democracy, what we have in this country is a two-party governing system by which individuals are required to identify themselves as being either a Democrat, a Republican, or, alternately, an Independent, (meaning neither Democrat nor Republican.)  (Those are the acceptable self-designations; other, unacceptable ones, such as: "Radical," "Socialist," etc., will present social problems.)  

Individuals, who represent themselves as either Democrat or Republican, subsequently present themselves as candidates to be such, "agents"  Nationally, we call those agents: "President/Vice-President," as well as "Senators" and "Congressional Representatives," all of whom spend a great deal of money supplied by vested interests to get elected in order to act in our stead, (demonstrably not in our behalf!).

The 5th definition of, "Democracy" in Dictionary.com, is: "the common people of a community as distinguished from any privileged class; the common people with respect to their political power." 

The most blatant proof that this country has been taken over by vested interests, primarily the Corporations owned and controlled by the wealthy, came with the recent Supreme Court's declaration that Corporations have all the rights of individuals to participate in the political arena by declaring money a form of  free speech!

No conclusion can be drawn, other than that this country--the United States--is not a Democracy.  (Does anyone care?  Certainly those who are followers of those who are rich and famous, {for being famous} such as the Kardashians don't!)

On that disgruntled note, I end this blog entry.

Shirley Gallup