Response to Come September

With a myriad of red, white, and blue flags, ribbons, and stickers decorating anything that gets in the way it is hard to not hear what patriotic means. The drive from school and back is over 60 miles. With the hour round trip it is again hard to not notice the spotless H2’s and gas guzzling Escalades with support (insert a phrase that sells here) stickers attached to its bumper; conveniently next to the “Bush/Chenney ‘04’ propaganda that readily pronounces their vote. It isn’t the vote that causes the blood to boil, but perhaps the imagery the names bring. The long, endless quotes from preachers that advise not to judge and the politicians that conveniently stand behind them when the voters go to polls bring to light a chilling realization that perhaps we aren’t questioning the right noun or challenging the right verb.
Stories insist on being told according to Arundhati Rroy. Whether they are fiction or non-fiction there is still something to be told and passed on. What does the story of the 20^th century say? Years of war and conflict would be arrayed across the pages of a book one might read or write. The ultimate cause for most would be nationalism. Nationalism as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “devotion to national interest…” Arundhati adds that we would be offended and ashamed if we were associated with our government’s policy, the “national interest”. Why then is it that images of our nation are plastered on anything with 4 or more wheels and an engine?
This question could be answered in a number of ways. Perhaps we all cling to something other than the policies of our government? Perhaps we all know that to be Anti- anything is a failure of imagination, according to Arundhati Roy? Maybe we are ignorant to a canny recruitment drive for the war on terror? With any answer it all leads to the exploitation of people for political gain. The faith that is spreading around the world is less in God and more in the hatred of each other.
This hatred for America in particular has accumulated for more than one September. Take for instance another September. September 11^th, 1973 in the country of Chile saw a CIA backed coup after Chile’s citizens democratically elected a Marxist. In the aftermath the world saw thousands upon thousands die at the hand of the U.S backed General in charge. From 1945 until this day many more thousands have died from the direct or indirect involvement of U.S policies. The instance of Israel and Palestinians and Sadam and the Kurdish genocide bring to light our direct involvement in actions that should now scream to our attention.
Preaching peace while at war seems to be the new American agenda. With the war on words still raging strong it is a wonder that Elmo and Big bird haven’t come under stronger scrutiny. Some fall in line and buy the “Made in China” American flags and some try to call attention to details, singing songs like ‘American Idiot’ and ‘Makeshift Patriot’. The words ring in the ears and some of us “Don’t waive our rights with our flags” and “Don’t wanna be an American Idiot”. For this American waiting for Bert and Ernie to be led away in shackles…I just hope we get to the “H’s” for hypocrisy.