America

I saw this statue the other day. Lady Liberty had in her arms a fallen Spartan, a representation of all of the warriors who had fought and died for this country.

I tend not to get very patriotic about such things, and -I imagine that this blog entry won't seem very patriotic to most people. However, some of you, I hope, will get it, and to those, I write.

The look of her face was akin to a mother looking over her wounded child. To speak in metaphor, in our current political and economical environment, I don't believe that it's a look of sadness in regards to us being hurt. I think it would be more accurate as a look of disappointment in all of the mistakes we have made as a country.

We stand divided, plagued by many issues. Yes, no nation is perfect, and even the smallest communities have discord about how to manage themselves. But we, as Americans, have gotten so far off track with what was originally hoped for us.

As we approach the two hundred and thirty-ninth anniversary of our independence from Great Britain, we seem to be twice that far removed from the true ideas of patriotism, the ideas of challenging your government for what you believe to be right, of seeking information and taking an active role in our government, even if it's as little an effort as making informed decisions in voting.

To put it plainly, we've gotten lazy. We're drinking the Kool-Aid. We aren't working hard for what we have had given to us. We are complacent, enjoying all of the good things we have now without acknowledging the fights and struggles and work that went into it. We are spoiled children, given all of the best toys and refusing to work until absolutely necessary, and even then, with minimal effort.

Sorry to seem like I'm on the offensive, but I had a thought that needed to be put into writing. I hope you are able to take some motivation from these words. Rebel, not against the government, but FOR the government. It's time to step up.