Independence Day
“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.”
In order for every Americans to realize “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” we must become advocates for world peace and cherish the self-evident truth that our common humanity is vastly more important than national origin, political party affiliation, class, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
Those that cherished the self-evident truth, that all men are created equal would never have approved of the preemptive invasion of Iraq. Our troops were sent to kill and be killed. The purpose of the invasion was to enable multinational oil companies to loot Iraqi oil.
“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” will never be realized by the 4,113 American that have been killed, and their families will endure a lifetime of grief. Many of the 30,247 Americans, that have been wounded in action may find the pursuit of happiness an impossible challenge.
“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” will never be realized by 1.2 million Iraqis that have met violent death, since the invasion. Happiness has eluded the four million Iraqis that have been displaced from their homes and the eight million that have no water, sanitation, food or shelter.
More than 1.2 million desperate Iraqis fled to Syria. Facing starvation, as many as 50,000 women and girls have been forced into prostitution, because this is the only work available. Eighty percent of the girls working as prostitutes in Damascus today are Iraqis, some as young as 13 years of age.
Some believe that I’m being unpatriotic by pointing out these facts on Independence Day. However, before passing judgment consider the words of a man that was born a slave. In a speech entitled: “Love of God, Love of Man, Love of Country,” American abolitionist Frederick Douglass said: “I make no pretension to patriotism. So long as my voice can be heard on this or the other side of the Atlantic, I will hold up America to the lightning scorn of moral indignation. In doing this, I shall feel myself discharging the duty of a true patriot; for he is a lover of his country who rebukes and does not excuse its sins. It is righteousness that exalteth a nation while sin is a reproach to any people.”
In order for every Americans to realize “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” we must become advocates for world peace and cherish the self-evident truth that our common humanity is vastly more important than national origin, political party affiliation, class, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
Those that cherished the self-evident truth, that all men are created equal would never have approved of the preemptive invasion of Iraq. Our troops were sent to kill and be killed. The purpose of the invasion was to enable multinational oil companies to loot Iraqi oil.
“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” will never be realized by the 4,113 American that have been killed, and their families will endure a lifetime of grief. Many of the 30,247 Americans, that have been wounded in action may find the pursuit of happiness an impossible challenge.
“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” will never be realized by 1.2 million Iraqis that have met violent death, since the invasion. Happiness has eluded the four million Iraqis that have been displaced from their homes and the eight million that have no water, sanitation, food or shelter.
More than 1.2 million desperate Iraqis fled to Syria. Facing starvation, as many as 50,000 women and girls have been forced into prostitution, because this is the only work available. Eighty percent of the girls working as prostitutes in Damascus today are Iraqis, some as young as 13 years of age.
Some believe that I’m being unpatriotic by pointing out these facts on Independence Day. However, before passing judgment consider the words of a man that was born a slave. In a speech entitled: “Love of God, Love of Man, Love of Country,” American abolitionist Frederick Douglass said: “I make no pretension to patriotism. So long as my voice can be heard on this or the other side of the Atlantic, I will hold up America to the lightning scorn of moral indignation. In doing this, I shall feel myself discharging the duty of a true patriot; for he is a lover of his country who rebukes and does not excuse its sins. It is righteousness that exalteth a nation while sin is a reproach to any people.”
posted by Jim O'Leary | 1:04 AM
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