What Is It We Stand For Again?

I hope everyone enjoyed our 4th of July. It seems kind of strange to me this year. There is so much political correctness over “patriotism” going on that I hardly understand it as the holiday that I revere.

I put together some things for the station that I called “American Moment”. What the exercise did was give me a 21st century American moment. I looked for famous peoples quotes about America and what it represents. I found many but it was interesting to me how many I was hesitant to use.

First let me note that I live in a community that abuts an important military installation. Not only is this an important base militarily and civilly but also it is vital to this community. I may be seeing things in a colored lens because of that. Maybe you can tell me if that is the case or not.

I respect what the military are there for and understand the necessity of it. I respect the service of those that came before them and what they have given. Here's my problem. Why must the 4th of July become a military holiday? Why is it that the only thing guaranteed to be 'politically correct' the focus on the military. I always thought that the 4th of July was focused on Liberty and Freedom and an independent Republic.

Unfortunately many quotes about liberty and freedom are upsetting to many these days. Suddenly under a so called conservative government we are asked , no demanded, to revere only the words and not the concepts. When it comes to action we are demanded, at risk of the labeling of treasonous, to only speak good of our ruler who has alternately termed himself, commander and chief, war president, decider, but rarely just 'President'. We must revere the military and his use of it. If not we are told we hate the troops. How can you support the troops if you don't support their mission? Maybe because we think a fool has them on a fools errand. We support them primarily because they come from our families and communities. They are our brothers, sons, sisters, cousins, friends and employees. Their families live in our cities and towns. How could we hate them and want them to fail! Such poppy cock is the insanity of the entire radical rights vomitous conclusions. Unfortunately it is those spewings from the right that are considered 'safe' and 'politically correct'. To sum it up, it was harder than I ever imagined to find quotes that weren't military that would not offend.

Here's a quote from James Bryce,

"Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong."

Well, pissing somebody off there.
What's wrong with our flag!? I like to wave it!
Righteous! Why, what is that, some kind of radical fundamentalist quote!
Or is that Righteous as in we don't torture, discriminate et al. Regardless, whatever your use of semantics somebody might be offended.
Now personally I say so what! That is America. Unfortunately it is not quite so.

Media in this country is privately owned. It is funded by advertisers. Enough offended advertisers or advertisers who have talked to their offended friends and the boss goes broke and you don't have a job. This is especially true in smaller cities, towns, areas. The pool is limited and best not be making a lot of enemies if you want to stay in business.

This is a microcosm of a much larger problem in this country. When you do the Paris Hilton, lost girl in Aruba stories nobody is getting mad enough to pull their money out. People are certainly interested in the lives of others so they tune in and bigger ratings just guarantees more. Certainly this is not the full explaination but it is a large part of the stupid media. It's done because it is safe.

This also has a bearing on why most talk radio is conservative. The business people are going to support the business people. Especially in the smaller areas. They are not going to look kindly on someone that puts the emphasis on workers and labor. Of course the fact that the big radical right talkers are pretty much locked in to the stations with the biggest and best signals plays a major factor too. If you are interested in the radio part of this there is a good short view here.

Yes there are some of us that are appalled by our President and Co president. We are appalled by their incompetence, their priorities, their methods, their disregard for Americas once good name, their cowardly fear mongering, and most of all by their denial of Constitutional principals.
I believe that the government should serve the people and not the other way around.
In the 19th and 20th centuries that wasn't treason and it wasn't politically incorrect. It was patriotism.