Dear America,
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one; when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer...For were the impulses of conscience clear, uniform, and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other lawgiver; but that not being the case, he finds it necessary to surrender up a part of his property to furnish the means for the protection of the rest; and this he is induced to do by the same prudence which in every other case advises him out of two evils to choose the least."
Thomas Paine, Common Sense
published in January of 1776, Common Sense is credited for instilling the spirit of independence into the hearts and minds of an oppressed community -- the American colonists.
I just love the line, "[F]or were the impulses of conscience clear, uniform, and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other lawgiver; but that not being the case...."
We have NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem precisely for such cause.
Humanity -- in every gender, race, creed, and astrological sign -- is human. We err.
We err as a community; we err as individuals; we err as a nation; we err as a school board; we err as a football player; we err as a spectator; we err as a journalist; we err as a blogger and just a girl; we err as a president; we err as a church and as a state. We err as a police officer in the line of duty and we err as members of a community whenever a crime is committed and/or a threat to life and limb is made.
Do we really need a rule to tell us what is the right thing to do?
Isn't there something inside us all that allows us to stop and listen to our heart -- be it an intuition, a feeling, a heeding of conscience, that ultimately steers us in making each and every choice we make all the live long day?
This kneeling thing -- the impulse to disrespect the spirit of unity and show of patriotism -- is seen as being either a revolting gesture against country, or a political stance with the strength and the will to tackle its leftist agenda, leaving no opposition standing. Either way, it is an obscene crime against the solidarity and security of a nation.
And to think, the NFL Rule Book has rules on the improper use of language and gesture and behavior unfitting of a football player all through the game...a lot of them, too.
And to consider, according to the rules, both teams must be on the field ten minutes before the start of every game, quickly running up to the coin toss....which should come right about three minutes before the start of every game -- while the presenting of the colors to the national anthem is done during the official start. The anthem is officially part of the official game. Taking the proper gesture should be self-explanatory to every American citizen, and especially to the players taking the field under such pomp and circumstance and pageantry and production.
Common sense, alone, is sufficient to argue that upon this turf is of no time or place for divisive politics to usurp the moment for which she stands; for the purpose of the moment is to bring good sportsmanship, good character, and good gestures all together with certain, common intentions: offering a peaceful salute to who we are as a nation.
How often did President Obama opine the words -- 'that is not who we are' -- and making a cut up the middle, immediately return the phrase to who we are, as a country, as Americans? Let me tell you, it was often (as this girl continues the struggle to get him out of her head).
But why did he do that? Because as humans, as Americans, sometimes a reminder as to who we are is needed; and not only needed -- it needs to be heeded, after certain postures seeded and individual ownership deeded, and with great courage greeted, genuinely and dutifully with each new day.
It takes work. It takes reminders. It takes second chances, and patience. It takes forgiveness of the wrongful choices which have come before us -- choices made by other humans, of which we have no part, nor ever wish to have a part, if only by being a student of history and of life itself, as we accept the past for what it is and what it teaches us, as we venture forward with great hope and every effort to make and meet the future a better place for us all.
Arms linked and all.
The thing is AMERICA is bigger than our differences of opinion, our divisive politics, and even the mainstream media (teehee). America is bigger than Colin Kaepernick (no shock jock there); it is bigger than the owners and the coaches and the players and the stadiums full of spectators and Fox Sports and ESPN and NBC all together; roll them all up into a ball and let America have a go -- and just watch her kick that thing from here to kingdom come without so much as drop of sweat.
Is America without fault? No, she isn't.
But what is America, generation after generation? How many people have come through her halls of justice and injustice, large and small? Isn't she more than the choices people have made; isn't she bigger than that? Or perhaps, better still -- is she, in fact, the culmination of the choices made -- year over year -- whether good, bad or indifferent?
America is a spirit -- an idea birthed 241 years ago -- coming from an age that defied oppression in every way, and in turn, becoming an exception to all other nations of the world, to date, in that time and place. With firm reliance on Divine Providence, our humble founders fought for the creation of America, as they mutually pledged to each other: "our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor" when signing the Declaration of Independence.
Sigh.
Indeed.
Common Sense was written to stir up the impulses to revolutionize the colonies, becoming more oppressed under the rule of England with each new day. Something had to be done.
Indeed.
America is a spirit expressing in each moment of the day. Day after day.
In no small way, Thomas Paine was instrumental in creating change; and our founders took the ball and ran with it.
And while we have talked often about this subject many a day, suffice it to say, that without rules in society, chaos would surely ensue. Why? Because we are human...from the imperfect and the grotesque to the bold and the beautiful.
We have rules -- some even unspoken.
We have rules -- whether it be on the road, in church, in the classroom, in congress, while playing a game of football or Monopoly. Rules assist in the keeping of order. Otherwise, there would be disorder.
At the end of the day -- and at the beginning of every football game -- there is an unspoken rule to heed to the order of reverence to country. And football players know exactly what they do when they kneel; it is pure disruption of the rules in play, whether it is written in the rule book or not. It's as if these players are choosing to take a knee that they know equates to an act as obscene as calling America a foul name, as repulsive as making an offensive gesture in crude revelry.
But make no mistake. The kneel: IT IS a political stance they take. IT IS a political, ideological, and fundamental transformation of AMERICA that they seek, taking as many casualties as needed -- even if its the entire NFL and every Sunday from the Harvest Moon through the dark of winter. And for better or worse, the outcome could prove revolutionary; only time will tell.
Welcome to the new world; an age when common non-sense reigns.
As we sit and make history, all choices we make now are relevant and in play.
My loyalties are to America -- what is best for the whole.
INDIVISIBLE is absolute.
Perhaps, if we were all angels, rules would prove unnecessary; laws would not be needed, let alone cry out to be heeded, that which precepts are regularly seeded, and individually deeded, into the hearts and minds of decent and good countrymen. But that not being the case...We must remind each other how a nation of good character prevails; how a nation proves strong when indivisible, in person and in spirit, with both sides locked and aligned.
Make it a GOOD DAY, G!
We err as a community; we err as individuals; we err as a nation; we err as a school board; we err as a football player; we err as a spectator; we err as a journalist; we err as a blogger and just a girl; we err as a president; we err as a church and as a state. We err as a police officer in the line of duty and we err as members of a community whenever a crime is committed and/or a threat to life and limb is made.
Do we really need a rule to tell us what is the right thing to do?
Isn't there something inside us all that allows us to stop and listen to our heart -- be it an intuition, a feeling, a heeding of conscience, that ultimately steers us in making each and every choice we make all the live long day?
This kneeling thing -- the impulse to disrespect the spirit of unity and show of patriotism -- is seen as being either a revolting gesture against country, or a political stance with the strength and the will to tackle its leftist agenda, leaving no opposition standing. Either way, it is an obscene crime against the solidarity and security of a nation.
And to think, the NFL Rule Book has rules on the improper use of language and gesture and behavior unfitting of a football player all through the game...a lot of them, too.
And to consider, according to the rules, both teams must be on the field ten minutes before the start of every game, quickly running up to the coin toss....which should come right about three minutes before the start of every game -- while the presenting of the colors to the national anthem is done during the official start. The anthem is officially part of the official game. Taking the proper gesture should be self-explanatory to every American citizen, and especially to the players taking the field under such pomp and circumstance and pageantry and production.
Common sense, alone, is sufficient to argue that upon this turf is of no time or place for divisive politics to usurp the moment for which she stands; for the purpose of the moment is to bring good sportsmanship, good character, and good gestures all together with certain, common intentions: offering a peaceful salute to who we are as a nation.
How often did President Obama opine the words -- 'that is not who we are' -- and making a cut up the middle, immediately return the phrase to who we are, as a country, as Americans? Let me tell you, it was often (as this girl continues the struggle to get him out of her head).
But why did he do that? Because as humans, as Americans, sometimes a reminder as to who we are is needed; and not only needed -- it needs to be heeded, after certain postures seeded and individual ownership deeded, and with great courage greeted, genuinely and dutifully with each new day.
It takes work. It takes reminders. It takes second chances, and patience. It takes forgiveness of the wrongful choices which have come before us -- choices made by other humans, of which we have no part, nor ever wish to have a part, if only by being a student of history and of life itself, as we accept the past for what it is and what it teaches us, as we venture forward with great hope and every effort to make and meet the future a better place for us all.
Arms linked and all.
The thing is AMERICA is bigger than our differences of opinion, our divisive politics, and even the mainstream media (teehee). America is bigger than Colin Kaepernick (no shock jock there); it is bigger than the owners and the coaches and the players and the stadiums full of spectators and Fox Sports and ESPN and NBC all together; roll them all up into a ball and let America have a go -- and just watch her kick that thing from here to kingdom come without so much as drop of sweat.
Hilarious, isn't it? That the weekend game in London met with our players taking a knee during America's anthem, and yet they stood for God Save the Queen! They take a stand for England? They stood for the commonwealth credited for the creation and operation of pure oppression in the masterminding of the slave trade -- and not for the country that spent a hundred years and a war trying to abolish it? Know your history, boys; know your history.
Is America without fault? No, she isn't.
But what is America, generation after generation? How many people have come through her halls of justice and injustice, large and small? Isn't she more than the choices people have made; isn't she bigger than that? Or perhaps, better still -- is she, in fact, the culmination of the choices made -- year over year -- whether good, bad or indifferent?
America is a spirit -- an idea birthed 241 years ago -- coming from an age that defied oppression in every way, and in turn, becoming an exception to all other nations of the world, to date, in that time and place. With firm reliance on Divine Providence, our humble founders fought for the creation of America, as they mutually pledged to each other: "our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor" when signing the Declaration of Independence.
Sigh.
Indeed.
Common Sense was written to stir up the impulses to revolutionize the colonies, becoming more oppressed under the rule of England with each new day. Something had to be done.
America is a spirit expressing in each moment of the day. Day after day.
In no small way, Thomas Paine was instrumental in creating change; and our founders took the ball and ran with it.
And while we have talked often about this subject many a day, suffice it to say, that without rules in society, chaos would surely ensue. Why? Because we are human...from the imperfect and the grotesque to the bold and the beautiful.
We have rules -- some even unspoken.
We have rules -- whether it be on the road, in church, in the classroom, in congress, while playing a game of football or Monopoly. Rules assist in the keeping of order. Otherwise, there would be disorder.
At the end of the day -- and at the beginning of every football game -- there is an unspoken rule to heed to the order of reverence to country. And football players know exactly what they do when they kneel; it is pure disruption of the rules in play, whether it is written in the rule book or not. It's as if these players are choosing to take a knee that they know equates to an act as obscene as calling America a foul name, as repulsive as making an offensive gesture in crude revelry.
[Kind a like this. Of course, Beckham is a big boy and makes his own choices, but is that Beckham really being his very best on display?]
But make no mistake. The kneel: IT IS a political stance they take. IT IS a political, ideological, and fundamental transformation of AMERICA that they seek, taking as many casualties as needed -- even if its the entire NFL and every Sunday from the Harvest Moon through the dark of winter. And for better or worse, the outcome could prove revolutionary; only time will tell.
Welcome to the new world; an age when common non-sense reigns.
As we sit and make history, all choices we make now are relevant and in play.
“The man who refuses to judge, who neither agrees nor disagrees, who declares that there are no absolutes and believes that he escapes responsibility, is the man responsible for all the blood that is now spilled in the world. Reality is an absolute, existence is an absolute, a speck of dust is an absolute and so is a human life. Whether you live or die is an absolute. Whether you have a piece of bread or not, is an absolute. Whether you eat your bread or see it vanish into a looter's stomach, is an absolute.
There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil. The man who is wrong still retains some respect for truth, if only by accepting the responsibility of choice. But the man in the middle is the knave who blanks out the truth in order to pretend that no choice or values exist, who is willing to sit out the course of any battle, willing to cash in on the blood of the innocent or to crawl on his belly to the guilty, who dispenses justice by condemning both the robber and the robbed to jail, who solves conflicts by ordering the thinker and the fool to meet each other halfway. In any compromise between food and poison, it is only death that can win. In any compromise between good and evil, it is only evil that can profit. In that transfusion of blood which drains the good to feed the evil, the compromise is the transmitting rubber tube.”absolutely.
― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
My loyalties are to America -- what is best for the whole.
I pledge allegiance
to the flag,
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation, under God,
indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.
INDIVISIBLE is absolute.
Perhaps, if we were all angels, rules would prove unnecessary; laws would not be needed, let alone cry out to be heeded, that which precepts are regularly seeded, and individually deeded, into the hearts and minds of decent and good countrymen. But that not being the case...We must remind each other how a nation of good character prevails; how a nation proves strong when indivisible, in person and in spirit, with both sides locked and aligned.
Make it a GOOD DAY, G!
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