July 4th: Just Another Day by Garrett R.

I know some people aren't going to like this, but that is because they will read it with a closed mind and with personal exceptions and cases that are beyond my control. This note contains MY opinions with MY beliefs and MY understandings and MY experiences...if you have a problem with any of it, please, I am open for a positive and enlightening conversation/ debate. But please, do not show anger or aggression, that takes the fun out of it for me, seeing as anger is a way of showing offense to what I said because you realize that I have a point and that you are too close minded to agree that I have validity in my statements, as I am sure that you do as well. Anyways, here we go...

This year, the 4th of July came suddenly, the family packed a few bags and rented a cabin that we do every year for the occasion...I was first reminded of the 4th's meaning when I read a firework label..."Uncle Sam's Best", it was just a little fountain deal and it hit me, the Fourth actually has meaning beyond fireworks. I had totally forgotten. Now, some may call this ignorance, some may call it a little sad, but I call it a wake up to the world...why, in all of the ads, billboards and lead-up to this big day in our nation's history, that I actually forgot that the Fourth of July was about more than blowing stuff into the air and thinking of the girl that I miss as I watch the sky illuminate. I wonder why a firework had to remind me, rather than a flag or even just myself by recalling the date's significance. Perhaps, the Patriots are finally burning out after little to no help from it's government...why would none of those ads, rather than try and sell their products, mention what it was for? Years back, I would never have let it leave my mind because it was always in my face...what happened to that?

Going back to something I recently said...The government has given me, personally, nothing to get excited about in my lifetime. Since I have been born, I was told we were a super power and since then, we have diminished from that limelight to a country with a lot of power, but one with more enemies as well. Sure, I got excited about getting a potential check in the mail that I had to spend...or that gas prices dropped for a few months, but other than that, the negatives of our government's actions and policies has eroded people's brains and the hope of the little positives that everyone, as a whole, have received.

I will elaborate.

Personally, I have not lost hope in the government changing things around...afterall, Britney Spears did and I never quit on her either. Anyways, first I will focus on 'the People'. America is blind, deaf and gawking. Basically, we are all as thoughtful as a goldfish. Here is why: we (I say we, because we are all the people in this country, we is the majority and the thoughtless) are yet to see that the world is in a state of disrepair. Not just the US. Yes, our lifestyles built up around the expectations that we had for our country. This means that when things got bad, we plunged further than countries with less prosperity because we had more to lose. Yes, we are struggling, but we aren't the only ones. Because I hate talking about stupid people, I will stop.

Instead, I will now talk about the stupid government. I am going to be the first to say that I do not know much about the government's plans, past or future, how it works or functions. On top of this, I do not know statistics or anything of the sort regarding the wars, laws, policies or other plans. This being said, why have I not been educated on such things? I watch the news, read the papers, not daily, but a decent amount, how am I still learning nothing? How does the government expect us to elect people based off of moral issues that will never be resolved when real stuff, the things that actually effect us, are hidden from us?

For example, I had a friend who voted for Obama simply because he is severely Pro-Choice. While, I do not disagree with the person's other values, I had to disagree with her way of voting...Abortion, is not going to change. People are far too spread across the spectrum on this issue, for the government to resolve this issue would cause an uproar, something that might eventually lead to a civil war after a few more dominos fall. Why would anyone vote this way, sure, it is publicized for politicians use, but what has Obama done to change it since being elected? Nothing. Why? Because it isn't important right now. Or at all. But that is what we are fed, not policies, but controversy. Creating sides for an interesting story, for money and to hide from us the reality and magnitude of our privileges that we are granted.

Several of my friends are enlisted in the Army. Congratulations on making something of yourself and fighting for something. So many people live a lie to themselves and hide. But why should there be an Army fighting for peace and freedom? I recently read an article called: "Freedom: You can have it, as long as it's the same as ours". The title explains the whole article, true and enlightening. Why can't everyone just man up, expect that things aren't going to be the same across the globe and even if ideas conflict, they are just ideas that don't need to be believed or thought about. I am of course talking about religion here, which is a primary cause of the current wars, I will not delve into such a topic right now, but let me say one thing for understanding...I am of the belief that anyone can believe whatever they want as long as they are content and have fully analyzed what it means to be part of something like that. I am not giving any personal insight about my religious beliefs beyond that.

Anyways, back to the Military deal...I support our troops as individuals. Not the government that sends them there. No one should have to die fighting for what they believe in because everyone should be able to believe whatever they want without worry or regret. That is all I have to say about that... To clear something up...I do not care much for the government in it's current path of destruction...but that does not mean that I hate the government, I just don't see why it doesn't support or honor it's people like it used to.

Anyways...I am tired...I will post another carrying on with what I have said at a later date...Peace out.

-Garrett