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.
So
as we celebrate with barbeques, patriotic music, and fireworks (except in the
over 20 states where these are banned this year because of the extremely dry
conditions and fear of fires), let us pause to consider this statement and its
implications. According to a blog post
published by the Huffington Post today[1]:
Independence Day has always been a time for reflection in
the United States. The opportunity for the nation to collectively consider
whether it has lived up to the ideals embodied in the Declaration of
Independence.
Below are a few random thoughts that I had, thoughts that are not meant to be unpatriotic, but may be interpreted that way by some. They are meant to reflect on what our nation has become despite all our struggles for freedom, independence, democracy, and a betterment of the human condition.
Till paths be wrought through
wilds of thought[2]
wilds of thought[2]
We are a country that has, over the centuries, been a destination for those seeking freedom from religious persecution or political asylum, or just a better life. It is our heritage. So why do we now struggle with immigration policy issues? Why does the religion, family heritage, race, or gender of candidates come up in presidential elections? Why are there still racial tensions? Do we truly believe that all “are created equal”? I think not.
A
few weeks ago, a friend posted a blog entitled “National Aboriginal Day – The Elder
Project”[3] It begins as follows:
On a Sunday in August, 1876,
Reverend D. J. Burrell stood in front of his congregation in Chicago, not long
after the battle of the Little Bighorn, and said:
"Who
shall be held responsible for this event so dark and sorrowful? The history of
our dealings with these Indian tribes from the very beginning is a record of
fraud, and perjury, and uninterrupted injustice. We have made treaties, binding
ourselves to the most solemn promises in the name of God, intending at that
very time to hold these treaties light as air whenever our convenience should
require them to be broken. We have driven them each year further from their
original homes and hunting-grounds. We
have treated them as having absolutely no rights at all. We have made
beggars of them."
Our
historical record on treatment of Native Americans (or African Americans or
immigrants from Latin America) certainly doesn’t reflect the intent in the
statement within our Declaration.
Another perspective of Little Bighorn, was recently written by Chris Hedges[4]; I suggest you read it. He speaks of the resistance led by Crazy Horse, and how this history is pertinent today.
Their land
was stolen, their communities were decimated, their women and children were
gunned down and the environment was ravaged.
There was no legal recourse.
There was no justice. There never
is for the oppressed.
And less you think, “Well that was a long time ago, it wouldn’t happen now”, I invite you to read the recent series published by Environmental Health News entitled Pollution, Poverty, People of Color[5], especially Part 5 entitled “Sacred water, new mine: A Michigan tribe battles a global corporation” – a story about a place near and dear to me as I grew up close by.
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
Tame that wilderness. Exploit its resources. Tame the “savages”. Assimilate them into our schools and
churches. It is what those in power have
always done since civilization began, what they continue to do. Today, those in power are the 1% and the
corporations have been given rights once reserved for the individual (i.e.
as in humans).Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
IN every Stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned
for Redress in the most humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered
only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every Act
which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People.
Over
the past year, the Occupy Movement has focused our attention on the unequal
distribution of wealth in this country.
When one has wealth, and relatively few do, there is inequitable access
to power and control, security, and the pursuit of things that should make us
happy. While we are one of the
wealthiest countries in the world (#1 by GDP unless you concern the European
Union as a “country”), we are certainly not the happiest, despite our pursuit
of it. According to the World
Happiness Report:
U.S. GNP per capita has risen by a factor of three since 1960, while
measures of average happiness have remained essentially unchanged over the half-century.[6]
In
the report A Short Guide to Gross National Happiness Index[7], His
Majesty the King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck , King of Bhutan, is reported
to have said
Our nation’s vision can only be
fulfilled if the scope of our dreams and aspirations are matched by the reality
of our commitment to nurturing our future citizens.
Investing in our youth. Hmmmm….As states cut back on education funding, forcing school districts to send out pink slips to teachers and eliminate “nonessential” things from the curriculum ranging from the arts to science labs—the very things that bring beauty and creativity into our lives. The very things that might even lead to the development of future innovators who could help solve some of the global challenges that we are passing on to them. At a minimum, shouldn’t we invest in the future of our youth, so that they have a chance for a future in which they can pursue happiness rather than figure out a way to fight their way out of poverty, crime, and a decimated environment?
O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice,
for man's avail
Men lavished precious life!
Of liberating strife
When once and twice,
for man's avail
Men lavished precious life!
Other key
factors that have been identified in contributing to happiness include psychological
wellbeing, personal health, a healthy, diverse, and resilient environment, and
time to enjoy it. Yet we debate the
constitutionality and benefits of “Obamacare” (which is really the Affordable Care
Act), and there is a loud cry to reduce environmental regulations that companies
should abide by—because it “hurts jobs and the economy”.
In
the above mentioned piece by Chris Hedges, he writes:
ExxonMobil,
BP and the coal and natural gas companies—like the colonial buffalo hunters who
left thousands of carcasses rotting in the sun after stripping away the hides,
and in some cases carrying away only the tongues—will never impose rational limits
on themselves. They will exploit, like
the hustlers before them who eliminated the animals that sustained the native
peoples of the Great Plains, until there is nothing left to exploit. Collective suicide is never factored into
quarterly profit reports. Forget all
those virtuous words they taught you in school about our system of
government. The real words to describe
American power are “plunder,” “fraud,” “criminality,” deceit,” “murder” and repression.”
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!
The banner of the free!
We fought to be free of British control, yet
we continue to invade other countries. Is this
for the protection of our shorelines, from sea to shining sea? To preserve our amber waves of genetically
modified grains? Or perhaps to preserve
our interests in places that have vast natural resources like oil reserves and
rare minerals that are needed for our electronics, for our addictions to fossil fuels and the
need for more “stuff”.
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!
Unbeknownst to many Americans is the belief that
a new form of colonialism exists in the world, whether it takes the form of “nation
building” or carbon offset programs like REDD sanctioned by the United Nations
and World Bank. You can read more about
what REDD is all about at a U.N. site[8],
but suffice it to say that indigenous groups from around the planet have a very
different view on this policy than say, the countries of the Global North.[9]
I mentioned above that over 20 states have
banned fireworks this year due to the extreme drought conditions and fears of
more fires such as have been raging in the West. It doesn’t seem like a piece on Independence
Day is the place to bring up climate change (despite the fires, excessive heat
and broken records, the recent flooding in Minnesota, Florida, and India, etc.,
etc.). But indeed, instead of being
outside in my garden or taking a hike, I sit inside typing this because of the
blistering heat and humidity. The
forecast is for the hottest 4th of July in many parts of the country
– ever.
In this piece, I have reflected a bit on the exploitation
of land and people and our less-than-stellar treatment of Native peoples. Our country’s refusal to confront the growing
problems associated with climate change shows that we continue our long history
of negatively impacting people who live close to the land (and sea) and our
tradition of altering natural environments.
But it appears that we are now also seeing the beginnings of what climate
change will do to this wonderful nation, all 100% of us. Not in 2100 as the models predict, but now.
In the text of the Declaration of Independence,
the authors list a long “Train of Abuses and Usurpations” of the King of Great
Britain, one of which reads:
HE has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our
Towns,
and destroyed the Lives of our People.
Could not this great country now be charged with
the same atrocities?
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee.
[1] Alexander Tsesis at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alexander-tsesis/post_3585_b_1646883.html.
[3] From http://growmercy.org/2012/06/21/national-aboriginal-daythe-elder-project/. See also http://growmercy.org/2012/06/27/aboriginals-the-breaking-of-hearts-a-canadian-problem/ or the films “Rabbit-Proof Fence” or “The Mission”.
[5] http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2012/pollution-poverty-people-of-color-series-summary
[6] Helliwell, J., et al., eds. (2012) (http://www.earth.columbia.edu/sitefiles/file/Sachs%20Writing/2012/World%20Happiness%20Report.pdf,
p. 5.
[9] For example, see a summary of this issues and concerns at http://ccmin.aippnet.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=27.
