Say We Will Do Better.
(Fourth of July: we’ll spend $800 million on fireworks this year.
Because what could be more patriotic than blowing things up?
What better way to celebrate our independence than explosions masked with pretty lights?
What could be more American than shooting missiles into blackness?)
My father tells me that he’s put up
the flags already for the weekend
and then asks,
If someone asked you
whether your allegiance was to
China or the US,
what would you say?
If someone asked you
whether your allegiance was to
China or the US,
what would you say?
当然美国啊!
(America, of course!)
我是出生在这里.
(I was born here.)
I respond.
(America, of course!)
我是出生在这里.
(I was born here.)
I respond.
Good. he says.
Always say America.
Don't end up in an internment camp
like the Japanese during
World War II.
Always say America.
Don't end up in an internment camp
like the Japanese during
World War II.
But I think about
the Temple University professor,
the Temple University professor,
Xi Xiaoxing,
who last year was falsely accused of
stealing US secrets for China.
Twelve FBI agents arrested him at home,
but they didn’t consult any experts
about his actual work
before doing so.
Or Sherry Chen,
the hydrologist with the National Weather Service,
who two years ago was falsely accused of spying for China
and was arrested by six FBI agents.
She accumulated tens of thousands of dollars in legal fee debt.
Both had all charges dropped.
Both were naturalized American citizens.
Both had received awards for their work.
Neither got compensated for our government’s mistakes.
And yet you know who invented modern fireworks?
Chinese people.
Always say America.
Say the Pledge of Allegiance.
Say it in English only.
Say the Bill of Rights.
Say your Miranda rights.
Say your Miranda rights.
Say veterans.
Say 14% of veterans have PTSD.
Say let’s set off fireworks anyway.
Say 15% of veterans are Black or Hispanic.
Say homeless veterans.
Say homeless veterans.
Say 40% of homeless veterans are Black or Hispanic.
Say Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Say Go Richland Bombers!
Say Nuke 'em.
Say Go Richland Bombers!
Say Nuke 'em.
Say 3,500 gallons of nuclear waste leak at the Hanford site.
Say NRA.
Say mass shooting.
Say second amendment rights.
Say Sandy Hook, Emanuel church, Pulse nightclub.
Say my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Say second amendment rights.
Say Sandy Hook, Emanuel church, Pulse nightclub.
Say my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Say privatized prisons.
Say mass incarceration.
Say 4.4% of the world’s population.
Say 22% of the world’s prisoners.
Say God bless America.
Say land of the free.
Say LGBTQ youth.
Say 5% of youth are LGBTQ.
Say homeless LGBTQ youth.
Say 40% of homeless youth are LGBTQ.
Say LGBTQ people experience the highest number of hate crimes.
Say at least they can marry each other now.
Say militarized police.
Say Eric Garner,
Say Eric Garner,
Tamir Rice,
Rekia Boyd…
Say no indictment. No indictment. No indictment…
Say All Lives Matter.
Say no indictment. No indictment. No indictment…
Say All Lives Matter.
Say Flint, Michigan.
Say Trail of Tears.
Say no refugees.
Say no refugees.
Say Holocaust.
Say no refugees.
Say mass deportation.
Say mass deportation.
Say drone strikes.
Say 90% of drone strikes were not the intended targets.
Say All Lives Matter.
Say All Lives Matter.
Say cultural appropriation.
Say racial profiling.
Say Blackface. Brownface. Redface. Yellowface.
Say skin bleaching.
Say white supremacy.
Say racism is over.
Say English Only.
Say ching chong.
Say ching chong.
Say no problemo.
Say Chinese Exclusion Act.
Say Mexicans are rapists.
Say immigrants are worthless.
Say Muslims are terrorists.
Say Make America Great Again.
Say Chinese Exclusion Act.
Say Mexicans are rapists.
Say immigrants are worthless.
Say Muslims are terrorists.
Say Make America Great Again.
Make America great again.
make america great again.
make america great again.
Always say America.
Always.
This is really, really touching, David. I definitely understand and feel where you are coming from. These things, with all of the chaos of the world - I feel like in many ways, God has left peoples' hearts, or that people forget about basic, decent principles like love and morality and kindness and understanding. What happened to the world? Why are we so messed up? Why is America now front-running one of the people whose sole ideas contradict what the country was originally founded on?
ReplyDeleteAww, thank you so much for your support, Lucy! And yeah, it is really unfortunate... but I do believe we can and will do better. I do still think the world is getting better and better as time goes on, and we have to keep on striving to make it the place we want it to be... closer and closer to Heaven on earth.
DeleteTo quote Fred Rogers, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'"