Puritan Americans...
Okay now I'm really disturbed and sick so I'm going to rant. Yesterday as I took my morning walk to work I noticed trash everywhere. Just strewn all over the place in the bends of the curbs, on tree lawns, and even plastic bags hanging from trees. I got angry because we as human beings have such disregard for our land. A lot of other ideas popped into my head about people from the United States because I believe that as a country in the forefront of the global economy we should have respect for our land. We have the resources so why are we acting like a third world country that doesn't have such resources? Today a message popped up on my AOL that told me a mother is trying to ban Harry Potter books from schools because they promote witchcraft. WHAT?!?!?! Okay this truly sent me over the edge and I have to rant about it.
First off we had a discussion some time ago here in L.A. on how we don't really have an identity for this country. Yes, we're Americans, but so are Canadians, Mexicans, anyone from Central America or South America. The collective of the two continents are American just like the collective of countries in Europe are European. It's arrogant to classify ourselves as Americans with the notion that it just means the United States. Petty I know, but lately the people that pop up with issues in this country have been pissing me off. For instance the witch lady. If you don't want your son or daughter to read the Harry Potter books because of your beliefs then restrict their literacy, creativity, and social interaction and not allow them to read the books. The mother has a right to excuse her siblings from a homework assignment if it's given if she so pleases. This IS the United States and that is her right. However when she's trying to put the same limitations on other children and impose HER beliefs on other people, that's where I have a problem with this country. I came up with a term for us the other day. I figure we're Quakers. Yes that is an accurate description. Really it's been a VERY slow process to change from that state of thinking to the more intelligent views the world economies express today. In most of the country religion is still governing our lives. Religion is a nice way for a group of people who share common interests and beliefs to gather and pray in the same manner. However it gets a little archaic when that group of people starts to "recruit" or impose their beliefs on others in a way that restricts other people's lives. They give excuses in the name of God. God says you can't do this or that. Fine if YOU believe that God says you can't do this or that then that's what YOU believe and not necessarily what I believe. We should all agree to disagree, but we can't. We have to fight until someone says, "you're right. I see the light, praise God." What ever happened to "love thy neighbor?" Those same God fearing and egotistical people are the ones who sneer at anyone who is not in their racial group. These same close-minded people are the same people who elected our defunct president because they were afraid of the terrorists. Now our economy, environment, and social stature in the world suffer because we have an incapable man in the power seat. Why won't we vote in a woman or someone other than a WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) even though MANY other countries have women and minorities in power? Because we're Quakers. We hunt witches, have battles over religion, and live in fear.
Secondly I got into thinking about why we have to be so disrespectful to our land. That's really what sparked this rant. As I looked down at all the trash strewn about the ground I saw the packaging of Hostess, Snickers, Lays, Snyders, Beer Bottles of various brands, and Pepsi/Coke cans as well as the local grocery and convenience store plastic bags. It made me chuckle at first because I didn't see apple cores, carrot tops, banana peels, or a fatty bone here and there. You know, natural things that are healthy. I saw the capitalistic brand names of chemically induced junk. We eat junk and dispose of it right on our own land. There was a bin just up the block and one more bin another block down. Are we THAT impatient that we can't hold on to trash for another block? I thought about that as I was holding my apple core. I was finished and ready to toss, but I held on to it until I found a bin as sticky and inconvenient as it was to hold. Some of the waste looked like it was tossed from a passing car and I wouldn't put it past us Quakers to do something like that. The freeways are just as messy and not too many people walk on the sides of freeways. It's all about capitalism in this country. As I looked down at the items all over the ground I also began to think this was the reason why this country is so obese as a whole. A man came on one of the morning talk shows one day weighing in at 850lbs. 850lbs!!!!! How does that happen? It's because we're impatient and want the pre-prepared meals and chemically induced things that are ready to eat. Our society is so fast. Everyone has to work to survive. Money is SOOO important. Yet, we're spending money on useless things. Health insurance is useless. Yet, if we don't have it then our doctor bills reach into the thousands of dollars? Scam. If we just PAY the taxes to incorporate a national health plan, then exorbitant price hikes and limited coverage on health insurance would cease. But we're Quakers. No one wants to forgo the tax money because it's a TAX, but we'd rather pay more in health insurance per year because we're paying for INSURANCE. Useless. I could go one and on, but I digress.
It'll take a lot for this country to change. Minorities are still being discriminated against just on skin color alone. Women are still being suppressed. Capitalism rules the nation and major companies will prevent things that will help our country (national health plan, cleaner fuels, and social acceptance of differences). We stole the land from the "natives" and have abused its resources. We're just as bad as the Quakers from centuries ago. No wonder why the Middle Eastern countries shun our government.
(In a footnote to this publication see the comments below. My good friend caught my error and my lack of recall on history. Just change all instances of Quakers to Puritans. Hey, we all make mistakes)
First off we had a discussion some time ago here in L.A. on how we don't really have an identity for this country. Yes, we're Americans, but so are Canadians, Mexicans, anyone from Central America or South America. The collective of the two continents are American just like the collective of countries in Europe are European. It's arrogant to classify ourselves as Americans with the notion that it just means the United States. Petty I know, but lately the people that pop up with issues in this country have been pissing me off. For instance the witch lady. If you don't want your son or daughter to read the Harry Potter books because of your beliefs then restrict their literacy, creativity, and social interaction and not allow them to read the books. The mother has a right to excuse her siblings from a homework assignment if it's given if she so pleases. This IS the United States and that is her right. However when she's trying to put the same limitations on other children and impose HER beliefs on other people, that's where I have a problem with this country. I came up with a term for us the other day. I figure we're Quakers. Yes that is an accurate description. Really it's been a VERY slow process to change from that state of thinking to the more intelligent views the world economies express today. In most of the country religion is still governing our lives. Religion is a nice way for a group of people who share common interests and beliefs to gather and pray in the same manner. However it gets a little archaic when that group of people starts to "recruit" or impose their beliefs on others in a way that restricts other people's lives. They give excuses in the name of God. God says you can't do this or that. Fine if YOU believe that God says you can't do this or that then that's what YOU believe and not necessarily what I believe. We should all agree to disagree, but we can't. We have to fight until someone says, "you're right. I see the light, praise God." What ever happened to "love thy neighbor?" Those same God fearing and egotistical people are the ones who sneer at anyone who is not in their racial group. These same close-minded people are the same people who elected our defunct president because they were afraid of the terrorists. Now our economy, environment, and social stature in the world suffer because we have an incapable man in the power seat. Why won't we vote in a woman or someone other than a WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) even though MANY other countries have women and minorities in power? Because we're Quakers. We hunt witches, have battles over religion, and live in fear.
Secondly I got into thinking about why we have to be so disrespectful to our land. That's really what sparked this rant. As I looked down at all the trash strewn about the ground I saw the packaging of Hostess, Snickers, Lays, Snyders, Beer Bottles of various brands, and Pepsi/Coke cans as well as the local grocery and convenience store plastic bags. It made me chuckle at first because I didn't see apple cores, carrot tops, banana peels, or a fatty bone here and there. You know, natural things that are healthy. I saw the capitalistic brand names of chemically induced junk. We eat junk and dispose of it right on our own land. There was a bin just up the block and one more bin another block down. Are we THAT impatient that we can't hold on to trash for another block? I thought about that as I was holding my apple core. I was finished and ready to toss, but I held on to it until I found a bin as sticky and inconvenient as it was to hold. Some of the waste looked like it was tossed from a passing car and I wouldn't put it past us Quakers to do something like that. The freeways are just as messy and not too many people walk on the sides of freeways. It's all about capitalism in this country. As I looked down at the items all over the ground I also began to think this was the reason why this country is so obese as a whole. A man came on one of the morning talk shows one day weighing in at 850lbs. 850lbs!!!!! How does that happen? It's because we're impatient and want the pre-prepared meals and chemically induced things that are ready to eat. Our society is so fast. Everyone has to work to survive. Money is SOOO important. Yet, we're spending money on useless things. Health insurance is useless. Yet, if we don't have it then our doctor bills reach into the thousands of dollars? Scam. If we just PAY the taxes to incorporate a national health plan, then exorbitant price hikes and limited coverage on health insurance would cease. But we're Quakers. No one wants to forgo the tax money because it's a TAX, but we'd rather pay more in health insurance per year because we're paying for INSURANCE. Useless. I could go one and on, but I digress.
It'll take a lot for this country to change. Minorities are still being discriminated against just on skin color alone. Women are still being suppressed. Capitalism rules the nation and major companies will prevent things that will help our country (national health plan, cleaner fuels, and social acceptance of differences). We stole the land from the "natives" and have abused its resources. We're just as bad as the Quakers from centuries ago. No wonder why the Middle Eastern countries shun our government.
(In a footnote to this publication see the comments below. My good friend caught my error and my lack of recall on history. Just change all instances of Quakers to Puritans. Hey, we all make mistakes)
posted by Chris | 11:41 AM
2 Comments:
Chris, I think you must mean Puritans. Quakers are still alive and well (I come from a family of Quakers), and they are pacifists who work to promote friendship and unity. In the days of slavery, Quakers refused to own slaves. They were instrumental in the running of the Underground Railroad.
As pacifists, Quakers have been conscientious objectors since the Revolutionary War because war is against their religion. Although back then they were fined for their beliefs, nowadays they are excused from the draft.
Puritans, on the other hand, cut off the head of King Charles I, tried to impose their strict religious beliefs on everyone in England, and when that didn't work, moved to America to create their own Utopia, where their religious fanaticism led to the frenzy of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.
Puritans believed they had a divine right to this land even though the Native Americans were here first. And although there are no Puritans living anymore, this country's social structure was founded with a lot of Puritan influence.
So while I totally agree with your rant (and was ranting right along there with you!) I just wanted to make sure you didn't associate this stuff with the wrong set of people.
Aha. This only shows me that when I rant (which in this case spewed out of my fingers in a matter of minutes after reading the article) I don't think some things through too clearly. It also shows my lack of recall on my history, which after travelling so much to ancient places I was sad since I didn't remember a lot from those classes. My uncle, the history buff, probably picked up on it too. The point to be made though is clear. I just attacked the wrong group of people. As a country, we still need to be more open-minded and less governed by fear and religion.
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