Independence Day Funeral

Blog#34- 7/6/20

INDPENDENCE DAY FUNERAL
By Richard Davis

Instead of fireworks, barbeques and parties on the Fourth of July, Americans should be walking silently in funeral processions. The great American experiment in Democracy has fallen far too short in its vision for a better life that was described in the Declaration of Independence. The current Black Lives Matter protestors are making that clear and their marches are some of the best efforts we have to move us closer to the ideals that the founding fathers imagined.

We need to be reminded of some of the principles this country was founded upon, even as we recognize that those who wrote the words of the Declaration of Independence were slave owners and white men of privilege.

“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. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness.”

I would actively support a full-scale revolution in this country where the reins of power are taken from those in Washington and the people usurp their power by bringing all commerce to a halt and demanding that all elected officials vacate office until a new election is held. Violence is not necessary to have a change in government. The majority of Americans have to decide that enough is enough and that their lives are being put in too much jeopardy if they continue to support the unethical, immoral, and corrupt behavior of those who would perpetuate the failed government that we have.

I know that kind of revolution will never happen in this country. There is too much division and most Americans will never leave the comfort of their couches to guard principles that should be sacred to all Americans. Instead, we have to rely on the ballot box to make the most incremental of change.

Although the kind of change that many of us would like to see this November seems like a real possibility, the removal of the Trump regime is not enough to erase the systemic racism and inequality that has come to be a part of the American fabric. Having our votes move all branches of government to Democrats is only a tiny step in the direction that this country needs to move to.

Unless a majority of the people show the newly elected leaders in Congress what they want in a transformed America nothing will change. The protests now in the streets of this country need to move into new territory. The leaders of the marches need to first mobilize their ranks to vote and then they need to form action groups or ally themselves with existing activist entities to develop a unified plan for moving this country forward.

Once that plan is developed they need to bring it to the country’s new leaders and let them know that if they do not work to change our country their time in office will be short.

Without a full-scale revolution the only real threat is that of removal from office. Without a full-scale revolution our vote is our best weapon of choice in the battle to end American racism and inequality. Until real and lasting change happens we should be having mass funeral processions on the Fourth of July.