The United States of America: Born July 4th, 1776 - Died October 17th, 2006

The United States of America: Born July 4th, 1776 - Died October 17th, 2006

By Mary MacElveen
October 17th, 2006

In light of a despot signing ‘The Military Commissions Act of 2006’ into law, it was the day America died. America was born on July 4th, 1976 and died on October 17th, 2006. For a democracy, she died a perilous death at the young age of 230 years old. For six long years she screamed out in pain and while there were some protests, a great majority just stood by and did absolutely nothing. There were even those who helped her to her death including a despotic man that some call president. I cannot even speak his name within this one piece out of the anger and homage to a country that I so loved.

In the signing of this bill into law these words that many recite to honor our flag and country have no meaning at all at this point.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to The Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Do these words even describe us as a nation anymore? We are no longer the United States of America which has been long revered, but a tyrannical country that will think nothing of torturing human beings. We have become the very enemy we always fought against. With the passage and signing of this law, our enemies did in fact win. If the Patriot Act was not enough, this was the final nail in America’s coffin. We have handed over absolute power either by silence or omission to one man who will not govern, but rule us. That my fellow, Americans is the very definition of a dictatorship.

We are no longer one nation, but a deeply divided country in which this despot by design polarized us. We became a nation of ‘Us vs. Them’. We became a nation that this despot pitted conservatives against liberals and this despot laughed all the way. We all love the United States Constitution, but so few within this country of now 300 million were willing to defend it. By the signing of this law which does away with Habeas Corpus and allows torture, our soldiers are left fighting for what exactly? They are told by this despot they are fighting for freedom and democracy. Well this despot just slapped both down in one fell swoop with a pen.

Now, I shall address the ‘under God’ part of this pledge. God created mankind with free will. I am of the opinion that means we are free to speak out which is called dissention. For those who will continue to speak out, a chill runs down one’s spine wondering if they can be labeled an ‘enemy combatant’ and hauled away to some darkened prison cell and perhaps never heard from again. Did we truly honor God by staying silent as this despot killed America? Did we honor God by allowing this despot to murder innocent people overseas? The latest count which the despot rejects stands at 655,000. Many were brought up with a belief system that states, do unto others as you will have them do unto you. If we do not wish torture upon us, how can we condone it upon others? What about mercy and grace which are Christian values? Whoever is affected by these brutal acts, they are God’s children. Yet this despot wears God on his sleeve and how dare he do that. He knows nothing of God if he signed this bill into law.

By this new law, we are no longer indivisible. Call me an elitist if you will, but I really do not see any similarities with those that do support this law. They are truly alien to me.

In the last part of the Pledge of Allegiance that states “with liberty and justice for all” with this new law, that is gone. It strips those that this despot sees as ‘enemy combatants’ of the liberties once provided them under the United States Constitution. What justice does this new law afford anyone deemed as an ‘enemy combatant’? Justice in the eyes of many constitutional experts means one is given due process and with this new law, that is long gone.

So for now, mourn America’s death, grieve for her and perhaps by a miracle from God someday, she will be given new life. In the interim, I will continue my sole protest that I started two years ago when this despot started his second term and that is not to Pledge Allegiance to the Flag. The words contained within it are that, just words. They no longer have any meaning.

http://www.marymacelveen.com/blog/_archives/2006/10/17/2424866.html