Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Independence Day Wishes

As the gentle reader knows, Thursday is the Fourth of July, aka Independence Day.  The day in which a dwindling number of Americans take the day off - I'm not aware of any business but banks who are closed on Independence Day - to celebrate our rights, our freedoms and, of course, our independence.

But there are a lot less of those things in recent months and years.  It seems that you can't go a day without hearing about some group - or several groups - losing their rights in the growing corporate takeover of America.

But seeing how yesterday was the birthday of this here blog and tomorrow is the birthday of this great (but not as great as it could be) nation, I will take the liberty of blowing out the candles and making some wishes:

I wish women the independence of control over their own bodies, without some misogynistic Teapublican trying to impose legalized sexual assault.  I also wish women the right to equal pay as well as the right to equal promotion in whichever careers they might choose.  And I wish women the right to have their voices heard as clearly and with the same respect that anyone else might expect.

I wish children the right to be taught to be critical thinkers so that they might keep their own independence as they grow up.  I also wish them the right to be treated as humans and not as chattel to be fed on by the parasitic profiteers who want to privatize their schools, stealing their futures as well as our tax dollars.

I wish the workers the freedom to organize without interference from the corporations or their wholly-owned politicians.  I wish them the right to get fair pay for their labor, as well as safe working conditions and being treated with respect.  And if they were to lose their job, I wish the workers a strong safety net that will allow them to survive until they find another job.  Add to that, the wish that the state was actually creating good, family-supporting jobs.

I wish the voters their unimpeded constitutional right to vote, regardless of race or socioeconomic status.  Furthermore, I wish them the ability to have a good candidate, who will represent them and not the big-money special interests or the dark overlords of ALEC.  And for the voters in Milwaukee County, I also wish them a representative government be restored to them.

I wish Mother Nature the respect due to her and the the land, animals and other assets be cherished and protected as they should be.

I wish the people to have an honest, objective media which will do investigative journalism and not just regurgitating press releases or trying to squelch information. I also wish that all the people have access to affordable health care, a fair and impartial justice system and a government that will actually provide services - such as social safety nets, a functioning public transit system and a well maintained infrastructure - instead of acting as a collection agency for the corporations.

And lastly, I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend.

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