At what point have you given up so much freedom and so many rights, in the pursuit of some illusion of “safety and security,” that the events you used to enjoy as part of a community aren’t worth turning out for anymore?
Tomorrow is the 4th of July – Independence Day, the USA’s celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Traditionally the day would end with a fireworks display, and the whole community would turn out to see it. Here in NYC, it would be a massive show that everyone in the city would enjoy from whatever vantage point they could find. A joyous and innocent tradition…
Today, the top news stories aren’t about the fireworks – they are about the massive amount of military firepower about to be deployed in an effort to prevent a terrorist attack during the annual fireworks display. An operation whose object it is to keep everyone off the street who might pose a “threat.” No more watching the fireworks from your rooftop – instead there will be snipers there, “protecting” you.
What a pathetic display of weakness, of power out of control – an epic display of fear. Is this really what we have become? Are we so afraid of everything that we have to wrap ourselves in a war machine, otherwise the “bad guys” might get us? What weak, frightened children we have become. Shame on us, it wasn’t always this way. At one time, to paraphrase Walter White, we weren’t in danger – we were the danger.
We have become a flaccid representation of what we thought we stood for. At what point? By my measure we reached that point quite a while ago. I’m afraid that ship has sailed…