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Title: I Will Salute No More Forever
Source:
Buzzflash.com
URL Source: [None]
Published: Sep 6, 2007
Author: Mike Ferner
Post Date: 2007-09-06 00:35:11 by kiki
Keywords: None
Views: 227
Comments: 11
St. Louis - His government broke his heart but it could not break Air Force veteran Charles Powell's spirit. Fighting back tears, the 64 year-old vet stood tall and resolute in front of 400 of his comrades, describing in verse the final steps of a painful disillusionment. Each summer during the national convention of Veterans For Peace, time is reserved for a Veterans' Speakout, where any member can rise to say whatever is on their mind. When the veterans gathered in 2002, prior to the invasion of Iraq, George Bush and the hawks of Washington were pounding away on the war drums. That year, Powell, who had served on a Titan ICBM launch crew during the Cuban missile crisis, read his poem titled, "I Won't Let Them Take My Flag." He noted the warmongers were "again waving my flag" as a buildup to invasion, and he countered what he felt was a manipulation of the national symbol with the following lines reminiscent of the great Langston Hughes. "But to me 'Old Glory' still stands for the liberty, justice and solidarity yet to come. So I still wave it too. I wave it for health care, education, housing and food for all. I wave it for peace and love and I wave it for hope. Most of all, I wave it for the America yet to be." After four and a half years of war in Iraq, Veterans For Peace convened again this summer and Charles Powell was there as always. As his turn came at the Speakout microphone, he struggled a few seconds to compose himself. Then, in a clear voice growing more determined as he spoke, Powell mirrored the pain, regret, and anger in the hearts of so many who listened. I WILL SALUTE NO MORE FOREVER As a child I learned to Worship that piece of colored cloth. My family, my school, the movies, TV taught me to believe that fragment of fabric stood for good things. I watched my father, a World War II Army veteran, give homage to that wad of material. As an airman, I saluted that banner for the four years I served in the Air Force where I stood ready to help launch Titan Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles on command. Then I became aware that the wonderful things for which that clump of colors is suppose to represent, have not been achieved. I came to know that awful, unlawful, unwise, and immoral acts have occurred under the stars and stripes. But I still clung onto the belief and hope that someday, somehow conditions would change and the good things for which that rag is still supposed to stand would yet be realized. However, I've been forced to come to my senses. Now we have: preemptive war, the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, stop loss, neglect of returning veterans, ignored infrastructure, billions of dollars squandered on war and occupation, extraordinary rendition, secret imprisonment, warrantless domestic spying, disenfranchisement of voters, stolen elections, torture, suspension of habeas corpus, and denial of due process. So, even though hearing "America The Beautiful" still increases my heartbeat. Although seeing those stripes still brings a lump to my throat. Even though the sight of those stars continues to bring tears to my eyes. I won't pledge to it anymore. I won't remove my cap. I won't stand in respect. I won't wave it. I will salute no more forever.
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#1. To: kiki (#0)
It is ploy, a gag. Support your neighbors friends, the government, no, they eat you.
"Satan / Cheney in "08"
America no longer exists...it's now Amerika.
No its the U.S.S.A. they just havent gotton around to building the gulags......YET.
Why settle for the lesser of two evils, vote Cthulhu!
The late Col;onel David Hackworth announced on national television that he would drive his son to Candida to escape a new Congressional Draft Bill.
Life is a tragedy to those who feel, and a comedy to those who think.
We all learned to pledge al-liege - ance to a flag that we were told stood for liberty and justice for all. A liege is the relationship of a serf to his lord under the feudal system. In past times the parents pledged their children to the local noble and sealed the deal by kissing his ring. Today, parents pledge their children to the national feudal system, attach the socialist security number to the children and kiss the governments ass for the entirety of their existence. We were naieve children without any worldly awareness when we stood before the flag with our hand placed over our hearts. We didn't have any idea that our country was more interested in command and controlled corporatism (commercial conquest by war - MATERIALISM) at the expense of other little children around the world. We didn't think so many bad people existed on the entire earth as existed in D.C. alone. We can be forgiven for being ignorant of the facts as children, for pledging allegiance to a flag that was misrepresented to us by adults. Now we are the adults, we should not be ignorant any longer, and we will not be forgiven should we continue the lie. The weapons of MATERIALISM have been turned on our children. They will be killed or asked to kill others in order to preserve the falsehoods promoted by the conniving scumbags and psychopaths currently in power, war has become a way of life and a means of dictating economic hegemony. A perpetually recurring nightmare filled with the murder of innocents and dead loved ones. Stamped, tatooed, chipped and brainwashed into bondage is their future unless we decide its time to get honest. Definition of Liege: 1. a feudal lord entitled to allegiance and service. 2. a feudal vassal or subject. –adjective 3. owing primary allegiance and service to a feudal lord. 4. pertaining to the relation between a feudal vassal and lord.
"The mighty are only mighty because we are on our knees. Let us rise!" --Camille Desmoulins
He doesn't understand that when you give the government the right to give you those things, you are also giving it the right to send you to war. Welfare/warfare, two sides of the same coin. Like the Borg in Star Trek.
"Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile."
Exactamundo!
"The mighty are only mighty because we are on our knees. Let us rise!" --Camille Desmoulins
The Mass last Sunday ended with "America the Beautiful". I was disgusted and walked out. I may have to be confronted with mindless and grotesque displays of "patriotism" everywhere like giant flags over every schlocky retail store on the highway- but damnit- I don't have to sit still for it in Mass and I don't appreciate it.
As a child I learned to Worship that piece of colored cloth. My family, my school, the movies, TV taught me to believe that fragment of fabric stood for good things. I watched my father, a World War II Army veteran, give homage to that wad of material. As an airman, I saluted that banner for the four years I served in the Air Force where I stood ready to help launch Titan Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles on command. Then I became aware that the wonderful things for which that clump of colors is suppose to represent, have not been achieved. I came to know that awful, unlawful, unwise, and immoral acts have occurred under the stars and stripes. But I still clung onto the belief and hope that someday, somehow conditions would change and the good things for which that rag is still supposed to stand would yet be realized. However, I've been forced to come to my senses. Now we have: preemptive war, the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, stop loss, neglect of returning veterans, ignored infrastructure, billions of dollars squandered on war and occupation, extraordinary rendition, secret imprisonment, warrantless domestic spying, disenfranchisement of voters, stolen elections, torture, suspension of habeas corpus, and denial of due process. So, even though hearing "America The Beautiful" still increases my heartbeat. Although seeing those stripes still brings a lump to my throat. Even though the sight of those stars continues to bring tears to my eyes. I won't pledge to it anymore. I won't remove my cap. I won't stand in respect. I won't wave it. I will salute no more forever. This is wonderful.
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
"It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men." -- Samuel Adams (1722-1803)‡
#2. To: kiki (#0)
#3. To: christine (#2)
it's now Amerika.
#4. To: christine (#2)
America no longer exists...it's now Amerika.
#5. To: kiki (#0)
(Edited)
As a child I learned to Worship that piece of colored cloth.
#6. To: kiki (#0)
I wave it for health care, education, housing and food for all.
#7. To: YertleTurtle (#6)
#8. To: The Thread (#7)
bump this - good stuff. Thanks.
#9. To: kiki (#0)
#10. To: kiki (#0)
I WILL SALUTE NO MORE FOREVER
"There is no 'legitimate' Corporation by virtue of it's very legal definition and purpose."
-- IndieTx
#11. To: Zoroaster (#4)
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