David Kaib said something that might seem very small at first. But it's about language, and language is about defining reality, and (a) that's the first step to changing reality and (b) that's very much what today's little exercise here on Open Left is all about:
Here's my hope
That we can start with the small step of calling this day Independence Day, not Fourth of July. It recently struck me how odd it is to refer to the day by its date - the only holiday I can think of we do that for. Is there any doubt that his is because of its political content - like so much political language, this seems to be an example of "blunt[ing] the too sharply pointed."
From there, I hope that we can reconnect with the meaning of today (this post by Paul, and Mike's above, are great starts) and other holidays - like MLK and Labor Day. Perhaps we might also use this day as a chance to think about the ways we have yet to root out royalism / aristocracy in our culture - whether that be the way we treat presidents, senators, celebrities, or the rich. Or perhaps maybe (it's a small thing, I know), I could go to the grocery store and not have to see magazines detailing the lives of British princes
I couldn't think about any of the above-Independence Day, reclaiming meaning, calling things by their true names--without immediately thinking about another, closely-related meaning of "Independence Day," the Gretchen Peters song made famous by Martina McBride, a song which embodies its own set of contested meanings that resonate powerfully with what we've been talking about here today, and which became a part of campaign contest last fall. Here's the Wikipedia entry on its background:
The lyrics tell a story of a woman's response to domestic abuse, seen from the point of view of her daughter. The song's music video was somewhat controversial at the time of its release, because of its graphic depiction of domestic violence. The ending of the video is particularly intense, as it shows the young girl's home burning to the ground, implying that the mother had been responsible for the fire, and that she and the abusive father both perished in the fire.
The lyrics have a double meaning in that the woman in the story is finally gaining her "freedom" from her abusive husband. Thus, it is her "independence day." The title also refers to the fact that the events noted in the song happened on America's Independence Day, or July 4.
And its use in politics:
Writer Gretchen Peters has objected to Hannity's use of the song, and engaged in a "personal protest" by donating to organizations such as ACLU, PFLAG and MoveOn.org. When the song was used to introduce Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin at a rally in October 2008, Peters publicly announced that she considered the use of the theme, in view of Palin's opposition to abortion even in cases of rape and incest to be "beyond irony" and that "[Palin] represented the opposite of what this song really is all about". She said that she intended to donate all royalties from the song during the election cycle to Planned Parenthood, in Gov. Palin's name.
I would have embeded the video as part of this diary, but embeding has been disabled. It's quite powerful, and you can see it here. Lyrics on the flip.
Another comment worthy of reflection. Almost all of us have similar family stories we could tell, except for those exclusively descended from slaves and Native Americans. They're all remarkably similar in essence, regardless of race, or when our ancestors came. Yet, in nuance, meaning and significance, even within the same family, even between siblings, they can be remarkably different, as they define us and we define them:
Mine is the American story of an immigrant. The family legend has that my grandfather arrived here on his 18th birthday. He met and married my grandmother who had emigrated from the same Eastern European country.
My grandfather would work for over 50 years in the steel mills and be one of the first steel workers to become part of a labor union. During the depression they took in relatives to house and feed, grew gardens and geese and chickens.
Some of their children would not make it to adulthood but the seven that did all become successful in their own way. One even made it to college and became an engineer for U.S. Steel. My own father and mother had a successful small business though neither of my parents graduated from high school.
I have watched waves of immigrants reach our shore, first from Cuba, then Viet Nam, now from Mexico, Poland, Russia, and India. Each has the unique story. Some come here without anything; some come armed with a good education and a skill. Each has come to try a new life in a country where opportunity seems limitless and wide open spaces still exist. I marvel at their bravery to come to a country with a foreign language and often very foreign customs. I wonder if I could adjust to new land as my grandparents did before me.
One thing I am sure of those is that the immigrants that come to our shore have made us stronger. They bring to us the best of their homelands and we are the benefactors. These are the exceptional few that have courage and the ability to embrace change. The immigrant story is the backbone of this country and it is the backbone of my story.
My father was born on the Fourth of July and so as a family this was always a day of great celebration. So it has always been in my life this day is always seen as a day for new beginnings and new horizons.
Today let us celebrate all that is good in our country and to remember that there is still work to do so that the blessings are secured for the next generation and every generation thereafter.
And the other clip is Maurice Cheeks helping a young gal get through the anthem at an NBA game when she was screwed up and was about to give up singing.
Most Americans are unaware that much of our patriotic culture--including many of the leading icons and symbols of American identity--was created by artists and writers of decidedly left-wing and even socialist sympathies. A look at the songs sung at post-9/11 patriotic tribute events and that appear on the various patriotic compilation albums, or the clips incorporated into film shorts celebrating the "American spirit," reveals that the preponderance of these originated in the forgotten tradition of left-wing patriotism.
As I announced earlier this week, , I want to do something special for the 4th of July this weekend, and this is where it starts, I'm inviting everyone in the Open Left community to join me in taking back patriotism from the know-nothing rightwing jingoists, by sharing what America means to you, whether from your own direct experience, or from the lives or writings of others who have inspired you.
As I said in that earlier diary, our country has always had its flaws--and below the fold, in my personal sharing to kick things off, I'll have more to say about that. Here, I just want to invite join with me, posting your stories or thoughts about what being an American means to you, what it should mean to all of us, or anything else you wish to write on a truly patriotic theme.
It's okay to respond to one another, of course. But mostly, I hope that people will use the comments to speak to us all. Sometime tomorrow, after people have had sufficient time to contribute, and to rate each others contritubions, I will repost the most recommended comments--plus, perhaps, my own personal favorites--either as separate front page entries, or in thematic groupings if that seems more appropriate, to spur further discussion of what true patriotism means to all of us.
So, start your patriotic juices flowing, folk. This is a Fourth for all of us to hold forth.
Most Americans are unaware that much of our patriotic culture--including many of the leading icons and symbols of American identity--was created by artists and writers of decidedly left-wing and even socialist sympathies. A look at the songs sung at post-9/11 patriotic tribute events and that appear on the various patriotic compilation albums, or the clips incorporated into film shorts celebrating the "American spirit," reveals that the preponderance of these originated in the forgotten tradition of left-wing patriotism.
I want to do something special for the 4th of July this weekend. I want to invite everyone in the Open Left community to join me in taking back patriotism from the know-nothing rightwing jingoists.
Of course our country has always had its flaws--slavery and genocide are pretty hard to overlook, just for starters. But we were the very first modern democracy, and the first geographically extensive republic in all human history, as well as the first secular republic. Although imperfect, we were from the beginning profoundly liberal, which means that we were prepared, at some level, to own up to our imperfections, and do something to about them.
And so, the Declaration of Independence was a liberal document, as was the Constitution. But not only that, as the article quoted above reminds us. The Pledge of Allegiance was written by a Christian socialist, as an antidote to the the selfish, robber baron-worshiping mentality of the day. "America, the Beautiful" was written by an anti-imperialist lesbian. And so I want to invite you to join in that tradition.
I invite you to start thinking and writing in advance, and then, on July, post your stories or thoughts about what being an American means to you, or if you prefer, what it should mean to all of us, or anything else you wish to write on a truly patriotic theme.
At midnight on the 4th, I will post a diary where people can make their entries as comments, and the most recommended comments--plus my own personal favorites, will then be reposted, either as separate front page entries, or in thematic groupings if that seems more appropriate.
So, start your patriotic juices flowing, folk. This is a Fourth for all of us to hold forth.
