WHAT KIND OF AMERICA?

It's Memorial Day! Usually we "do up" our yard so it looks its best-and fly the stars and stripes.
A few burgers on the grill-and a simple, happy holiday.... not much fuss.
This year, I've been doing a bit more thinking.
It all started when I found "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" on You Tube and posted it on my Facebook page. This song has haunted me (in a good way) since I heard it at Robert Kennedy's funeral in the late 60s. For years, I tried to figure out what the song means-and, in a way, the lyrics still stir the pot of theology, church and military history.
Then came a friend's FB post-reminding that we should "keep" the America we've known and loved. Keep it? Is it going away? Hmmm.
So-I formed a query and posted it in return: When our soldiers lay dying on battlefields all over the world, what were they dying FOR? I mean REALLY...
Were they paid to fight and die? Paid to follow orders?
Did they die for freedom? Freedom for who to do what?
Did they die for their own subjective idea of America? For their families and neighbors in a small town somewhere?
Death is a very serious, powerful thing that should have great, enduring meaning.
So, I think about these martyred soldiers when I -from the extremely blessed position of being alive-look at America.
I see a nation that is giving money to enemy governments for favors, giving corporations tax breaks even as the economy has been de-stabilized, workers laid off, jobs shipped overseas,
oil hoarded, our land polluted, etc. I see a nation that will tax a middle class which is losing its health care, Medicare; even as many members have lost their jobs. Oh, and to top things off, schools are being closed and kindergarten taken away-not to mention de-funding for indigent, sick, elderly in nursing homes-whle CEO of Wall St corps get millions in "bonuses."
Is this the America our soldiers died for?
If they died for "freedom" and they did-we better define freedom quickly!
No one is free to play global war games fast-and-loose with precious tax-payer resources, and bet the homes and households of America on risky mortgage loans.
Americans, we have gotten so big and complex and have made deals with the devil for so long that the American dream may be no more.
We need to find our values once more in this fog. What is it we are really about? What will we sacrifice and die for?
Once we know, we need to also know that America is not "one"- and there are enemies within, some obvious, others are wolves in sheep's clothing, I'm afraid.
Often the most dangerous enemies sound the most noble. They know current issues are so complex we can barely stand to study them, that all people are not smart; and they (unscrupulous leaders) throw down "red meat" issues to distract us while they undercut our bedrock foundation.
Instead of "trusting politicians" we need to trust our fellow citizens and together find candidates to represent us. Everybody wants to be a "grassroots" candidate-but they are few and far between.
So why look now at who we are as a nation? Because we are out of money.
Money is a great cover up for mistakes, confusion, schemes, and lack of money really forces us to face priorities and look our leaders in the eye. So perhaps this period of America's history can somehow be a productive one. I hope and trust so.
....Thanks to soldiers, veterans, those who died in service, and even those who live to serve.
That means us, too, fellow voter, by the way. We had better not let our veterans down.