See you in 6 weeks...and it will be for real next time.
Although, after hearing these lyrics at the karaoke bar tonight, I might reconsider my membership.
"Oh, Justice will be served and the battle will rage.
This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage
You'll be sorry that you messed with the US of A
'Cuz we'll put a boot in your ass
It's the American way."
Seriously? "We'll put a boot in your ass. It's the American way?" I thought life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness was the American Way. Did they change it? Did I miss a memo?
I thought it was a joke until I looked around me and saw everyone belting it out, and some even getting teary eyed in the process. There was not a single drop of irony in the room. The fact that the cowboy singing it was completely off the beat and tone deaf didn't help, but I was totally in shock. This pandering, over simplistic crap was tugging at everyone's heart strings and apparently I was the ass who couldn't muster a tear.
It's freaking FREEDOM FRIES. It's freaking email forwards with Powerpoint slides of bald eagles with tears in their eyes and I was in a room full of people spamming me.
It's the ignorance behind overly patriotic and righteous crap like this that have put me in the middle of more than one stupid conversation where I have had to explain that these archaic, chauvanistic, patriarchal, patronizing, ignorant redneck ideas are not necessarily representative of every American (although they are rather characteristic of our current President, but again, I digress). It completely over-simplifies and serves no purpose except to limit thinking...Black and White. America=Good and Others=Bad. Eye for an eye.
There are so many shades of gray to global politics and cultures and ideas. From what I've seen, ultimately, everyone just wants to live their lives in the best way they can - without conflict, strife, or anyone shoving a boot up anyone's asses.
A pacificist I am not, but what's so funny about peace, love and understanding?
Toby Keith, I am not a fan.
2 comments:
Someone wise once pointed out that fear, rage, love, and allegiance all reside in the same part of our psyche. Toby Keith is terrible, and things thought to be patriotic often are images that evoke the above feelings. The differences in the shades of racism, chauvinism, "orientationism", patriotism, and all forms of ethnocentrism all find their roots in fear, rage, and love. Political peeps on both sides of the aisle know this and tie their issues to images that evoke those emotions (crying eagles, babies, and treed cougars). As irrational as we can all be at times, we let our hearts be more susceptible than our minds will ever be. America is a beautiful but terrifying idea, crying eagles and all.
Again, you make me proud Ms. Kate.
Post a Comment