It's The 4th of July Again

It's Independence Day, the day 235 years ago that the United States was born and I have to admit earlier post not withstanding I'm harboring conflicted feelings on this day.

The Constitution that declared me and my ancestors 3/5ths of a human being would come a few years later in 1787.  But thanks to the work of a lot of people who fought, marched, protested, and died for my and my people's civil rights coverage, when I cash my citizenship check it doesn't come back 'insufficient funds'.    . 

We are also on this 235th Independence Day approaching the 150th anniversary of the first land battle of the Civil War, have an African American president and his family in the White House, have over 310 million people living inside the borders of the United States, and are more politically divided than at any time in our nation's history since the War To Perpetuate Slavery jumped off 150 years ago. .  

So yeah, I have my moments about just how proud I am of this country (and my home state) and they coincide with just how much my country loves me back as a proud African American.   Sometimes my feelings and frustration about my country matches this July 5, 1852 Frederick Douglass speech.

I also have had the honor and the burden as a proud African descended transwoman of fighting for civil rights coverage in her homeland for her people.

It's even more galling on this day to see where we transpeople are at the civil rights table vis a vis other Americans.  This day finds me wondering when me and my transpeeps are going to get to see the fruits of citizenship that we have paid in blood for.   That thought combined with the anti-trans violence and discrimination we have to deal with on a regular basis seriously pisses me off at times.  

Hell, first class citizenship is not just for cis people only.  My transpeeps as American citizens demand it as well.    

To you conservafools who read this and are thinking about leaving messages in my comment thread saying in effect leave this country if I don't like it, I suggest you refrain from that madness because in the mood I'm in right now as I'm compiling this post I will straight up embarrass your behinds.

Some of y'all not only need remedial civics classes y'all need to read the fracking Declaration of Independence that led to this day and the Constitution. 

Even though you clueless conservafools and Tea Klux Klan members piss me and my people off at times, I still love this country.   I've just been along with other POC's more thoughtful about how.and why.

I'm frustrated because I want for my country as my late Texas shero and Houston homegirl Rep. Barbara Jordan said, an America as good as its promise.

In my case I want one better than its promise.

You conservafools under your misguided rule are ruining that promise, not making it better..  I don't want a selfish, mean-spirited, oppressive, I got mine you get yours greed is good country.  I want one in which shared prosperity and shared sacrifice are not empty political rhetoric.

I want one in which we once again measure ourselves by how we treat the least of our citizens, not how big our bank accounts are.   I want us to once again dream big, think about how our actions today impact future generations and act accordingly.

I want us to say 'Yes We Can' when it comes to leading the world in innovation and investment in national infrastructure instead of  'Hell No We Can't' as Speaker Boehner and his GOP buddies incessantly chant.

So yeah, it's the 4th of July again.    Happy birthday USA!   Break out the barbecue and the Blue Bell homemade vanilla ice cream while you're at it..  

And take a moment to contemplate as you're chowing down on the barbecue and good food, watching those fireworks displays (if you're lucky enough to get them) and watching Independence Day parades how we are going to make this country as good as its promise for all its citizens.