December 7, 1941: Even now, as the hours pass here on the East coast, we find our thoughts turning to a group of islands in the Pacific, even before the Hawaiian Islands became our 50th state. We all know what happened on that day, when at the crack of dawn, Japanese fighter pilots invaded the peace and quiet of paradise, and entered us into the Pacific Theatre of World War II.
Things have changed since then, of course, but there is a true sense of loss from that day, and of all events that take our loved ones away from us forever. Peace is a better way to learn, a better way to look back at the past, and a greater hope that things can indeed be won without bloodshed.
Remember the pain, remember the fear, and remember the sacrifices, and think about how, sometimes, it still feels as though we are in a neverending state of war. Too many people are still oppressed, and live in a state of fear, but it wasn't until 7 years ago that one man committed treason and launched a war where the US was the aggressor. Until that moment, we had kept to the high road, fighting back when we were attacked--now, it is painfully clear that the US is no longer a nation defending itself from other aggressors, but one which has defied global law and gone after another country.
We need to remember who we are as a nation, and decide what we stand for. We have spent the decade of 2001 to 2009 making rich men even richer, and poor men even more destitute. We have spent these years capitulating to the far right, even now, a frustration trend that thrusts us into the belly of the great beast. We are no longer a democracy, when instead it is the oligarchs who claim rule over the people.
We must come together, somehow, and make this a great country again, but how we will manage that, I'm not sure. But until it happens, we will never again be one of the greatest nations on Planet Earth.
Bring us back to glory: defeat the far right in everything they do.
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