Being an AmericanBy Christian de la Huerta July 1, 2008
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We Americans take so many of our freedoms for granted: due process of law, the required warrant for an arrest, trial by jury, innocent until proven guilty, freedom of speech, freedom to assemble, among others. In many oppressive regimes, of whichever ilk, these are nonexistent or at least represent a judicial travesty. In too many places in our world, people live in constant fear of that proverbial knock on the door in the middle of the night, when you or one of your loved ones may be whisked away, sometimes never to be seen again--no explanations required.
Those early experiences gave me a deeper appreciation of what freedom means, and a different perspective on what it means to be an American. For me, America represents--or at least has represented up until recent years--that which is best in humanity. In spite of our flaws and inconsistencies, we still symbolize humanity's best shot at a system of government which actually represents all its people, which helps serve our needs and challenges us to fulfill our highest potential as a people. What makes this country great is precisely our diversity: the fact that here all cultures, religions, women and ethnic minorities (for the most part), and increasingly, sexual minorities, are treated equally under the law, at least nominally. We are literally a microcosm of humanity. Though we are standing at a crossroads and facing the clear possibility of decline, America is still the land of freedom and opportunity millions dream of belonging to some day.
I travel a great deal and have been to 48 states--I'm missing only Alaska and North Dakota, which I will drive through in a couple of weeks. (I am committed to visiting all 50 before turning 50!) I love this country. The unspeakable beauty of this land touches me in the core of my being. I have been moved to tears by its purple mountain majesties. My soul has been made to soar by Montana's spacious skies, the quality of the light in northern New Mexico, and the pastel sunsets in South Florida. My body has been stilled by the grandeur of the California redwoods and the dramatic Pacific coastline. I have been awed and humbled by the otherwordly beauty of the Southwest's red rock landscapes. To have seen the golden aspens in the high Rockies or the multihued New England forests in the fall is a treasured privilege. America, you truly are stunningly beautiful!
Of late, however, I must admit to feeling pained about being an American.
No one likes a bully. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, our government has been behaving like a schoolyard bully, taking unfair advantage of our strength and power, and imposing its will on the world. The way this administration strong-armed the pseudo-coalition executing the second Iraq war was less than inspiring. The way--it is now obvious to everyone, except those in serious denial--that the intelligence about WMDs used to sell the war was manipulated and misrepresented is shocking and revolting. To hear about front page stories in foreign newspapers with the Nazi insignia superimposed over the American flag is deeply disturbing.
The so-called Patriot Act, which has nothing to do with being patriotic, is a menacing threat to our precious and hard-fought-for American ideals. Ever since 9/11, the specter of a Big Brother-like police state looms darkly over our heads.
Many Americans displayed pseudo-patriotic paroxysms after 9/11, with gazillions of flags being waved all over this country since that awful morning that changed the world almost seven years ago--the implication being that anyone who did not wave the flag or who opposes the war in Iraq is unpatriotic or anti-American.
With recent laws passed by Congress and presidential acts signed by Bush, martial law looms as a possible if surreal scenario. Our rights are being diminished and absconded under our very eyes and we are told to go shopping. The sad part is that we do it. We face an environmental crisis of biblical proportions and we obsess instead about the latest antics of Britney Spears or Paris Hilton.
We have been traumatized as a country since 9/11 and have been stuck in a place of fear, allowing ourselves to being railroaded by opportunistic and power-grabbing leaders. The dream of America for which this country's founders gave their blood is not what we have allowed our government to become.
What will it take for America to wake up?
It is not too late yet, but time is running out. It is time to reclaim the real America--an America that stands for freedom, for generosity, for the proverbial American ingenuity, for our indomitable and fearless sense of exploration--including in matters social, scientific and spiritual. It is time to unleash our mind-boggling creativity and our longing for peace in developing sustainable environmental and economic policies and implementing true equality under the law for all. It is time to reign in our political leaders and to get more actively involved. We no longer have time for apathy or escapism.
Waiting for the Apocalypse? Guess what? We are already in it! We have been living in apocalyptic times. Fire and brimstone pour down from the skies causing unimaginable destruction in war-torn areas all over the world. Incurable plagues riddle our world. Nature is up in arms--no wonder! Fear is entrenched in the White House and the halls of Congress and rules the most powerful country in the world, risking humanity's annihilation with its shortsighted, anachronistic and macho policies.
It is time for the people to arise...time for revolution. Not a revolution with arms and bloodshed, but a revolution of the Spirit. Only a spiritual solution--the awakening of humanity to our true essence and potential--will get us out of the quagmire in which we find ourselves. As Einstein wisely said, you cannot solve a problem from the same level of consciousness in which it was created.
It is time to step into our power: authentic power, not about control or domination or manipulation or power over. Power which derives its raw strength from love and from a relationship to the sacred. Humble power which thrives on service and generosity. Power which entails balancing the masculine and feminine energies within ourselves, and in our world.
It is time to take risks, even if that means risking it all if necessary. Americans are risk takers by inheritance. We carry the thirst for adventure and exploration in our DNA. Our ancestors, no matter when or how they immigrated, did so in search of political or economic freedom, following the promise of a new life, the opportunity to reinvent themselves. Most came over at great risk.
It is time to respond to our intuitions, not react to our fear. It is time to do the work of self-healing and to learn about our own shadow tendencies, time to understand the ego and the mechanism of projection. It is time to declare ourselves as a universal peace zone in our own relationships and dealings with others. Yes, this is all painfully difficult, but it is a practice and perfection is not expected. Yes, we will occasionally fall into old patterns and lash out and be selfish and do hurtful things to others, but we will do so less and less frequently, and we will clean those messes up much more quickly.
It is time to take responsibility for our beliefs and our morality. No longer do we cede that power to others. It is time to act. To do something...anything!
It is time to reclaim our freedom--in the ultimate sense of the word.
Happy Independence Day!
