State of the Union - 2004

Day Six: As we approach the March 19th fifth anniversary of the Iraq War, we continue our series of thoughts, and words written between 2003 and 2008. Shortly before the 2004 presidential election, I reflected upon the “State of the Union” and the urgency I felt to do something about it. I also began to contemplate leaving the country of my birth.

State of the Union
October 2004

My ancestors arrived in this country in the 17th and 18th centuries, becoming active participants in the history of our nation, and fighting wars for sovereignty and individual freedoms. For most of my sixty-five years I have been proud of that history, and proud to be an American. That is no longer true. The values and ideals my country once stood for have been corrupted by corporate greed and political gain. Money is power and it is what dictates policy decisions by this administration, not what is best for our nation or what is best for the world. The Patriot Act robs me of the freedoms that my ancestors fought for. Fear is used to control public opinion. The rest of the world sees my country as arrogant and dangerous, and so do I. Global warming and ecological damage is ignored so that the powerful can make a profit. Pre-emptive war, unthinkable only four years ago, has now become a national policy. And our president lampoons his failed search for weapons of mass destruction to get laughs at the Radio and Television Correspondents Association dinner. How have we come to this? This is an America I no longer recognize.

While I have always voted, it is only in the past four years that I have become a political activist. I do so grudgingly, for I am a peaceful person. I would rather read a good book, take a quiet walk in the woods, or row my dinghy on the lake. But given the current political situation, I do not have that luxury. Future generations depend upon what we do at this crucial time. Another four years of George W. Bush would be a disaster. To continue the course set by those now in power, we risk losing everything we hold dear.

So with the time I have left, I will enter the fray. I will fight for my country, as have my ancestors before me. But I will wage the battle non-violently through my art and the written word. They are the swords of my outrage. And if we lose this battle, if Bush is re-elected for another four years, I may leave the country that no longer represents the values I believe in, and move to Canada.

... P. L. Morningstar
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