Well, 4th of July in H-Town is off to a great start. . .it's raining and the wind is blowing pretty hard. But unless it's a hurricane I doubt that will stop our neighbors from engaging in their annual fireworks competition. They buy crazy amounts of fireworks and set up in the cul-del-sac and try to out do each other. My family and I pull out our lawn chairs and watch from the driveway. Good thing about this rain is the dampness will hopefully prevent the grass from catching on fire (again) or the roof.
Speaking of 4th of July, I've been thinking about how everyone (namely the media) has been questioning Senator and Mrs. Obama's patriotism. I personally don't know too many black people who are "patriotic" but that doesn't mean we don't love this country just the same. Despite the fact that American soil is stained with the blood of our ancestors and they toiled (and died) in slavery to build most of this country. We may be bitter. A tad angry that racism STILL exists and that we always have to be twice as good as our white counterparts. Nonetheless we are still proud Americans. Just because we don't have an American flag in our yard or we don't put our hands over our heart during the national anthem doesn't mean we are anti-American.
Think about your extended family- you know how everybody has that drunk uncle who you can't control and he embarrasses the hell out of you? But at the end of the day he's still fam and you love him anyway and if anybody tried to hurt him you might let his drunk ass take a few blows but in the end you'd step in if he's totally getting his ass kicked. That's how I like to think of the relationship black people have with America.
Afterall, when the United States won it's independence slavery still existed for almost a hundred years following the country being "set free". Yep, black folks aren't necessarily the most "patriotic" but we are here, this is our country and we ain't going NO WHERE. Now if Senator Obama wins the White House in November maybe you'll see a lot more flags in our yards.
Now if you'll please rise. . .
Friday, July 4, 2008
Stars & Stripes
Well, 4th of July in H-Town is off to a great start. . .it's raining and the wind is blowing pretty hard. But unless it's a hurricane I doubt that will stop our neighbors from engaging in their annual fireworks competition. They buy crazy amounts of fireworks and set up in the cul-del-sac and try to out do each other. My family and I pull out our lawn chairs and watch from the driveway. Good thing about this rain is the dampness will hopefully prevent the grass from catching on fire (again) or the roof.
Speaking of 4th of July, I've been thinking about how everyone (namely the media) has been questioning Senator and Mrs. Obama's patriotism. I personally don't know too many black people who are "patriotic" but that doesn't mean we don't love this country just the same. Despite the fact that American soil is stained with the blood of our ancestors and they toiled (and died) in slavery to build most of this country. We may be bitter. A tad angry that racism STILL exists and that we always have to be twice as good as our white counterparts. Nonetheless we are still proud Americans. Just because we don't have an American flag in our yard or we don't put our hands over our heart during the national anthem doesn't mean we are anti-American.
Think about your extended family- you know how everybody has that drunk uncle who you can't control and he embarrasses the hell out of you? But at the end of the day he's still fam and you love him anyway and if anybody tried to hurt him you might let his drunk ass take a few blows but in the end you'd step in if he's totally getting his ass kicked. That's how I like to think of the relationship black people have with America.
Afterall, when the United States won it's independence slavery still existed for almost a hundred years following the country being "set free". Yep, black folks aren't necessarily the most "patriotic" but we are here, this is our country and we ain't going NO WHERE. Now if Senator Obama wins the White House in November maybe you'll see a lot more flags in our yards.
Now if you'll please rise. . .
Speaking of 4th of July, I've been thinking about how everyone (namely the media) has been questioning Senator and Mrs. Obama's patriotism. I personally don't know too many black people who are "patriotic" but that doesn't mean we don't love this country just the same. Despite the fact that American soil is stained with the blood of our ancestors and they toiled (and died) in slavery to build most of this country. We may be bitter. A tad angry that racism STILL exists and that we always have to be twice as good as our white counterparts. Nonetheless we are still proud Americans. Just because we don't have an American flag in our yard or we don't put our hands over our heart during the national anthem doesn't mean we are anti-American.
Think about your extended family- you know how everybody has that drunk uncle who you can't control and he embarrasses the hell out of you? But at the end of the day he's still fam and you love him anyway and if anybody tried to hurt him you might let his drunk ass take a few blows but in the end you'd step in if he's totally getting his ass kicked. That's how I like to think of the relationship black people have with America.
Afterall, when the United States won it's independence slavery still existed for almost a hundred years following the country being "set free". Yep, black folks aren't necessarily the most "patriotic" but we are here, this is our country and we ain't going NO WHERE. Now if Senator Obama wins the White House in November maybe you'll see a lot more flags in our yards.
Now if you'll please rise. . .
1 comment:
-
Dave Van Buren said...
-
The best 4th I've even been at was in Houston. we were one of your neighbors spending tons of cash on fireworks, lighting them in the street and letting the ashes hit the roof. It was great. I remember going out the next morning and seeing the damage from all the paper and trash.
-
July 7, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
The best 4th I've even been at was in Houston. we were one of your neighbors spending tons of cash on fireworks, lighting them in the street and letting the ashes hit the roof. It was great. I remember going out the next morning and seeing the damage from all the paper and trash.
Post a Comment