American Values in Question

Last night, as usual, I attended a Bradenton Marauders (Pittsburgh Pirates Advanced Class A affiliate) ballgame.  The game had been advertised as Military Heroes Night, recognizing 20 active duty and veteran service people.  I walked down Ninth Street to the main gate of McKechnie Field and, as I turned toward the gate I saw a giant inflatable quonset hut leading to the gate emblazoned with “GOARMY.COM” on the front.  Being a Quaker and pacifist, I started to do a slow boil since I had to walk through the damn thing to gain entry.

Once inside there was a table with Army recruiters handing out enlistment propaganda.  There were many people milling about, as it was also Craft Beer Night.  As I made my way through the crowd to my seat I came to realize that there were several military personnel about along with some recruits who were to be inducted.  I went over to talk with some friends about baseball and how the Marauders have been doing of late (fortunately, pretty well).  An announcement was made that the recruits were about to be sworn in, something I had no wish to observe or be a part of, so I made my way out of the stands and to one of the beer bars to get ready for the start of the game.

To digress a bit…  Early Quakers believed in equality the equality of persons before God.  Among the things they declined to do was to remove their hats in the presence of the king.  I have been thinking lately that perhaps I should follow suit and decline to remove my hat during the playing of the national anthem before each game.  As one who opposes the swearing of oath, an original tenant of Quakerism—that integrity of one does not need to swear to tell the truth.  Akin to this is that we disdain the honoring of one person or thing above another.  As such, I refuse to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Similarly, I question if I should stand and remove my hat (as directed) during the Star Spangled Banner.  Last night, when the anthem was sung, I decided it was time to make my stand against all the militarism that was present.  I did not take my hat off nor did I stand erect.  I merely slouched against the bar awaiting the end of the song and the start of the ballgame.

I have come to a point in my life when I am questioning the values of the United States.  We no longer live in a democracy but in an oligarchy with those with the money calling the shots.  Congress is bought and paid for by the 1% and does everything in its power to maintain that imbalance.  Congress authorizes—many times against the wants and desires of the military—weapons systems that are neither wanted nor needed; they authorize the building of airplanes that either do not work as promised or are immediately mothballed.  To make matters worse, Congress refuses to allocate money to take care of wounded veterans or those suffering from PTSD.  I shudder to think of what might befall any of the recruits that were inducted into the Army last night.

Congress will do nothing to address the rise in gun-related violence, despite the call by the vast majority of Americans to do something.  The NRA has taken over and quashed the discussion about reasonable gun control legislation.  From Columbine, to VA Tech, to Sandy Hook, to Aurora, to Ft. Hood, to Umpqua Community College in Oregon, and now to Orlando.  “How many deaths will it take ‘til we know that too many people have died?”  It is so damn ridiculous to know that persons on the “No-Fly List” are not on the “No-Buy List”—that such persons, if legally qualified otherwise, can purchase firearms, from a .22 pistol to an AR-15 assault rifle.

WHEN IS AMERICA GOING TO WAKE UP AND THROW THE RASCALS OUT WHO PERMIT SUCH ENABLING LEGISLATION TO ENDURE?  “The answer, my friend…”