On Freedom and what is good in America

You know, we all use our various "bully pulpits" to speak to the masses, to try to evoke good, evoke change for the better of all. To stand up for the little guy, to speak for the underdog, to stop injustices, to open up freedom and the pursuit of happiness for all, as befits a rational, brotherly and sisterly World.

All for one, and one for all; where the good of the one should not out weigh the good for the all; And the good for the all should not overbear on the good for the one.

And sometimes we forget what good has been achieved.

There are still unequal rights. We still have bullies in power around the world, putting their will on those below. We still have religions saying stupid crap, leading to death for people that is simply unnecessary because they are trying to make an ancient mystical belief system work in a modern day world that the ancients could never fathom because they simply didn't have a God whispering into their ear over their shoulder.

Not once does the Bible, the Koran, or any other holy text mention cell phones, motor cars, or any of the many other obvious and easy to mention without damaging anyone types of things that would lead to absolute proof that we should pay attention and worship a super being. Religions even say things that lead to people being murdered in the name of their God.

Back in the 1960s, theater in the US was pushing hard for more freedom. And so they put nudity in plays and musicals to the outrage of the conservatives and the non-art community; they picked subject matter that pushed the envelope. And they for one, have achieved much. They wanted to know what was ugly about the human body, why it should be viewed in awe and wonder. Why ancient statues would be covered up, or in some cases, even had their sexual organs hacked off for propriety's sake. What was bad about nudity? All that because of religious tenets? So we were to be ashamed of our beautiful form (the obese in spandex notwithstanding and yes, sometimes I wish for a fashion police, but let's not go that way, okay?).

Comedians like Lenny Bruce, George Carlin (God Love them and may they rest in peace), paved the way for what many now consider to be a down side to comedy, as the bluer it got, the bluer it went. But comedy does help us face things we cannot face without it. Things like bigotry, discrimination, and later, reverse discrimination, bringing to light things about the government in the areas of sex, drugs, race (but not religion, no no, we can't touch that sacred cow, but shouldn't they pay taxes too? Especially, the fake religions?).

Cinema and television (broadcast and cable/satellite) have made great strides. I've wondered for all my life, how we are "the greatest nation in the history of the world", yet they have bare breasts in newspapers and on TV in Great Britain; but we were too beneath that here. France and many other locations have legal nude beaches (remind me again, why are we so afraid of our naked forms?). There are so many areas wherein we are behind, and therefore, we are NOT the greatest nation; except perhaps, only by our own yardstick.

I believe for us to truly be the Greatest nation in the history of the world, we still have some stretching to do. But for now, really, we aren't too bad. We are doing well for the most part. Well, if we could stop going around the world, meeting interesting people and killing them. A minor indiscretion when we need oil I suppose.

Just never forget, you still have a long way to go, America!
You're a very sexy lady.
Now swing with it, babe!
And let 'er rip!