Earning Your Stripes: A Story of Recognition and the Consequences Behind the Award and Accolade
October 11th 2009 14:24
In the year 1492 a man set sail to discover a new world in a journey of adventure, fame and treasure. As the story goes this man was solely responsible for discovering the land known as the United States of America in an act of defiance that told him he was on a foolish mission that would end in death and despair.
Throughout history stories have been told and awards from the theatre of common knowledge have been bestowed on the male and female heroes of folklore passed down from generation to generation.
What we have learned in the centuries and decades since the voyage of the man who set sail in 1492 is the fact that his first “discovery” came way by of landing in the Bahamas. His subsequent adventures found him in the islands of the Caribbean without ever setting foot on American soil and responsible for the misnaming, genocide and destruction of indigenous people whom he encountered when he did land on his island of “discovery”.
For centuries the word discovery served as a code word for countries bent on power through colonization and greed. This was the intent behind the voyage of Christopher Columbus to a land he thought was India. These facts have been on the table for decades yet we still celebrate a national holiday of discovery for a man who had no direct connection with the land we call home.
Long before Christopher Columbus set sail in the Ocean Blue with The Nina, The Pinta and The Santa Maria, Vikings had already set foot on American soil as well as the race of people we call Native Americans.
All these groups of people already inhabited the continents named after the “discoverer” Amerigo Vespucci who sailed around the tip of the land that is now called Florida in the years after the misadventures of Christopher Columbus.
With this knowledge Vespucci’s existence is buried in the history books in favor of the original Italian explorer who was immortalized for getting shifted off course from his original destination in Asia to a land on the other side of the world and still insisted that he had arrived in India.
The story of Christopher Columbus is just one in a long line of awards, accolades and praise from prestigious pillars of society to create an icon out of nothing. If we take a deeper look into the historical truth behind the inaccuracies what we will find is a pattern of tall tales that have soaked into the world consciousness to create a story that isn’t their.
The story of an American President who selflessly worked to free a race of people from the bondage of an oppressive regime who chose to rebel solely for the purpose of carrying on their evil craft…
The story of a Civil Rights and Women’s Rights Movement cultivated strictly by members of the gender and race of people who were being oppressed without the help from others outside of their social groups…
The story of a man who rose up from poverty on a mission of unity, bipartisanship and world peace to capture the Presidency from the clutches of an evil force bent on world domination through the creation of two illegal wars in the Middle East…
Through these stories false beliefs surrounded by strife, division and bitterness have crept into the conversation of popular opinion.
False beliefs that separate our nation along geographic, racial, gender and political lines…
Looking for bits of truth behind the lies is not accepted in an extreme society as we continue to except statements of radicalism in totality or not at all.
It’s easier to wage wars against a group of people when we choose not to understand any part of where their coming from. The cycle of misunderstanding is in front of our faces but it is our choice as individuals to take things for what they are or to reach down deeper on an individual level to seek the truth.
The truth behind everything that went into the civil war and the meaning behind the two flags thousands of men and women fought and died for in protection of their homes.
The truth behind the Civil Rights and Women’s Rights Movements and how if it wasn’t for people of every race and gender joining picket lines, participating in sit ins, lobbying Congress and pushing for the Supreme Court to honor the words in the Constitution none of the freedoms we enjoy today as Americans of every race and gender could have been possible.
The truth behind Election “08” and the theme of change that was a carefully crafted political power play for a Democratic takeover of all three branches of government and the consequences of confusing politics with awards of international prestige.
Awards given for an “idea” of peace and unity as part of a political campaign as opposed to an act of love and selflessness…
In a world that displays daily reminders of the darkness that exists in the souls of man it makes me sad and angry that an institution of international prestige would hand over an award meant to cultivate peace and understanding in the spirit of honoring spin doctors for swaying public opinion.
With stories of missionaries selflessly putting themselves in harms way to help men and women caught in ethnic battles of genocide, ordinary citizens using their homes to protect women from gangs of men bent on raping and killing whole societies as a weapon of war, and people using their money and resources to feed men, women and children in the midst of drought and famine; adornments of awards on a man who simply ran for office puts a sick feeling in my stomach.
A sick feeling of only adding to the division and strife that exists in this country as awards of honor and prestige are used as prodding tools on the actions of a past administration as opposed to elements in elevating the conversation.
A world conversation that is being missed in China as religious expression and Democratic freedom is squelched through a chilling effect by a nation that is accepted as a world power and partner to the United States of America.
These conversations are being missed in favor of appeasement on the issue.
Appeasement that has allowed the world society of conveneiences to place labels on nations as evil, rogue or unjust while other nation states that are guilty of the same crimes are readily welcomed into the Oval Office as partners in international trade or as piggy banks to give us a hand in feeding our lust for the things we can’t afford.
This is the world we live in and a look at the United States of America without the rose colored glasses. Rose colored glasses we refuse to take off because we enjoy the day off from work or the ability to feel cozy in discussions of politics, race or gender.
Discussions that are destined to only continue the same sick cycle that gives us politicians willing to roll in the mud with special or party interests and an uncaring hand to the constituents who elected them into to office.
The intent behind the Constitution and Bill of Rights was to create a more perfect union with the power of government in the hands of the people. When it comes down to the bare facts on the issue, it’s not a politician from the left or right who is going to take away our rights nor is it going to be a corporate giant who has the ability to buy votes in Congress.
The one thing that is going to take away our rights is the loss of the conversation and civility.
The very things we have already lost as a society…
To get more of the story join me on my Social Networking Sites and Facebook Fan Page by following the links below...
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Click here
Friend me on Facebook
Click here
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Click here
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Throughout history stories have been told and awards from the theatre of common knowledge have been bestowed on the male and female heroes of folklore passed down from generation to generation.
What we have learned in the centuries and decades since the voyage of the man who set sail in 1492 is the fact that his first “discovery” came way by of landing in the Bahamas. His subsequent adventures found him in the islands of the Caribbean without ever setting foot on American soil and responsible for the misnaming, genocide and destruction of indigenous people whom he encountered when he did land on his island of “discovery”.
For centuries the word discovery served as a code word for countries bent on power through colonization and greed. This was the intent behind the voyage of Christopher Columbus to a land he thought was India. These facts have been on the table for decades yet we still celebrate a national holiday of discovery for a man who had no direct connection with the land we call home.
Long before Christopher Columbus set sail in the Ocean Blue with The Nina, The Pinta and The Santa Maria, Vikings had already set foot on American soil as well as the race of people we call Native Americans.
All these groups of people already inhabited the continents named after the “discoverer” Amerigo Vespucci who sailed around the tip of the land that is now called Florida in the years after the misadventures of Christopher Columbus.
With this knowledge Vespucci’s existence is buried in the history books in favor of the original Italian explorer who was immortalized for getting shifted off course from his original destination in Asia to a land on the other side of the world and still insisted that he had arrived in India.
The story of Christopher Columbus is just one in a long line of awards, accolades and praise from prestigious pillars of society to create an icon out of nothing. If we take a deeper look into the historical truth behind the inaccuracies what we will find is a pattern of tall tales that have soaked into the world consciousness to create a story that isn’t their.
The story of an American President who selflessly worked to free a race of people from the bondage of an oppressive regime who chose to rebel solely for the purpose of carrying on their evil craft…
The story of a Civil Rights and Women’s Rights Movement cultivated strictly by members of the gender and race of people who were being oppressed without the help from others outside of their social groups…
The story of a man who rose up from poverty on a mission of unity, bipartisanship and world peace to capture the Presidency from the clutches of an evil force bent on world domination through the creation of two illegal wars in the Middle East…
Through these stories false beliefs surrounded by strife, division and bitterness have crept into the conversation of popular opinion.
False beliefs that separate our nation along geographic, racial, gender and political lines…
Looking for bits of truth behind the lies is not accepted in an extreme society as we continue to except statements of radicalism in totality or not at all.
It’s easier to wage wars against a group of people when we choose not to understand any part of where their coming from. The cycle of misunderstanding is in front of our faces but it is our choice as individuals to take things for what they are or to reach down deeper on an individual level to seek the truth.
The truth behind everything that went into the civil war and the meaning behind the two flags thousands of men and women fought and died for in protection of their homes.
The truth behind the Civil Rights and Women’s Rights Movements and how if it wasn’t for people of every race and gender joining picket lines, participating in sit ins, lobbying Congress and pushing for the Supreme Court to honor the words in the Constitution none of the freedoms we enjoy today as Americans of every race and gender could have been possible.
The truth behind Election “08” and the theme of change that was a carefully crafted political power play for a Democratic takeover of all three branches of government and the consequences of confusing politics with awards of international prestige.
Awards given for an “idea” of peace and unity as part of a political campaign as opposed to an act of love and selflessness…
In a world that displays daily reminders of the darkness that exists in the souls of man it makes me sad and angry that an institution of international prestige would hand over an award meant to cultivate peace and understanding in the spirit of honoring spin doctors for swaying public opinion.
With stories of missionaries selflessly putting themselves in harms way to help men and women caught in ethnic battles of genocide, ordinary citizens using their homes to protect women from gangs of men bent on raping and killing whole societies as a weapon of war, and people using their money and resources to feed men, women and children in the midst of drought and famine; adornments of awards on a man who simply ran for office puts a sick feeling in my stomach.
A sick feeling of only adding to the division and strife that exists in this country as awards of honor and prestige are used as prodding tools on the actions of a past administration as opposed to elements in elevating the conversation.
A world conversation that is being missed in China as religious expression and Democratic freedom is squelched through a chilling effect by a nation that is accepted as a world power and partner to the United States of America.
These conversations are being missed in favor of appeasement on the issue.
Appeasement that has allowed the world society of conveneiences to place labels on nations as evil, rogue or unjust while other nation states that are guilty of the same crimes are readily welcomed into the Oval Office as partners in international trade or as piggy banks to give us a hand in feeding our lust for the things we can’t afford.
This is the world we live in and a look at the United States of America without the rose colored glasses. Rose colored glasses we refuse to take off because we enjoy the day off from work or the ability to feel cozy in discussions of politics, race or gender.
Discussions that are destined to only continue the same sick cycle that gives us politicians willing to roll in the mud with special or party interests and an uncaring hand to the constituents who elected them into to office.
The intent behind the Constitution and Bill of Rights was to create a more perfect union with the power of government in the hands of the people. When it comes down to the bare facts on the issue, it’s not a politician from the left or right who is going to take away our rights nor is it going to be a corporate giant who has the ability to buy votes in Congress.
The one thing that is going to take away our rights is the loss of the conversation and civility.
The very things we have already lost as a society…
To get more of the story join me on my Social Networking Sites and Facebook Fan Page by following the links below...
Facebook Fan Page
Click here
Friend me on Facebook
Click here
Friend me on Myspace
Click here
Follow Me on Twitter
Click Here
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