Dissidence, Sedition, and Radicalism... brought to you by Kate

This is my frustration:

That I dissent against a government that claims to both protect and represent me, a government purportedly "of the people, by the people, and for the people" (Gettysburg Address).

That a government which claimed from its inception to separate church and state has never truly done so, and that now, under the oligarchical and theocratic rule of the conservative Supreme Court (supreme—we wouldn't be suggesting hierarchy and inequality, would we?) the government can fund faith-based initiatives. When has Bush EVER, as he now claims to do with this decision, supported a level playing field?

That patriotism is a representation of patrilineal patriarchy systematically upheld by erect flags splattered with the blood of soldiers who believed that they were fighting for FREEDOM.

That women account for 30% of people dishonorably discharged under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, while they comprise only 14% of the armed forces.

That the armed forces have a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

That in forty states, transgender people can legally be fired on the basis of being transgender.

That same-sex marriage is not legally recognized.

That women make approximately eighty-one cents to a man's dollar.

That corporations sport enormous US flags and faith in a Christian god and talk about hard work and independence while simultaneously accepting huge government subsidies to train their employees that are not actually used to train their employees.

That racism is an epidemic in this country.

That heterosexism and homophobia are an epidemic in this country.

That people actually actively oppose immigration.

That a country which so ardently supports globalization attempts to control its borders to keep people out, when in today's economy the greater divide is not between nations, but between socio-economic classes.


That freedom is associated with independence.

That independence is associated with happiness.

That independence is considered paramount to success, and that because I support communes, collectives, and equity in trade policies, people will venemously call me a Communist.

That at my new job I will have to wear a baseball hat that advertises Coca-Cola—a uniform item about which I was not informed prior to being hired, to which I was not offered the chance to give my consent, and about which no one else seems to care.

That people could hear about any number of egregious acts committed by multi-national corporations and still patronize these corporations.

That war is patriotic.

That big business is patriotic.

That Christianity is patriotic.

That opposing immigration is patriotic.

That speaking ONLY English is patriotic.

That joining the armed forces is patriotic.

That drinking Coke is patriotic.

That eating at McDonalds is patriotic.

That social activism...
is NOT patriotic.

That patriotism is a divisive term of exclusivity.

That the Patriot Act overtly taps into people's fear (and phone and Internet records) to garner support for it while building... patriotism. It is thusly patriotic to not support our right to free speech. And now an act originally inspired by fear has been signed by the president into law, so that our government has the legal right to search our homes and businesses without our prior knowledge or permission. This has me confused as to who is the terrorist, and who the victim.

That fear is now patriotic.

That the freedoms upon which this country was supposedly based have NEVER been fully upheld, and only by challenging our system en masse have we ever had partial recognition of Constitutional rights. And the ERA? It still hasn't passed (despite being re-introduced to every Congress since 1982).

That schools can restrict students' first amendment right.

That in 2002 Joseph Frederick was suspended from his high school and went to court for holding up a banner sporting "Bong Hits 4 Jesus." And that the illegalization of cannabis, and even the popularization of the word marijuana, is based primarily upon racism against Mexican immigrants of the early twentieth century and against African-Americans, and was publicized by blatant misinformation supported by the government.

That in Utah, students may not be allowed to form Gay-Straight Alliances if they venture beyond "the boundaries of socially appropriate behavior."

That Mike Cameron got suspended from Greenbrier High School in 1998 for wearing a Pepsi tee shirt on a day when he was supposed to participate in a school-wide photograph to promote Coca-Cola.

That our government promulgates ideas of independence and work ethic while subsidizing multi-billion dollar MNC's that are belligerently anti-union, and somehow tells us that we should be responsible for our own healthcare.

That the lower classes pay a disproportionate percentage of their income in taxes.

That 51% of our country's budget goes to military spending.

That this country is increasingly becoming a theocracy—the type of government it opposes in the Middle East. I guess they're the wrong religion.

That the first time around, Bush became president despite the popular vote. And even more alarmingly, that the second time around... he had it.

And most significantly and inclusively: that being a social activist means that I must FIGHT my government rather than work with it.