Morning Coffee: I'm Just Another American.

W R Bones Morning Coffee ^ | 20 September 2004 | Warren Bonesteel

[wrbones]

I’m just another American

‘Mornin’ folks! How the hell are ya this mornin’, anyways? Coffee’s on, and is it real good this mornin’, too. Ya best grab a cup and get some! Ya gotta get yer eyes open ‘fore ya face the day! Paper’ll be along after a bit, I’d imagine. I gots first dibs onna funny pages, too! …I always have to tell ya that…

Well, I had somethin’ in mind, this mornin’. It ain’t at all what I had in mind to start with to visit over, but it’ll do fer now…and fer the women I getta go out with…

I was thinkin’ about what it means to be an American. Now I was all bemused and befuddled over it, ‘cause I know a buncha them folks done wrote about it all over the place that gots more pull than I do. Shoot, even them dead folks that wrote about it from overseas gots more respect than I do! …ain’t that the shits… Well, to give one or two of ‘em credit, they come awful close oncet or twice. They kinda missed the point. A buncha of ‘em still do. Bad part is, there’s a lot of folks in this nation, who was born here, who don’t know what it means to be an American!

It’s about freedom.

Yer gonna make me explain myself again, ain’t ya? You always do that. That’s gettin’ old, ya know that, don‘t ya?

Well, awhile back, I done told a bunch of ya to read The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and to read The Bill of Rights. If ya really wanta understand things, ya needa go back and read what alla them folks involved thought about things at the time. It wasn’t as cut and dried and picture-perfect-heroic as some of ya might think. Then, to know how we got here from there, ya gotta know somethin’ about history, includin’ world history, politics, a smatterin’ of economics, and how culture and society shape things, too. Just to start with. In some ways, it was almost inevitable that we ended up where we are with things in this nation today. Then, some feller name Marx come a long and wrote a book sayin’ “What if”. He wrote it, and knew it wouldn’t work. He was just lookin’it things is all. He knew how folks is. Then some other folks came along and took it to heart without thinkin’ none. Then they all got to arguin’, and a goin’ off with bits and pieces of it, and here we are. Sounds like religion, don’t it? Do your own research. You’ll see what I mean.

Americans have always been a ‘do or die’ bunch. We find a way to make things work. Whatever happens. We know how to make do. We know how to make things better than they are. That’s how we came to be Americans to begin with. We were lookin’ for a better way…for ourselves, and for our families. To be an American, you must believe in freedom, and ya oughta believe in liberty; for one and all. Without freedom for others, there ain’t no freedom for you. A free man takes responsibility for hisself, and he helps others when they have need. He becomes self-reliant. Even knowin’ that as he helps others, that one day he may have need. This is what an American is. He depends on no man. He asks no man for nothin’. He asks no government for anything, except to be left alone. He don’t waste his time arguin’ with fools. He spends his time providin’ fer hisself, and for his family, as best he can.

He offers fair goods for services rendered, as well. A man’s labor is nothing to distain. One day he knows that he’ll stand in front of the Boss man to make an accountin’ of hisself, and of how he treated others. Includin’ those he worked for…and those who worked for him. Although not religious mostly, an American is a man of spirituality. He knows that he’s not the biggest kid on the block. If you’ve ever been stuck in the desert, in the middle of the plains, or in the mountains, you know what I mean. It’s root, hog, or die. An American knows that there are forces greater than himself at work in the world. Although he may try to make those forces work fer him, he knows that he must do what he can, while he can, before some of those forces try to put the wood to him.

An American trusts others, until they prove unworthy of trust. Then he’ll remember that failure in the future. Not for vengeance, but for caution’s sake. Americans learn and grow from the experience. An American don’t push hisself on no man. He let’s the other feller have his own opinions on things, long’s the other feller ain’t messin’ with him none. Honor? Ayeah. Truth? Ayeah, you know it. Integrity? Uh-huh. An American don’t go lookin’ fer no fight, but he don’t back down much when one comes his way, either.

An American.

An American doesn’ try to change things inna government to suit hisself. He does what he can to keep an eye on them politicians, just to make sure they ain’t messin’ with things any just to suit themselves. An American knows things. He knows The Constitution. He knows some history. He knows what it means when folks go tryin’ to change The Constitution. It means that the more laws that’re made, the fewer freedoms and liberties he, and his children, and their children…will have.

Today in this nation, there’re lots of folks who ain’t Americans, even for bein’ born here, no matter what the law says about that. They follow some things wrote up by ol’ man Marx and some others. They follow things like what that Communist bunch follows. I ain’t lyin’ to ya, and I ain’t a frettin’ over nuthin’ here. You just got to compare them communist writin’s with what some folks is sayin’ and a doin’, and you’ll see what I mean. Thing is…a whole buncha them folks don’t know what they’re a followin’. They don’t even know that when they get what they want, they’re gonna lose everything they got, and their kids will, too…not to mention their grandkids and what all.

Those folk’s’re changin’ The Constitution… by gettin’ a whole buncha laws made up that go directly agin what’s inna Constitution and inna The Bill of Rights. They call it progress. They call themselves Progressives. They call themselves a Progressive Caucus. They call themselves a whole lot of things. They want more and more for themselves, and for others, they say; but they want the government to pay for all of it. They don’t want you or me to have any property or income of our own. If the government ends up payin’ fer everything you want, where’s it all comin’ from? You and me, to start with. Churches don’t do their part. The government’s tellin’ ‘em how to spend their money. Alla them preachers is interested in, is who’s got the biggest buildin’, and who’s got the most folks a givin’ ‘em money…

No, an American won’t fight less’n he has to, but I’m here to tell ya. Yer givin’ up yer country without a fight. You’ve given up yer “church” (read: spirituality) without a fight.

Right wing extremist? If that means I stand up for The Constitution, freedom and liberty, and personal responsibility. Ayeah. I guess I are one.

You don’t have to believe me. Do your own damn research. That’s what I do when someone tells me somethin’ I ain’t heard before. If yer lazy, ask me fer my research. It’s in raw form, but it’s good. You can buy me a cup of coffee one of these days.

Oh, yeah. Almost fergot. Fer you folks been askin’ who I am? Here’s my real answer. I’m just another American. With all of the same rights you have. Ya ain’t gotta agree with me any. Then again. I ain’t gotta agree with you none, neither. …‘Specially when ya go after my American Constitution. You keep tryin’ to change that, yer gonna have a fight on yer hands. Us real Americans is watchin’ ya, and we’re about to wake up and start payin‘ attention. Ya see. I’m an American. Who the hell do you think you are? …askin’ me who I am… It don’t matter. If we don’t get offa our lazy butts, ain’t none of it gonna matter.

Warm up yer coffee, folks. It’s a new day! We’ve got another chance to get ‘er all sorted out. We’ve got another opportunity to get ‘er right. Just as well take advantage of it, I’d say.