[Peace] Why I will be marching in the July 4th parade

[Carl G. Estabrook]

Martin— Here’s the note Karen was responding to. Regards, Carl

================================
Why I won’t be marching in the July 4 parade

AWARE [Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort of C-U] has in years past been a notable presence in the July 4th parade in Champaign-Urbana. Talented AWAREists have presented anti-war floats and displays, often mocking the official patriotic themes of the event. (One AWARE entry under a ‘war heroes’ theme featured huge photos of courageous war resisters.)

But I’ve been convinced by Doug, long-time friend of AWARE, that any participation in the celebration of the shockingly misnamed “war of independence” lends support to the heavily mythologized tradition of America’s ‘good wars.’

None of them was good, including the ‘war against fascism,’ used by US propaganda to justify imperialist war from 1945 to the present day.

The poets often get there first: see Philip K. Dick’s “The Man in the High Castle” (1962) - a literary meditation, as in a distorting mirror, of how war can be used to justify further war. More directly, in “Human Smoke: The Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilization” (2008), Nicholson Baker provides the history of the coming of WWII: Americans born since then have been systematically deprived of an historically accurate account - and not innocently, but to support Americas' subsequent wars.

We miseducated Americans have allowed US presidents to kill between 20 and 30 million people since 1945, for the profits of the US 1%.

In a lecture more than 40 years ago, just as the repressive policies of neoliberalism began to be adopted by all subsequent administrations (criticizing it made Trump president), the late Howard Zinn exposed the Fourth of July mythology. See the appended article, “Rethinking the Fourth of July,” with references to the important observations of historians Ray Raphael and Gerald Horne.

I don’t now see how I can oppose the propaganda of the Fourth of July celebrations and still participate, even in a critical way. I’ll stay home and watch the Red Sox play.  --CGE

<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-bigelow/rethinking-the-fourth-of-july_b_5552378.html <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-bigelow/rethinking-the-fourth-of-july_b_5552378.html>>

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> On Jul 4, 2017, at 12:24 PM, Martin Wolske via Peace <peace at lists.chambana.net <mailto:peace at lists.chambana.net>> wrote:
> 
> Thank you so much for this important insight, and for the response of you and your family! 
> 
> Martin
> 
> On Jul 4, 2017 10:00 AM, "Karen Medina via Peace" <peace at lists.chambana.net <mailto:peace at lists.chambana.net>> wrote:
> A friend wrote: I’ll stay home and watch the Red Sox play
> Sitting on one's couch is always an option. 
> 
> The 4th of July commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. It is true that some have co-opted it as a celebration of wars that the United States have fought.  
> 
> The theme of the Champaign County celebration is, ‘Salute To Education,’
> This theme is particularly important, especially because we as a country fail miserably at education. We, miseducated Americans, continue to allow US presidents to kill between 20 and 30 million people since 1945, for the profits of the US 1%. Let us join together to improve education and help people develop critical thinking in our country. 
>  
> Or we could sit on our couches. 
> 
> As for me and my house, we will join the parade which begins at 11:05 a.m. near First and Florida, continues East on Florida to Lincoln Avenue then proceeds North on Lincoln Avenue to California. I will be walking with the Immigration Forum. 
> 
> Sincerely, 
> Karen Medina
> 
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