VISITING DELAWARE AND PHILLY
I just got back from a grueling 4200 mile trip to the "first State" and Philly-delphia.
These events occurred during the long 4th of July holiday weekend. They produced a conflicting mosaic of emotions and images.

First, the computer gave great directions to get to the downtown historical district, and there was a parking garage a block from the Liberty Bell and the Trolly headquarters. I recommend that everybody takes the trolly tour with a day pass. You can stay on for the full circle, then decide what you want to see next and get off there.

The Liberty Bell was a major disappointment, as the Park Service guide spent her 10 minute lecture telling us that all we had heard about the bell was false, that it was not cracked celebrating the Declaration of Independence, etc. A major wait to get in to see it, plus there was full-scale security there. Had to go through metal detectors, empty pockets, the whole nine yards. Dangerous weapons such as pocket knives, embroidery scissors, metal fingernail files are forbidden. The guard lets you keep them if you promise to not take them out of your pocket or purse the whole time you are in the area. Like I destroyed the Liberty bell with a pair of embroidery scissors! Film at 11:00 on Eyewitness News.

The visual grandeur of Independence Hall was lost among the skyscrapers and weekend traffic, and Carpenters' Hall, where the Declaration was debated, was crammed between modern office buildings. It was almost like nobody really gave a damn about those shrines except the tourists. So if you go, don't go the day after the Fourth (it's twice as busy, as everyone waits to avoid the 4th of July Crowd).

Now for the conflicting emotions. People from around the world were there. From Estonia to India, these visitors looked on these relics as Catholics would view the Shroud of Tourin, or a sliver of "the True Cross" But in reality, they are no more than relics, symbols of a dead dream ****Liberty and Justice for All****. The propaganda mill has been pumping it out like a manure spreader for over 225 years. And like manure, it has produced a lot of ground cover to hide reality.

The Boston Tea Party was a device created by wealthy smugglers to cause resentment for the Englis tea taxes. But English tea, even with the taxes, was cheaper than the smugglers' brew. They dressed up like Indians to storm the ship, giving our People a bad name and shifting the blame.

The Declaration of Independence and Constitution were written to benefit wealthy white landowning males. "We've got it, and we're damned sure going to control how the government protects us." The Whisky Rebellion proved to the farmers that they weren't running anything, the War of 1812 was fought to protect American sea trade (we were selling war goods to the French, which pissed off the English, who started siezing our ships and taking their deserting sailors back for a good dose of hanging). Then came the clearing out of the Indians, to give land to the landless Europeans, or selling it in great offers like Austin had done in Texas. The Mexican War was for land expansion and to retain the Territory of the new state, Texas.

The gold rush, followed by the Silver Stampedes, put the settlers on the West Coast, in the quest for wealth, if you can take the land away from the Indians.

Then came the War Between the States (the Civil War or the War For Southern Independence). This was fought less over slavery than over the financial leverage of the North vs. the South.

The the Transcontinental railroads, more land theft, given to the railroads to finance the building.
Then came the Industrial Revolution and War of the Robber Barons, such as Rockefeller, Carnagie, Gould, and others. To hell with the worker as long as we get filthy rich.

The Negro men got the vote, if they could figure out how to make it work, by the 1870's. Women voted in 1922. The Indian was finally given citizenship in 1924.

With that boring bit of history said, it's still the same ol' same ol' today. Congress passes legislation favorable to the few, takes the graft of the pharmiceutical, tobacco, alcohol, and financial interests. The Vice President's old company (now in a "blind trust") gets the contract to rebuild Iraq, the Interior Department has "lost" $10 billion + in Indian Trust fund deposits. Industry pollutes the land, water, air, and isn't held accountable. Full time employment is disappearing as companies realize they can hire two at half-time and not have to pay any health, medical, retirement benefits and not worry about overtime, vacations, or other perks.

"My country, right or wrong!" "Love it or leave it!"
BULLSHIT!

Can we fix it? I doubt it. But it won't be by believing that the Liberty bell means more than a bucket of warm spit.