OK, so I have just been wondering lately who this land belongs to today? Don't we all know that great folk song by Woody Guthrie, "This Land is Your Land"? Can't we all sing along and feel proud about who we are as a nation and what we collectively stand for? If you need a refresher on the lyrics, please click here, I'll wait. *whistles* Back now? OK, then let us proceed.

So why am I feeling lately that this land is not our land? Before I get to that, let us briefly look back on some historical examples of when this land was our land. Let's see, I remember something from history class about a Tea Party that helped spark a revolution and free this land from an empire. I remember reading about a nation going to war and a President signing an Emancipation Proclamation when enough voices in this country had finally had enough of the injustice. I remember a great Western Expansion where the people's will and determination united our land from sea to shining sea. I remember the people struggling, and eventually prevailing, in the effort to allow women and blacks the right to vote. I remember the people uniting together, not once, but twice, to help fight the war on tyranny in Europe. And finally, I remember our country rallying behind the space exploration movement and (in some people's minds at least) putting a man on the moon. Of course this is not an all inclusive list, just a few of the bigger examples I can think of off the top of my head. These things have often been messy and have not been without their share of steps both forward and back. At the end of the day, though, each of these events represents a triumph for the will of the people truly making this our land.

Fast forward and contrast to more recent times. I remember a war dragging out in Vietnam for entirely too long and against the will of the people. I remember another war in Iraq that continues to drag on for too long and without the will of the people. I remember the beginning of possibly the greatest struggle of all time, Global Warming, going on in relative anonymity, regardless of the voices of the people. I remember a government that, in small and large ways, forces it's citizenry to remain fearful, loyal, unquestioning, and above all, not a Democrat. I remember the basic needs of the poorest amongst us becoming "expendable" at a time of huge deficits and an ever increasing financial drain in Iraq (see graphic above this posting).

Maybe I am just being dramatic because most of these things I cite in reference to this no longer being our land are currently going on today. Maybe future historians (or bloggers for that matter) will look back on this time and celebrate the actions of the people in ending senseless wars, or in changing our ways and reversing the warming trend, or in moving back more towards a country that helps out ALL of it's citizens. I certainly do hope so. For all of our sakes and the sakes of our ancestors, I certainly do hope so. For now at least, and for me, the words to "This Land is Our Land" just do not ring as true as I wish they could.

Thanks for reading...