HARD TO CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY

WHEN BIGOTRY, RACISM AND ABLEISM ARE RUINING AND ENDING

THE LIVES OF PEOPLE OF COLOR AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

I think I live in the wrong world.

I don’t feel like American lives up to all the fireworks, bunting and revelry meant to celebrate good things symbolized by Independence Day.

Anger, hate, bullying, bigotry -- seems like at least half the "leaders" who impact my daily life trade in it.Some veiled, most not so much. It takes a lot out of me.

It physically sickens me when someone is made to feel 2nd (is there a 10th?) class...simply for being a person of color, a person with a disability.

I question if I will live long enough to truly live in an America that values equity and true equal opportunity.

When traveling, to say I'm from the USA brings the sting of shame from living in nation where the a president who fans the flames of white supremacy daily and never apologized for mocking a person's disability on TV.

Though we are a democracy, the U.S. has never truly had a level playing field for all.

Even in our best decades, this nation has not been truly inclusive.

In my first four decades, I at least embraced the hope that each generation was standing on the shoulders of the previous -- trying to make things better, trying to create fair play.

Now, the past several, I feel like the racists, the bigots, the bullies, the outright murders and destroyers -- have kicked the good efforts out from under us.

In terms of an America that embraces diversity and has a place at the table for all -- how many decades will it take to rebuild?

How much blood, how many tears must be shed till we are where we need to be...when we weren't even close to being where we should be BEFORE this regression into hate, racism, ableism?

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

SIMPLE THOUGHTS ON WHAT THE FOURTH OF JULY MEANS TO ME

In November, we can take to the polls and endorse bigotry, bullying, anger and hatred.

It is within our rights to elect a leader of the free world who firmly believes:

Whites outrank blacks, Hispanics and all other non-whites

Able bodied people rule over disabled folks.

Straights are more valued than gays -- as are traditional families over non traditional households.

Men are tenfold superior to women.

Religious freedom no longer is a guaranteed right in the U.S. Constitution, thus Christians have the right to abuse Muslims and all other non-Christians.

I reject all of these insane, anti-American views.

I find them every bit as dangerous as Nazism, Fascism and the KKK.

Yet we have a 50-50 chance of having a president who not only holds these beliefs dear, he angrily flaunts his dangerous hurtful words to anyone who will listen -- via dozens of media platforms.

I was in Orlando this week.

I visited the aftermath of a person ruled by anger, hate, bigotry, violence.

Though I am not a formally religious man, I pray we do not desecrate the White House with a man ten thousandfold more dangerous than the Orlando shooter.

Happy Independence Day to all.