As this issue hits the streets, Sonoma and the entire nation is preparing to celebrate yet another bombs-bursting-in-air Fourth of July, replete with exuberant flag-waving, bands, parades, fireworks, speechifying and wine, until dawn’s early light.
Given the political drama of current times, no one should be surprised if there are also demonstrations and protests. Thankfully, schools are out for the summer and church attendance is down, so odds of a mass shooting are reduced.
At any rate, our focus should be on joyfully celebrating the Birth of Our Great Nation. Conceived in gunfire at Lexington and Concord in 1775, our America exploded on the world stage as the First Great Democracy.
And the gunfire and explosions have continued virtually non-stop for 250 years, during which many of our forefathers/mothers died heroically, battling at home and abroad to keep the Lamp of Liberty burning brightly.
And, of course, to protect business interests. Local high-school grads may recall that the Revolution that birthed our nation began as a trade dispute – yes – over a British tax and monopoly on the price of tea. Not oil. Or I-Phones. Tea.
Older readers will remember many of the nation’s follow-on wars: War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish American War, Philippines War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc., etc. In addition, our Great Nation has joined/funded/supplied countless wars around the globe to save (or overthrow) various governments deemed vital (or dangerous) to “American interests.” E.g., in Chile, Panama, Columbia, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Syria, etc., etc.
DEI devotees will also recall our shameful Manifest Destiny to ‘subdue the savages,’ steal their land and clear the way to California’s gold, also killing countless carrier pigeons and bison in the process.
To this day, war remains critical to protect our global economic interests. Just ask Professor Google: In what nations does the U.S. currently not have a military presence? Answer (as of press time): only Andorra, Bhutan and Liechtenstein. And the Vatican. But, hey, with a new Pope from Chicago . . .
Our nation’s war expertise should comfort panicked readers trying to Stay Calm ever since Our President dropped Big Beautiful Bunker Buster Bombs on Iranian nuclear sites. Thankfully, Iranian retaliation was tepid and a ceasefire is/is not currently in effect.
But Political War was certainly triggered here at home. Angry questions echo in Halls of Congress and the media:
- Will Bibi reimburse us for those pricey bombs?! The B2 jet fuel?! For pilot overtime and family leave?
- In bombing before alerting Congress, did not the President flagrantly violate the War Powers Act??!!
- Is not Congress constitutionally obliged to “declare war” before we attack a sovereign nation??!!
In “Rule of Law” America, the legal nit-pickery never seems to end.
Practically speaking, however, military experts consider it unwise to declare – in advance – that “We are going to bomb you.” Indeed, in all our wars at home and abroad, the U.S. has ‘declared war’ only five times: 1812, Mexican-American War, Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II.
Undeclared wars that kill thousands may or may not be Constitutional. This Fourth of July, however, we can only hope that no precious kids in our beautiful Valley will lose their eyes or fingers playing with unpermitted fireworks. Remember: Those fireworks are flat-out illegal, and in America NO ONE is above the law so . . .
Ok, now wait . . . wait . . . Stop Laughing!!
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