It sounds like Iraq here in Hollywood tonight. I’m sitting on my balcony and staring at a smoky, red sunset. It’s beautiful. The weather is perfect. Who could possibly ask for more than what we have right now?

But what do we really have?

As each little explosion and extravagantly detailed fireworks displays echo across the Southland I have to think that the better percentage of those explosions have absolutely nothing to do with America. So let me get this straight…

We shoot off fireworks today to celebrate our independence… which we spend the rest of the year throwing away and taking total advantage of. We shell out millions of our devalued dollars to buy explosives from China so we can fund their abusive totalitarian government? I have to think that the guy shooting bottle rockets off his balcony the next building over probably can’t name the 50 states and hasn’t been to more than 3 of them. Is this how he uses his freedom? Does he have nothing better to spend his money on? I think that in order to purchase fireworks there should be a RIGOROUS battery of questions about America. If you fail, no fireworks for you. Most importantly there should be an essay portion that asks the simple question, “Are you free?”

With out of control gas prices pushing record profits to Bush’s friends in the oil industry, we are no longer free to travel across the country to see the REAL beauty of America. It’s become too expensive to fly or drive anywhere beautiful that doesn’t have a mall. Have you ever driven through Colorado, Oregon or Utah, its insane how fucking beautiful they are! And in my case even if i could afford to travel (which really I can’t), like most Americans I am only allowed a week of vacation time from my prison of a job. For the record, most European countries allow 5 or more weeks of paid vacation. And they would have paid for the college that got me into my current position as well. Oh yeah, and healthcare would have been included. Because that’s what truly free countries do for their citizens when THEY are the ones in control of their governments. I am a graphic designer, I stare at a screen all day and yet my job doesn’t have a vision plan. You should see my lovely teeth though!

Let’s be honest, Corporations own America. Lobbyists control the lawmakers that should be listening to us. Putting OUR interests first. The only way they will hear us is if we vote for candidates who will put the citizens before the pharmaceutical, tobacco, and weapons industries. Our priorities should be the health and education of our citizens. Not giving us cigarettes to keep us sick, drugs to keep us alive and smoking and guns to finish the job. We need to show our elected officials that if they don’t listen to US instead of $$$, then we will fucking destroy them. (um, figuratively remove their power?)

When we don’t vote, they don’t hear us, and America… you haven’t been voting. And as long as guns are legal, we shouldn’t be using them on each other. We should be using them on anyone who feels they are above following the Constitution. Because that’s what it says we are supposed to do.