America is in “Distress”

My images from June 30, 2018 Rise Up Doylestown Rally for Immigration Reform held at Bucks County Court House in Doylestown PA

On every Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day and Veterans Day, my father displayed the American flag from the second floor window of our home. He was too young for WWI and too old for WWII. Daddy kept the home fires burning while two of his brothers raised their hands to wear the Army uniform in the “War to end all wars”. By flying the flag on those four commemorative days, he honored his brothers and his father, a Civil War veteran who died when Daddy was barely 3 months old.

The pole with its attached American flag is stored in a corner of my bedroom. I grab the pole and spread the flag across my bed, pleased the three colors remain as strong as the day it arrived in my mailbox—a Thank You for supporting programs of the USO. But this July 4 is different. How can I continue this ritual originated by my father? Will communities across America rise up to protect our Democracy?

This outrage throughout the Nation escalates every time I hear the president bombarding Americans with his offensive lies; and every time my elected Senators and Representatives disregard the oaths they swore to uphold; and every time Cabinet appointees dismantle regulations of health, safety and the environment placed to protect Americans; and every time individual rights of citizens are repeatedly suppressed; and every time instances of racial or ethnic bigotry triggers violence directed toward other citizens, and finally every time the president attempts to destroy the Free Press with his targeted propaganda.

The warning from Martin Niemollar 1892 – 1984

July opened with a mammoth increase in the Trump administration’s zero tolerance policy,  first announced in April by Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions. Following the AG’s order, the U.S. Border Patrol– affiliated with the Department of Homeland Security–stepped up its aggressive separation of children from parents or their adult relatives. What began in 2017 as open animosity toward Blacks and Muslims has now spread to the Latino community. What group of Americans will be targeted next because they “infest” America?

Instead of mounting the USO flag on the pole, it will be replaced with the flag that covered the coffin of our Uncle Charles—one of the two brothers who served in the Army. History has chronicled the uncivilized treatment of Blacks who wore Army uniforms during WWI. My uncle served a mere 41 days before his discharge a month after the November 11, 1918 armistice ended the war. Hospitalized some months later he ultimately was transferred to a VA Hospital where he remained until his death in 1965. I’ve often wondered: What happened during that blip of days my uncle served before his discharge? What cause or causes led to his eventual 25-year confinement inside a VA hospital?

Just some of the questions rolling around my mind. After digging through our family history I hope to share my results in a future post on The Bucks Underground Railroad. For now, America is in Distress and my uncle’s American flag  will be mounted on the pole. . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Backward.