-^-for posterity-^-

i forgot that it was the fourth of july. that means sitting out in sultry hot weather, listening to fireworks go off and seeing lots of little red, white and blue flags. it means eating terribly processed hot dogs loaded with sodium. it means thinking about independence and george washington and boston tea parties and indians and britain. it means thinking about the second amendment and realizing that it's for keeping the queen of england out of your house (i have to give credit to the simpsons for that). it means remembering that our country was founded by and for free people whatever on earth freedom means. i guess freedom to choose which value meal satisfies you the most. it means singing the national anthem with your hat off and your hand over your heart (what does it even mean to put your hand on your heart? are you protecting it? touching it? showing everyone that you still have one? feeling to see if it's still beating?) it means driving to a party in your suv with your family in toe and having to talk with a lot of people you'd rather not. it means driving down the highway and seeing those gigantic black and white billboards that say, 'united we stand'. that's something you'd see up in pyongyang. that isn't something you should see in a place that encourages independent thought. i can say this, i'm over here, you guys are in the belly of the beast.