Bless Our Hearts

My dear friend and fellow blogger wrote a blistering post today that all a ya'll should read. Here's a teaser:

The fantasy of what The United States of America is is so far removed from the reality. You can believe that fantasy all you want and tell yourself that this is the greatest country on earth and that anyone who disagrees with you is a traitor or just plain a Not Good American but you will be bullshitting yourself. 

You can recite the Pledge of Allegiance until the cows come home with its vow of "Justice For All" and it ain't gonna make it true.

I've been called angry and hateful and unpatriotic, even by family members, because of my "beliefs." I've also been told the old "like it or leave it." I'm always left sputtering when attacked that way, perhaps because it's all so very loaded and has as much to do with complicated family dynamics, with being a girl taught to please, to be polite, to be, above all, a lady. Perhaps it's also because I tend toward the righteous and condescending as well -- something I'm aware of and working on.

I'm no lady, and it's about time that I not only say what I mean and mean what I say, but actually own it without apology.

This country is a hot mess -- a shiny red apple whose core might actually be rotten.

We all need help, as Ms. Moon says.