DoY 301

 Who is us?

(Remember Pogo, "We have met the enemy, and he is us.")

Us is many contradictions.  Us would rather see children starve than feed them.  Us claims to be the most generous country in the world.  Us claims to be for law and order, and us riots when people who don't look like us express the freedoms that laws give them.  Us turns a planet into an oven, and us denies the temperature is rising.  Us refuses to use any other source of energy than petroleum or natural gas, and us denies what science shows they pollute the atmosphere with.  Us would rather invade and occupy other countries than convince them, and us wonders why other uses think us're warlike.  Us proclaims freedom of speech, and threaten to kill anyone who disagrees with us, or even doesn't agree with us loud enough.  Us is good people who rape, maim, molest, and demean other uses, and then oppress them.  Us sings praises to the Lord us has created in our own image.

DoY 294

 Who is us?

Us is damned near almighty.  Us've cured diseases, in some cases almost eradicated them.  Us've hunted into near extinction animals that used to prey on us.  Except ourselves, of course.  Us've dammed mighty rivers, and damned those we couldn't dam.  Us've turned almost limitless sources of fresh water into sewage ponds.  Us've built highways that crisscrossed the Chinese Empire and the Persian Empire, the Roman Empire and the U.S. of A.  Us've imagined ourselves rocketing about the universe like American families vacationed in the 1950s.  Us've erected buildings us claimed scraped the sky.  Us've triumphed over so many adversaries!  But us can't seem to triumph over ourselves.  Now, in the day of rockets, airplanes, ocean liners, and automobiles, us gets along with each other about as well as in the days us used bones for clubs.

DoY 287

 Who is us?

Us is a nation who incarcerates more of its citizens than any other nation in the world, then can't control or even manage its prisons.  Us is a nation who has not been at war in five of its two hundred thirty-two years of existence.  Or was it four?  Us is a nation who abolished slavery publicly and loudly, then sneakily brought hit back through its prison system, and even more sneakily brought it back in its black market sales of girls, women, boys, and men.  Us is arsonists, rapists, extortionists, and thieves who go to church, synagogue, mosque, or temple.  Us is "normal" people who haven't yet participated in any of those crimes, but ignore them, or pretend they don't happen, not really.  Or deny them.  Us is also victims, scapegoats, or school children fed misinformation.  Us is parades, speeches, fireworks, and church bells.

DoY 280

 Who is us?

Us is nice.  Us likes nice.  Nice is convenient because us can torment, torture, rape, maim, and kill, and still be nice persons.  Us can drive a marriage partner or a business partner to drink, madness, or suicide, and still be a nice person.  Nice doesn't constrain occasional meanness or viciousness.  Us does those passing through a room, and us smiles sweetly or brightly as us enters the next.  Nice is a gift to humanity.  Viva nice!