Born On the 4th of July
posted by Anthony Scarpulla | November 24, 2010
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IcerocketAnd he died for America
He died for America
die for America
What the fuck does that mean anymore
And I light my cigarette in kerosene
load my gun and run and shoot
we are men
and we are brute
and we will kill
on command
and we will kill
for this land
but we wont care
when you die
wide-eyed stare at the news segment
for 17 seconds of shallow remembrance
is all a life gets
better to live unknown
than known briefly,
dead
with a flag covering my coffin
fabric stitched red white and blue
like my skin and blood that ran for you
blood
ran down my forehead
ran down my arms
ran into my eyelid
ran into the ground
ran down the drain
of a life lived in vain
I ran just the same
It ran until it could only walk
and It walked until it could only stand
and I watched it crawl down
just for you
into the holy
desert
sand
Comments
I'm against 99% of wars
— Nov 26, 2010
But I'm 100% against racism. It's a powerful poem. Too bad you had to drag anti-semitism into it.
Great poem - you captured a
— Nov 26, 2010
Great poem - you captured a lot of what I tried to say by the following I'd like to share:
A Soldier’s Patriotic Stand
I was just a young man, naïve by any measure
To the military, I was an absolute treasure
No defined morals, ethics or things to get in the way
Giving them the opportunity to make me think, do, what ever they say
Shipped off to boot camp with similar guys like me, their peer
Once there, the first two weeks, the drill sergeant was the one most feared
Drills and exercise became the main course of the day
Shooting bullets, bayonets stabbing were made to be just play
Three months in I could see I was becoming another man
Like molding clay, I was putty in their hands
After weeks of simulated war games and psychological drills
I knew not only if I had to, but also, I was ready to kill
Then the day came when it was no longer just play
Destined for the battlefront a sudden explosion marred our way
Chaos issued, bullets and mortar shells exploding all around
When the dust finally settled, it was then I grew sick by what I found
A gut-wrenching scene of dead and bullet riddled bodies, strewn all over the place
They were mostly school-aged children, what we did was a human disgrace
The explosion, a school bus engine backfiring, was the spark to trigger
This band of young soldiers armed, primed for any fight, to make us feel bigger
Since that fateful, life-changing experience, I can never forget
This man, the military made me, is my life’s greatest regret
For now the moral burden of innocent blood spilled by my hand
I can no longer believe in this country’s patriotic stand.
To get inside my head visit my blog @ http://naykdpt.blogspot.com/?zx=662655762ea52d35
not sure how to report this post
— Nov 26, 2010
but it should be removed immediately and evolver should not become a place for anti-semitism (there's enough of that in all the conspiracy bs that gets posted here)
I apoligize for the title...
— Nov 27, 2010
The title , although seemingly blatantly anti-semetic in its form, wasn't meant to be taken as such in its meaning. I meant the "jew's lies" as a rather over- reaching attempt to encapsulate all of the lies that the government, media, corporations, etc. spew out to the masses on a daily basis, and not an attempt to ignite some mindless anti semitic remark on my behalf. I wrote this poem about two years ago and just copied and pasted it from my Microsoft Word file w/o giving any thought to the title, and I apologize for those who took the title for what it was, which is a rather unnecessary and crude addition to a poem that conveys a positive anti-war message. I'm not anti semitic in any way, or anti any religion for that matter. That being said, I changed the title, and I don't plan on making any more ill-conceived attempts at puns that will demean and undermine, intentionally or unintentionally, anyone's system of faith and worship.
Anthony Scarpulla
"I meant the "jew's lies" as
— Nov 30, 2010
"I meant the "jew's lies" as a rather over- reaching attempt to encapsulate all of the lies that the government, media, corporations, etc. spew out to the masses on a daily basis, and not an attempt to ignite some mindless anti semitic remark on my behalf."
this is precisely the point. the anti-semitism that runs deep (if oft hidden) in many conspiracy theories paints the pictures of "the jews" in control of the media, the banks, basically as the main part of the 'secret society' that rules over us
shades of Nazi Germany where they had 'had enough' of "the Jews controlling things"
Support
— Nov 27, 2010
I am in support of this article if for no other reason that it is concluded that any comment including the word Jew, Israel, Israeli, etc that does not paint other than a glowing picture of the subject as relates to the use of these and similar references is automatically considered ANTI-S EMETIC.. This only speaks to the degree of influence the Jewish, Israeli State has on the world when it comes to freedom of expression yet when or if someone comments on any other faction of global ethnicity or faith of religion, it is not as equally persecuted by those who are in the media. Everyone should be able to express their point of view of any one or thing - that is FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
This and other Internet websites should support such expression without limit. Just because I disagree with something or on the converse agree with a matter that contradicts the majority;s view, I should not be censored or admonished for it, but rather celebrated that an alternate position is subject for examination.
o get inside my head visit my blog @ http://naykdpt.blogspot.com/?zx=662655762ea52d35
I never said take it down
— Nov 27, 2010
I just objected to the apparent prejudice. I am glad that I was wrong and just grokked it. FYI I have also protested prejudice against Christians, Muslims and gays here on Evolver and elsewhere. Also FYI I have protested the unfair treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli government. Prejudice is wrong no matter who spreads it and who the target is.
sorry poet it was
— Nov 30, 2010
sorry poet it was anti-semitic, and i don't buy into that it should be "celebrated that an alternate position is subject for examination." was the nazi 'alternative position' on jews, gypsies, homosexuals, and the disabled, amongst others, a point of view to be celebrated (i guess maybe you could stop celebrating once they started acting on their 'alternative position')
the explanation given proves that point, see my contextualization of the explanation above
this coming from someone who just went in to Shoppers Drug Mart to register a complaint against their removal of Adbusters magazing from their shelves, b/c they judged it to be 'anti-semitic' when it equated what was being done by Israel to Palestinians presently with the Nazi holocaust
Interesting
— Nov 30, 2010
First in defense of my own statements I would rather have the views of others open and publicized rather contained in the mind of a potential fanatic. What is out in the open is far easier to deal with then someone harboring sentiments that most could consider harmful.
Second, the problem today and it is evident in all media forms, that whenever someone makes reference to Judaism, Israel or similar reference that is negative in the eyes of the Zionist it is deemed anti-semitic yet should a Rabbi as has been the case, call for the killing of Palestinians or Muslims in general, all is well. This to me is a double standard. I personally feel that the Israel State uses anti-Semite as a tool to thwart constructive criticism of their policies especially as it affects Gaza, the settlements in the West Bank and their general persecution of Arabs in the region Through this tactic they control their worldly image and using the Holocaust to their benefit.
In your reply you mentioned the others who too were persecuted by the Nazi such the homosexual but does anyone charge to the defense of someone being called a Faggot or Queer or other blasphemy?
The fact is the issue is purely political and the Zionist regime is all powerful within the US politburo by its influence of money that gets funneled into the corrupt political system. And as long as that power is in place - the Arabs and Muslims best kiss their asses goodbye because any voice that goes to their defense will be quashed as anti-semitic rhetoric.
To get inside my head through my writing, visit my blog @ http://naykdpt.blogspot.com/?zx=662655762ea52d35
