I wish you all a very happy 4th of July. It’s cloudy and drizzling here at the New Jersey shore, so I don’t have to endure the crowds at the beach. The bars will be packed, I assure you. I live close to the beaches and traffic is usually horrendous. But this year people are staying closer to home due to the high cost of gas. I can’t remember a year when there was no traffic on the “Garden State Parkway”. This year is different. There’s a strange aura in the air. People from northern New Jersey and New York are staying closer to home. I’m spending the day planting flowers on my pitiful balcony and trying to tidy up my apartment (a never ending saga...) I’ve been invited to several parties, but I really don’t want to drive too far tonight. Yeah, the cost of gas has affected my social life and I’m more conscious of my driving habits. Hey, a girl’s got to cut corners somewhere.

I can’t help but think that this is just another ploy by the oil companies (in collusion, of course, with this administration) to instill fear in all of us, make us “sweat it out” and rob us of any last remaining bit of loose change left in our pockets. How convenient. Just in time for the summer driving season. I’m old enough to remember the gas lines of the 70’s, where gas was rationed according to our license plates. Plates ending in odd numbers were permitted to buy gas on certain days, even numbers on others. Sundays were allowed for all, of course, in the good spirit and grace of “God”. It seems that some things never change. Since my local Starbucks has closed, I have a few more dollars in my pocketbook. I need it for the extra cost of gas. Isn’t it strange how this comes at a time right before election season?

I’m no “conspiracy” theorist, but it seems that “there’s something fishy in Denmark.”

In any case, I plan on going over a friend’s house tonight to watch the fireworks over the bay. The fireworks will coincide with the music from the local radio station, broadcasting patriotic songs in sync with the colorful explosions of “bombs bursting in air”.

July 4th, 1776 was the day that the “Declaration of Independence” was signed. But, we must and need to remember that it was a very contentious and brutal time for the original 13 colonies. The fight for independence was hardly over. We were at war with each other and trying to break the bonds of tyranny from Great Britain. We were also not as “united” as we are lead to believe. There were many battles that were fought amongst the original colonies, each loosely divided with separate bonds to countries in Europe, ideologies of exactly “how” to govern and a VERY large debt to pay. July 4th, 1776 was just the start of the “unity” that we allude to today.

Sure, it’s OK to be patriotic and nationalistic (very dangerous) for a day. But we should and must remember that “tyranny” still exits. We have many problems that need to be addressed and resolved. We have an amassing deficit that must be paid. We have people living in poverty right here in the United States. Millions of Americans do not have health insurance and cannot afford medication. We have a war in Iraq with limited and dwindling troops on the ground. We have a simultaneous war taking place in Afghanistan that is getting worse. We don’t have enough troops ready for combat. We don’t want a draft or mandatory military service, don’t want to pay higher taxes or give up our Starbuck’s double mocha latte. But, we’re OK with putting a bumper sticker on our SUV’s claiming to “Support Our Troops”. We argue about a timetable for pulling out the troops and look to see who’s “tougher” on defense in the Presidential race. We examine adnauseam, who is “more” patriotic, or far worse, “less” patriotic .. Who is wearing an American flag lapel pin and who is not.

Our country was based and formed on conflict and rebellion. Not only with our adversaries in Europe, but amongst ourselves. We paid a heavy price throughout history, in subsequent wars and subsequent conflicts of ideology. (Think “Civil War”, “Civil Rights”, “Women’s Rights”, “Communism”. etc.) And, let’s not forget the “War on Drugs” (Pah-leeze, don’t get me started on what a total distractive scam that is....)

But for today, I will drink a beer, watch the “Red, White and Blue” and glorious fireworks over the bay, sing patriotic songs and try to pretend, for a few hours at least, that all is fine. I won’t think about AIDS. I won’t think about radical Islam, terrorism, communism, the high cost of health insurance, my delicious lost, aromatic and seductive $5.00 cup of coffee, the recession or the next new class of HIV drugs that may or may not save my life.

No, I won’t think of those things today. I’ll just sing “God Bless America”, hug my friends and thank God I’m still alive to see another 4th of July.

I’ll end this with some lyrics from the song “Disorder In The House” by Warren Zevon in his final album “The Wind” (Vocals and guitar accompanied by who else but ... Bruce Springsteen!)

“It’s the home of the brave and the land of the free. Where the less you know, the better off you’ll be.”

Happy “Independence Day”. May God Bless America.