America, no matter what you believe, was not founded upon freedom or morality. Nor was it founded upon the Constitution; if this was the case, the US Government would live up to it. America was not America before the settlers came here. Just because someone sticks a flag in the ground, defiles and genocides a whole race of people living there before and comes up with a name for the land under the flag, it does not make it something different than it was. Rene Descartes once said, “I think, therefore I am.”. Anyone who thinks they are something will not be able to change their DNA. I guess this is why so many wannabes never wake up one day with darker hair or a better understanding of themselves. However, this sort of thought process can indeed change how someone acts; how someone acts defines their personality.

To me, patriotism is everything that is wrong with the way people act. Everything from giant trucks cutting people off on the roads due to napoleon syndrome, to the KKK not being defined as a terrorist group, patriotism is at the root of these very things. Patriotism is the world’s largest cult, and I believe that patriotism holds America in its grip stronger than in any other country. The reason why many of our own Native peoples consider themselves to be patriotic is because many of them have fought wars for the United States Government. And even if they don’t know it, they were not fighting for our people. They were fighting to protect American militants and political figures in higher ranks. While our men were dying overseas, the politicians were sitting on their asses, safe in America, while continuing to kill off our people. This is a tough truth, but it stands to be a reality, regardless of your opinion. Good intention won’t get you very far in a patriotic society, because at the root of the patriotic belief is self-sacrifice, and political worship at any cost. And it has come at almost every cost for our people and our lands. Although America may think it’s great, even most European countries scoff at and look down upon America and its disgusting obsession with tailgates, dirt biking, fake wine and faker breasts. Why would anyone be proud of America, because America doesn’t even exist outside of its beliefs. They not only have Napoleon syndrome; they have Descartes syndrome.

Many of our people, including myself, hang the American flag upside down. But, I often ask myself “Why?”, because although a flag upside-down a sign of distress, the government is still sitting high on the hog, living off of our people. This nation isn’t in distress-just the majority of its inhabitants are. And the inhabitants of these lands include the animals, plants, trees, water and “minority” races. We are in distress, not the political figures. So, why would I want to hang the flag upside down, let alone display any sort of American flag, whether upside down or right-side up? It’s not my country, and it never will be. America is fake, but these lands are not. This is not my country, but it is my land. The same stands for any Native reading this.