Return to: AwarenessUnited State of Being--An American Timeline Five hundred years after Columbus inferred the naked natives inferior; recorded with steady hand accounts of rape, murder, enslavement, and turning of ways in this new and beautiful land, there is still a quest for raping. Four hundred years after white ghost men spread death with their old diseases; named it an honest act of God; rendering barbarians from this new and beautiful land, there is still a hunger for killing. Three hundred years after the first slave market grew from greedy roots at the foot of Wall Street; black man, red man, woman, and child sold like cattle to this new and beautiful land, there is still a market for selling. Two hundred years after Lewis and Clark forged forward toward a beckoning western sun; naming unclaimed hills to become part of this new and beautiful land, there is still an excuse for taking. One hundred and fifty years after blood spilled dark stains in a quiet cornfield, dividing North from South, black from white, brother from brother in this new and beautiful land, there is still a threat of division. Seventy-five years after Adolf Hitler furrowed ripe German soil to plant his seeds of death; turning eyes, enraging souls of all free men in this new and beautiful land, there is still a need for watching. Seventy-five years after Wilbur Wright lent wings to his first passenger, and Model T’s rolled off an assembly line; moving the restless forward over this new and beautiful land, there is still a need for motion. Fifty years after rock and roll changed our song, British invasion altered our groove, cowboy westerns enabled us to write new memories into the history of this new and beautiful land, there is still a reason for change. Twenty-five years after we watched seven people Challenge the universe; exploding into memory; questioning our ambitions; rethinking our direction in this new and beautiful land, there is still a reason to reach. Ten years after Andreessen caught the world in his complex invisible web; altering forever our perception of sources, friendship, and markets for this new and beautiful land, there is still the thrill of surfing. Nine years after the bombings in Russia; Eight years after George Bush promised us better; Seven years after the towers fell; Six years after war was declared on Iraq; Five years after we landed on Mars; Four years after Bush promised us better, again; Three years after a nuclear pact with India; Two years after Anna Nicole died; One year after McCain surged ahead; One day after “The First Family” is really a “first”, we are still together, still united, still searching for a better way of life in this new and beautiful land. Shirley Alexander ©1/22/2009
