September Celebrations, Belize - What's the fuss?

So September approaches. Soon it will be time for the same songs we hear every year, that as a kid use to instil me with pride and excitement. Soon there would be parades and fireworks and floats and festivals. September is the month we celebrate the anniversary of our independence from Britain, and the anniversary of the Battle of St. George’s Caye, a fight where the British settlers and slaves banded together to tackle the incoming Spanish. All has a nice movie ring to it right? Every year, there is also a theme to go along with it, something proud and patriotic. Every year the theme gets worse and more comical, but not for the reason you think. The words are ok, the idea is good, it’s just not real.

They usually sound something like this:

"Our Heritage, Our Cultures -- Living and Celebrating in Unity and Peace"

"Building on Heritage, Renewing our Identity -- Living Anew... Celebrating with Pride!"

Oh but those are so nice and make you feel proud to be Belizean. Truth is, they do not really reflect the country as it is. Nobody wants to be the Debbie Downer, and in Belize there is a disease the people have, where they think so many true things, but are scared to speak it because it might be controversial or unpopular. Well, thank god you have me right?

My ideas for themes this year include:

“Belize at 31 and on life support.”

“Belize at 31 – Busy praying the gay away to combat violence.”

“Our heritage and cultures – Trying in vain to polish that faded jewel.”

So go ahead all of you living in delusion and still wanna march and wave your little flags, go ahead and call me unpatriotic. You know damn well I am right. Belize is going to hell in a hand basket. Makes you wonder if we should hand ourselves over to Guatemala or give ourselves back to England. Obviously we are doing a piss poor job of showing how proud we are as a nation, simply be refusing to love each other, be proud of each other, stop killing each other, and something as simple as not throwing fucking trash everywhere.

Go ahead, let the hate mail come.