America the Great!

America has a truly compelling story to tell....

America was a nation built by immigrants. A land where the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, could find refuse on a teeming shore, sending the homeless, tempest-tost to us. For those who could no longer call their lands home, whether it be fleeing from war, famine, religious persecution, or an inability to thrive, America became a new home for them. Over the centuries, people from across the world came to America, bringing with them their cultures, their values, their ideas, their foods, their styles, and their imagination to our shores. We defeated a tyrant from across the ocean, established one of the first modern democracies in the world. We explored new frontiers. We fought each other during a Civil War and came back together as one nation after it. We helped win two world wars, and became a symbol of peace and strength for the world, a “shining city upon a hill.” Throughout our history, people have braved the waters and the treacherous journey to embark on a new life filled with the promise of freedom and hope. But the promise of America has not been felt by all those that call her home.

America has its darker moments, as we all do. The land that is now America was once home to thousands of indigenous tribes. All with unique cultures and histories, and collectively a deep connection and respect of their natural surroundings. When people from Europe were fleeing religious prosecution they found a vast wilderness that appeared “uncivilized.” But it was already quite civilized, just not by the standards of Europeans. The Natives welcomed these strangers to their lands as friends. Unfortunately, that friendship was taken advantage of, and the new colonists would go on to perpetuate centuries of genocide and land theft. To this day, native tribes are scattered, often left behind from federal investments and resources, and live with a greater risk of disappearing when venturing off reservations (they are forced to live on) into lands that were once theirs. Not only has there been a lack of any real action to right these wrongs, the Federal Government to this day continues to violate Indigenous People’s sovereignty, without providing any resources. The genocide of the native people must not be forgotten or downplayed and their continuing suffering must not be ignored.

Another stain on American history is the enslavement of black people that were stolen from their homes in Africa. On August of 1619, a ship carrying 20 enslaved Africans docked near Point Comfort, in the English colony of Virginia. Chattel Slavery would expand and continue until it was “abolished” with the ratification of the 13th Amendment on December 6, 1865. During the period of slavery, African slaves were forced to work morning until night, sleep in confined and packed quarters, were whipped, beaten, raped, mutilated, and even had teeth removed for white people’s denture (#GeorgeWashington). The treatment of the slaves was an absolute abomination, and for anyone who says “slavery wasn’t that bad” I urge you to go become a slave. Live how they lived, work like they worked, and be treated like they were treated and then come back and say if you still believe “slavery wasn’t that bad.” I would also argue, that slavery never ended it was just reclassified as prison labor. Prison labor disproportionately affects the black community and for those that break the same laws, black people face harsher sentencing. The poor treatment of black people continued under the era of Jim Crow laws and even though the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, many black people to this day still face the set backs as a community caused by historical mistreatment.

We cannot change the past, but we can change the future. And that has always been the promise of America. The unfinished pyramid, the constant challenge of creating a more perfect union, for everyone! We can never forget the darkest moments of our history, but we can work to erase the stains of the past by finally addressing those wrongs in the present and building a better, thriving future for everyone. Many people say we cannot achieve this or that. But then many will also say that America is the greatest. I do not understand that dissonance. If we are the greatest, then why do we shy away from doing truly great things? The greatest do not shy away from doing the unimaginable. The greatest imagine the impossible, and then turn it into a reality. When the rest of the world was reaching for the skies, America dreamed bigger, and together we reached the Moon! Why call ourselves great and then not do great things for all our citizens? We are America, and together we can achieve whatever we put our collective efforts into! Why wouldn’t people want a strong social safety net so that they aren’t constantly stressed about finances? Why wouldn’t people want Medicare for All so that they aren’t constantly stressed about their health? Why wouldn’t people want more hours in their day to enjoy spending more time with family, and friends. Visiting local businesses and exploring the natural beauty of this country filled with beautiful spacious skies, amber waves of grain, purple mountain majesties, and fruited plains?! We can make America truly Great for everyone, and build a better future for everyone, together!

As Woody Guthrie once sang….

This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York island,
From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters;
This land was made for you and me.

(Full Lyrics: https://woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/This_Land.htm)