I’ve witnessed ‘Day of Independence’ celebration in the United States of America today for the sixty first time. I came to ‘America’, no, I was brought to America when I was eight years young (now, a long time citizen). Knowing nothing about this land named America, when first mine eyes, wide and in awe, beheld the grand mountains peering outside the station wagon windows as an unwitting little person passenger. A piece of bread was given to me for sustenance that I put in my front pocket of my plaid short sleeve shirt. I picked and nibbled at pieces from it. It was supposed to last me all day and I made it last.
In 1972*, I recall being witness to this, another 4th of July celebration, made memorable because of a sense of relief (I hate fireworks) that no other young person was forced to go to 'hell', the end to the Vietnam draft had been announced on June 28th. Too late for over 58 thousand lives lost to an
'unnecessary' war; Because Ike and Tina Turner were singing on the radio station; Nixon and Agnew were enmeshed in Watergate and the Presidential election was around the corner.
'unnecessary' war; Because Ike and Tina Turner were singing on the radio station; Nixon and Agnew were enmeshed in Watergate and the Presidential election was around the corner.
Today (I hate firework explosions), the day’s sense of celebration is absent inside my heart and spirit because of ‘Black lives lost’; because the children of my ‘brown’ people have ripped away from the arms of mothers and placed in cages; Because COVID lives lost, many because of ineptness and an uncaring governance. Because the ‘moral fiber in the sense of human empathy in these United States of America has been corrupted by the vitriol and hate voices, led by ‘one’
I hope in 2021, when we celebrate the next 4th of July, the America that aspired to be, as found in the 1776 writ of ‘The United States of America Constitution’, will be one of a caring nation, of fairness and equal justice, inclusiveness. That we have elected a leader of our loved country that is willing to promote human morals, befitting the good of humankind, that promulgates equality and justice for all.
It begins with each one of us arising to vote, being kind to one another which will lead to listening to each other. We are inherently, if not intrinsic and genetically, morally good and caring human beings...
marellano
