Thursday, December 11, 2008

G-D Bless America

I was talking to two women today while waiting for my Zumba class. Both were immigrants to this country.

The younger woman was talking about how she came to the US 15 years ago, but didn't have to come, wasn't running away from anything (political or religious persecution). She proceeded to tell us how she had a very good life in her country and that none of her friends really care about coming to the US anymore. Why was she here? No clue.

The older lady responded by saying that she had lived all over the world, and there was no place like America.

I would have to agree with the older lady. America is the only place made up of immigrants from other nations looking for freedom. When this land was founded, and immigrants started arriving by the boat load, people were not lured by how wealthy the country was, but in fact by only the POSSIBILITY of wealth, happiness and freedom.

So, in today's economic times, when people are starting to say the the US may not be an economic superpower in the future, and are starting to talk trash about our fair nation, let me remind people that there has always been, and will always be, more to the United States of America than money. There is, first and foremost, hope.

In my humble opinion, there are two piece of writing that sum up what this country symbolizes:

  • The Declaration of Independence - "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness".
  • The Statue of Liberty - "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door." by Emma Lazarus.
Personally, I would rather be NO WHERE ELSE!!

9 comments:

Linda S said...

BRAVO! well said!

Unknown said...

Your post just gave me goosebumps! God Bless America is right! Very well written!!

Kim said...

Maybe you should run for office! This is perfect.

Unknown said...

Julia - right on. I spent a year living in Poland teaching English and after that experience, I can honestly say that I agree with you wholeheartedly.

Possibility....so powerful. You don't know you have it until you live among people who didn't have it and are not sure what it even means.

Great post and you even got a little Zumba mention in. Good for you! : - )

kel said...

Very well said... now, for an important and very relevant question.. what the hell is a zumba class?

Tuesday Taylor said...

Zumba! I've got to get on that SL!!
You are so right on. Freedom to be whoever you choose to be definitely doesn't suck!

Julia@SometimesLucid said...

Zumba is this amazing dance/workout class. I wrote about it in an earlier post - just look at the zumba tag on the right and it should bring you to that post.

Scandy - what is "SL"?

Wow! I just re-read my post. I go off when I'm pissed!

Ann Imig said...

Hi Julia,

Thanks so much for following my blog. Its hard to believe how someone can take FREEDOM for granted. Whenever I look at my children I count untold blessings we are free from the tyranny and even genocide happening in other parts of our world.

Keri said...

Amen! You hit the nail right on the head!