Every Sunday morning I watch CBS’s “Sunday Morning” news program (it’s TiVo’d if I’m still sleeping). This morning’s episode dealt with the upcoming July 4th holiday. A lot of it centered around elements of the holiday itself – marching men in tri-cornered hats, fife-and-drum sets, kids holding sparklers as parades went by and scores of people waving flags.
And then they got me. It opened with a shot of Faneuil Hall in Boston, MA. I didn’t think anything of it as I watched a stream of immigrants file up the main aisle and take their seats. It wasn’t until the speaker said “everyone, please rise” that I started to tear up a little. There were 396 people not born on this soil who were willing to raise their right hand and swear allegiance to this country.
And they got me.
These people weren’t worried about what is wrong with this country; they were most concerned about what is right. They were well aware of the war in two countries and the tension with other nations our country endures. They were educated on this country’s president and the trouble he faces each day. They knew about low wages, lacking health care, air quality and crime rates. They just didn’t care.
They wanted some part of freedom that was not afforded in their own country. They wanted to be a little arrogant and very proud. They wanted to be the little country that could. They wanted to be accepted and not persecuted. They wanted to live in a country where you don’t need papers to cross state lines. They wanted to be part of an economy where anyone can go from rags to riches with a lot of hard work and a little elbow grease.
They wanted to be Americans.
Yes, I got a little choked up mostly because it caught me off guard but also because it occurred to me that these folks wanted to be here – as opposed to having been born here. I was born here and I love this country. Can you imagine being born in an area that you don’t love and believing so strong in another union that you want to move there and become part of it? I can’t, but I have that luxury. It makes me wonder how many Americans shun their country for another. I’m sure it happens.
When I graduated high school in the mid-80’s I joined the Army mostly due to patriotism (and partly because I didn’t want to work in the food-service industry like my brother and two sisters before me). There were no wars at the time and the cold war was in full swing. Reagan was in office and a few years before the hostages were freed from Iran.
It was a time of great prosperity but the guy who raised the flag in his front yard every morning was a patriotic nerd. Unless it was the 4th of July or Flag Day, most people were not as flag-waving as they are today. I think September 11th changed all that. I’m sorry it took an incident like that to change people’s attitude.
I was trained to fight for my country and was willing to die for it but would I do something extreme like drive my car into a Scottish airport for the glory and honor of my country? I don’t know if I have that kind of guts. If called to war, I would go in a heartbeat but if they’d mention suicide bomb, I’d begin to question their motives.
I’m not a jingoist by any measure (one who doth protest too much) but neither am I a slacker. I fall somewhere in between – one who is moved to action by being backed into a corner.
If the FBI is reading this (and I’m sure they are by now after some of the words I’ve used) you will note I’m a true patriot and would never do anything to harm the reputation of this country or its people.
I’m about the last person you’d have to worry about.
And then they got me. It opened with a shot of Faneuil Hall in Boston, MA. I didn’t think anything of it as I watched a stream of immigrants file up the main aisle and take their seats. It wasn’t until the speaker said “everyone, please rise” that I started to tear up a little. There were 396 people not born on this soil who were willing to raise their right hand and swear allegiance to this country.
And they got me.
These people weren’t worried about what is wrong with this country; they were most concerned about what is right. They were well aware of the war in two countries and the tension with other nations our country endures. They were educated on this country’s president and the trouble he faces each day. They knew about low wages, lacking health care, air quality and crime rates. They just didn’t care.
They wanted some part of freedom that was not afforded in their own country. They wanted to be a little arrogant and very proud. They wanted to be the little country that could. They wanted to be accepted and not persecuted. They wanted to live in a country where you don’t need papers to cross state lines. They wanted to be part of an economy where anyone can go from rags to riches with a lot of hard work and a little elbow grease.
They wanted to be Americans.
Yes, I got a little choked up mostly because it caught me off guard but also because it occurred to me that these folks wanted to be here – as opposed to having been born here. I was born here and I love this country. Can you imagine being born in an area that you don’t love and believing so strong in another union that you want to move there and become part of it? I can’t, but I have that luxury. It makes me wonder how many Americans shun their country for another. I’m sure it happens.
When I graduated high school in the mid-80’s I joined the Army mostly due to patriotism (and partly because I didn’t want to work in the food-service industry like my brother and two sisters before me). There were no wars at the time and the cold war was in full swing. Reagan was in office and a few years before the hostages were freed from Iran.
It was a time of great prosperity but the guy who raised the flag in his front yard every morning was a patriotic nerd. Unless it was the 4th of July or Flag Day, most people were not as flag-waving as they are today. I think September 11th changed all that. I’m sorry it took an incident like that to change people’s attitude.
I was trained to fight for my country and was willing to die for it but would I do something extreme like drive my car into a Scottish airport for the glory and honor of my country? I don’t know if I have that kind of guts. If called to war, I would go in a heartbeat but if they’d mention suicide bomb, I’d begin to question their motives.
I’m not a jingoist by any measure (one who doth protest too much) but neither am I a slacker. I fall somewhere in between – one who is moved to action by being backed into a corner.
If the FBI is reading this (and I’m sure they are by now after some of the words I’ve used) you will note I’m a true patriot and would never do anything to harm the reputation of this country or its people.
I’m about the last person you’d have to worry about.