Proud To Be An American
Every time I hear the lyrics of the song sung by Lee Greenwood each Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, and every other occasion that arises when it’s played, I salute, I cry, and I smile.
And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.
(Copyright 1992, Lee Greenwood)
As Americans, we may not always agree on what’s right and we may need to defend our beliefs because of that. But, the beauty of our country is that we are free to elect representatives who serve in office to speak up on our behalves. That’s not to say that they are all on the up and up, doing what they were elected to do. Sure. Some are downright corrupt. The system has proved that. The thing is, I have to believe that the numbers of
American Flag waving against a blue sky. Copyright Lisa Sullivan
representatives in Congress who ARE legitimately making a difference on behalf of those who voted for them far outweigh those who bow to their supporters who have a sense of wrong (and I use that term loosely).
What happened in Arizona yesterday is not just tragic; it’s abhor able. There is absolutely no earthly reason it should have happened. Period.
The alleged gunman (and his alleged partner in crime) were each given an opportunity at life, to breathe, to grow, to become amazing humans in their own right. They were formed by the gene pool of a woman and a man (a mother and a father). Each alleged gunman was a gift to those that created them as well as to their Creator…and each chose to piss it all away. Why? Most likely because of a combination of factors – they were misled by others, they were just as pissed off at those they elected, or some other reason.
And I find this completely unacceptable.
What happened yesterday was not only a sad day for Arizona and its people; it was a sad day for America.
Perhaps we’ll never really know what lead a living breathing human to draw a gun, point it, and shoot it at another living breathing human. One thing is for sure, if we don’t get our act together as a nation of living breathing people, then we are destined to turn out just like other countries around the world, the ones that our own military forces are sent to fight, to defend, to build communities and create peace. Perhaps we should start at home first. There’s a concept.
I end with this, one of my Twitter friends said it best yesterday -
Not sure what’s to become of us all if we can’t talk to each other about different perspectives respectfully. (emphasis mine)
I couldn’t agree more.
And I pray that one day…SOON we get there.
(Please note: all comments are moderated. Feel free to speak your peace but understand that if whatever you say does not represent a positive solution to the problems we face and is rather a rant, speaks against our nation, or is otherwise disrespectful, your comment will not be approved. The beauty of blogging is that the blog owner has the overall authority. I choose to promote positive solutions…not rants. If you feel it absolutely necesary to provide any commentary other than what is requested of you, start your own blog. You have the right too. 
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