On this cold rainy Martin Luther King day here in Germany, I sit here today as hopeful as ever that the United States will return to the “Great Nation” I was told it once was. As I watch endless hours of CNN, wait for the sure to be historic inauguration day, I wonder, how does the story end?
As a child, I was taught that “America is the greatest country in the world”. My response was “Why? What makes us so great?” I was only met with quotes from various historical documents, speeches, songs, and plain old opinion. “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, “Ask not what your country can do for you... ask what you can do for your country”, “... and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal”, “Whose broad stripes and bright stars...”, “Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain...”, “I have a dream...”, “One nation under God”(this one particularly bothered me since I had just learned about the separation of Church and State), “Because we're a free nation and you can do and be whatever you want!”
Inspiring, yes, those words are incredibly inspiring. But that still didn't help me understand why America was supposed to be the “greatest” country in the world. Granted, I was nine years old, and had never been outside the country, but even then, my curious mind questioned what many assume to be the “truth”.
Don't get me wrong, I am very proud to be an American, but I'm not egotistical enough to proclaim that we are the best. Especially when not all that long ago, we were just a bunch of colonies, and a place for the British to dump their “undesirable” citizens. With an original population consisting mainly of exiled inmates and religious fanatics who raped and pillaged the existing population, and ran a slave ring, I'm not entirely sure we've matured all that much as a nation in the last 233 years.
Granted, we no longer legally accept slavery, and women and blacks now have the right to vote, but does that really prove that “all men are created equal”? With the success of Proposition 8 in California in November, I'm not sold that we are the “best” nation in the world. And please, don't get me started on health care! As long as “In God We Trust” is still being printed on our currency, we will never truly separate the Church from the State.
While I watch the preparations being made for the inauguration of our first black president, which will poetically take place the day after MLK day, I am wondering what will happen? I am waiting for the change they have all promised me. They have promised change before, but for the first time, I may actually believe it. Borrowing notions, ideas, and even direct quotes from the late great Dr. King, President Elect, Barack Obama will take office tomorrow, and hopefully persuade me that America is indeed the “best country in the world”.
“Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands...”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Please click on the link below to remember the Great Dr. King and his inspiring and historical words.
http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html
As a child, I was taught that “America is the greatest country in the world”. My response was “Why? What makes us so great?” I was only met with quotes from various historical documents, speeches, songs, and plain old opinion. “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, “Ask not what your country can do for you... ask what you can do for your country”, “... and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal”, “Whose broad stripes and bright stars...”, “Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain...”, “I have a dream...”, “One nation under God”(this one particularly bothered me since I had just learned about the separation of Church and State), “Because we're a free nation and you can do and be whatever you want!”
Inspiring, yes, those words are incredibly inspiring. But that still didn't help me understand why America was supposed to be the “greatest” country in the world. Granted, I was nine years old, and had never been outside the country, but even then, my curious mind questioned what many assume to be the “truth”.
Don't get me wrong, I am very proud to be an American, but I'm not egotistical enough to proclaim that we are the best. Especially when not all that long ago, we were just a bunch of colonies, and a place for the British to dump their “undesirable” citizens. With an original population consisting mainly of exiled inmates and religious fanatics who raped and pillaged the existing population, and ran a slave ring, I'm not entirely sure we've matured all that much as a nation in the last 233 years.
Granted, we no longer legally accept slavery, and women and blacks now have the right to vote, but does that really prove that “all men are created equal”? With the success of Proposition 8 in California in November, I'm not sold that we are the “best” nation in the world. And please, don't get me started on health care! As long as “In God We Trust” is still being printed on our currency, we will never truly separate the Church from the State.
While I watch the preparations being made for the inauguration of our first black president, which will poetically take place the day after MLK day, I am wondering what will happen? I am waiting for the change they have all promised me. They have promised change before, but for the first time, I may actually believe it. Borrowing notions, ideas, and even direct quotes from the late great Dr. King, President Elect, Barack Obama will take office tomorrow, and hopefully persuade me that America is indeed the “best country in the world”.
“Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands...”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Please click on the link below to remember the Great Dr. King and his inspiring and historical words.
http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html
