MY COUNTRY: ‘Tis of Thee....
by Susan Garner
"‘Tis of thee" our founding fathers fought for freedom in this "land where our fathers died." In fact, they died fighting for our freedom. This same desire for liberty led Betsy Ross to burn candles night and day as she sewed around the clock. Her red, white, and blue pieces of cloth, crafted with fervor, became our national symbol for that freedom. Our flag flew high in the sky as the battles raged, a reminder to our men of their reason to endure the hardships and death of battle. Those were the "good ‘ole days" when our schoolchildren had a deep respect for both the Bible and our emerging country. Therefore, patriotism was encouraged daily and separation of church and state was never considered.
"‘Tis of thee"
that people would risk life and limb to travel on crowded ships with stale air, lack of food and all manner of diseases to arrive in this "land of plenty." Upon arrival they would wait hours to days, often with no food, to be treated like chattel.
They would be forced to work long hours for pittance wages, often for people who took advantage of the language barrier to short-change them. I, myself, am a product of this great "melting pot" country. My immigrant German father is so proud to be a United States citizen that he refuses to speak his native German, stating "I don’t remember it; besides, I am American now." He married a pastor’s daughter shortly after arrival here and they soon gave birth to me in this "sweet land of liberty." My country has always been reverent to me. My parents and grandparents never let me forget what a blessing it is to live in America.
My mother is a descendant of American Indians. My family tree traces back to Pocohontas’ descendants. American Indians have been treated much like the immigrants. Shunned and ridiculed, they have been forced to live on small parcels of allotted land or give up their native way of life to mainstream into American society. The main difference is that the American Indians were the original inhabitants of this land whereas the immigrants chose to come. Both met opposition to their quest to maintain their way of life, both were denied basic respect, yet both are a vital part of America’s heritage.
Our overrated American ideals make America so appealing that people just like us are willing to risk their lives for a chance to experience them in this "land of the Pilgrims’ pride." America has a reputation for being the "land of plenty" where all dreams can come true and everyone is rich. Traveling in Mexico, I frequently was treated like a queen by people struggling to put food on the table. They elevated me to a platform because I was American and spoke to me of their desire to come to my country.
The new wave of immigrant families seeking the "amber waves of grain" of "America the Beautiful" deserve respect and support to create a new future, rather than the ridicule and disgust received by those of the past. We all share the same God, in that He loves each of us equally. Some have different ways of worship and some don’t believe in Him at all, but God’s love does not change. Why can’t we cease the hatred and war and "let freedom ring" as we share the Love of Christ? Getting back to basics and loving our neighbor as our self would change our world for the better and allow us to live in harmony. The time has come to end the separation of church and state and allow people to worship as they desire. Prayer can be silent so as not to intrude on others, and the flag belongs in our classrooms, along with the Pledge of Allegiance.
For ‘tis of thee, my country, that I am free. I want my grandchildren to experience the reverence of patriotism as a day-to-day reality, rather than as a canned or bottled delicacy preserved in glass cases and placed on occasional display. (i.e., spoon-fed only when we feel the need to share it.)
1. My Country,‘Tis of Thee, written in1831 by Reverend Samuel Francis Smith.
2. America the Beautiful, written in 1893 by Katherine Bates.
Past careers include training in social work and various types of nursing, the most rewarding being the field of hospice nursing. I am now enjoying searching out ways to share with and educate the world through my writing. I presently reside in the Sikeston, MO area of the Missouri Bootheel. Please visit my webpage at http://medicinemawwrites.tripod.com.
