Posted by
Sanity 102 on Thursday, January 18, 2007 12:44:35 AM
Following is a piece I wrote a few years back in reply to a Marine. I am posting it here as a kind of prelude to a new post...one that I suspect will be much harder to write.
I was raised in a generation that thought all politicians were crooks. And governments; especially the American government, was this big entity that took too much and gave too little.
I was told what America did wrong, how often, and how America could never do anything right.
I thought that the Bill of Rights was something everyone in this day and age, had and that equality was as common as breathing.
Then 9/11 happened and I guess I grew up.
I learned what equality meant from a bunch of women whose idea of courage was walking down a public street without male escort and without their burkas.
I learned what injustice meant when 56 children were killed on their way to school -- and the world blamed THEM not the criminals who did it.
I understood what the Bill of Rights meant when I learned about the Taliban and Saddam's sons' entertainment room.
I learned what being part of the privilege class meant when I saw an entire town come to a well to get water and children get excited at having books and being given the opportunity to get an education.
I found out that a hero wasn't the guy who made the last second basket or that Hail Mary touchdown, but the soldier leaving family and friends to bring freedom to people who are too terrified to even be grateful.
I even learned that some politicians are just human beings. Really. They believe in God, like we do and they try to do what is right, just like we do, even if it doesn't get them re-elected or the world bashes them for the effort.
Most of all I learned that America is really a great country. Not perfect. Hell, we can be darn right selfish and in your face; but NO other nation on earth gives as much as Americans. Her blood is on EVERY shoreline. Her sweat and her tears have been spilled for EVERY race and every culture.
* * *
I live in a predominately Hawaiian neighborhood. Before 9/11, the old Hawaiian flag waved in a yard or two on every street. We talked about "our" queen and "our" people. And the "aloha spirit" and how important it was to keep and respect the old ways.
Now in most flag waving homes, the Red, White, and Blue flies next to the Hawaiian flag. And we talk about "our" president (not always kindly as Hawaii is a Blue state) and "our" people seem to now mean Americans.
And when we talk of keeping the old ways, we mean keeping the ability to complain about the "stupid" government and going to Disneyland and Vegas...and having another Super Bowl...