Marilyn Wolfe (Ruben)
Jo-Ann- That explains your patriotism.
Since moving to Arizona and seeing a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering in various parts of the State (which is only 100 years old), I have seriously wondered about the words to the last sentence of the Star-Spangled Banner: "Land of the free." I know there are many people in this country who are "Brave," but whenever I have read the News during the past 30 years, I have questioned the word: "Free." In many circumstances, it all depends on who is speaking and where they live. Our American society is so stratified, we often take for granted the freedoms that we have had, in contrast to those at "the other end of the economic scale," who are "held back" from reaching their goals due to many generations of insurmountable odds: lack of money, lack of opportunity, lack of community support, etc. I have cheered on those of the next generation who have become the first in their family to finish high school, obtain a job, or graduated from college.
There were young people who were trained at our local Marine Base and who sacrificed their lives in order to fulfill their dream of becoming United States Citizens. The first local casualty in Yuma during the War in Afghanistan was a young man from Mexico who was a graduate of our local high school and its leading football star, and was killed in the line of duty as he practiced in Yuma to defend our country, of which he was not yet a Citizen.......... A Native American woman from "The Hopi Reservation" died in Iraq as she drove a jeep through enemy lines to deliver supplies to her troop. She is memorialized by having the second highest mountain, Piestewa Peak, and a major expressway in Phoenix, Piestewa Parkway, named after her, instead of the former titles: "Squaw Peak Mountain" and "Squaw Peak Parkway.".... It took over 100 years to remove the derogatory name. The fact that these two and many others have attempted to rise above their status and could not reach their goals during their lifetime gives me pause to wonder if "Freedom" is really FREE!......If you read U.S. History, you will also learn many stories about Afro-American slaves and Irish and Scotch immigrants who built The White House for little or NO salary, and whose descendents may still be living in poverty in the slums of Baltimore and the District of Columbia, where students lack teachers, modern textbooks, updated schools, and recreational facilities. In Arizona, it took 10 years to pass Legislation to declare Martin Luther King Day as a State Holiday! ..........Our prisons are full of those who are Falsely Accused and only a fraction of them are Released after years of incarceration for a crime they did not commit. America needs to question the phrase "Land of the Free." It is a "Euphemism" to me! We think we are so lucky, but there are many who are NOT!
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Belle- I always had trouble remembering the words to "The Chipmunk's Christmas Song!" All through my childhood, I used to make up the words to the last 4 lines! But my younger daughter heard the song on the radio when she was a little girl, picked them up immediately, and sang them to me! To this day, I have to ask for help with that song every December, rather than embarass myself at holiday gatherings!
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