google-site-verification: google1ebcbd3f9084755c.html Eclectic writing: January 2010

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

My country: What makes me proud

My country: What makes me proud

The latest major human disaster has occurred in the island nation of Haiti and I have watched with a same sense of awe the mettle of my country men and women. It has been heart warming to watch them jump into the fray and snap into action to help people who are suffering, dying and feeling completely lost and forgotten. Before I go any further, I want to thank you all for your donations, your physical presence and your heartfelt prayers towards your brothers and sisters who have suffered so much for so very long.

My country made me proud when Katrina devastated so much of New Orleans and with righteous indignation at the lack of response from our government, they packed whatever thought might be of help, threw everything in their car and drove up, down and sideways to reach people who were drowning, starving, homeless and in dire need of a human face that wanted to be of help and restored their faith in humanity.

My country made me proud when the twin towers were hit on 9/11/2001. Men and women followed the same ritual of quickly packing their cars and snapped into action to dig through the rubble in the hope of saving one more life. There were firefighters, police officers, medical personnel, secretaries, construction workers and young students who took emergency vacations or leave of absences to do the most grueling and horrific job they had encountered in their entire lives.

My country made me proud when those who call themselves Christian did the Christian thing and went to help their brothers and sisters to dig through the rubble in Haiti. Millions of lives are damaged, lost, in peril, and the Christian thing to do is the human thing to do. My country made me proud when people who are agnostic, atheist, jewish, or non-denominational did the exact same thing. My country made me proud when republicans, democrats or independents did the exact same thing.

My country makes me proud when the nonsense of partisanship is put aside for the benefit of citizenship and humanity. We have always lived in dangerous times, but nothing is more dangerous that divisive rhetoric that serves to pit one American against another based on ideology, ignorance and racism. Just when I thought there was no solution to this ever increasing vile and hateful rhetoric, my country made me proud once again when hundreds of thousands have mobilized themselves to help other humans in need without thinking of themselves or their own safety.

My country would make me eternally proud if they just turned off the radio or changed the station when the hateful rhetoric begins. My country would make me eternally proud if they turned their back on religious leaders that incite fear, hatred and the perpetuation of ignorance and stereotypes that are hurtful to our collective souls.

My country makes me proudest when she works hand in hand with other nations to lift the human spirit and shed a light of hope to illuminate our, yet to be written, future.