Thank You America!



Today, July Fourth, is a day which reminds me of all the good fortune that the United States of America has bestowed me.  As the child of immigrant parents, who fled the Russian Army, became refugees in Austria and ultimately made their way through Ellis Island, I reflect upon this day how lucky I was to be born here.  My cousins, aunts and uncles in Transylvania suffered decades of brutal dictatorship under Nicolae Ceausescu and Soviet domination.  My relatives in West Berlin lived inside mortared walls crowned with concertina wire for 40 years. 

My parents, Hermann and Helena had the guts to leave everything behind, enter a new land, work their way up the ladder from chicken farmers and cleaning houses, learn a new language, take night classes for U.S. citizenship and after five years they proudly exclaimed that they too, were "Americans".  They didn't receive welfare and didn't expect it either.  That was for people who needed help.  My sister and I were taught to respect the country that graciously took us in, retain our language, however, be mindful that speaking another language in public was rude and that people would think that we were talking about them. 
Photo: My mother (foreground) onboard the ship to Ellis Island, Christmas Eve, 1949


Today it seems that some Americans are ashamed to fly the flag, sing the national anthem and say the Pledge of Allegiance.  I am not.  Whatever grievances an individual has, there is no other country in the world that allows you to voice them, blog about them, or simply hold a different opinion.  Its imperfections are certainly there, however, it is a work in progress and well worth fighting for!  You can criticize a president, step on the US flag and protest until you have to finally come down from that tree-but you have the right to do it and you also have the right to say, "Thank you America", thank you soldiers, thank you Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and all of our prescient forefathers for creating a constitution and an opportunity for a government that has astounding possibilities an opportunities unlike any other!

Happy Fourth of July!




Comments

HealthyHappyGirl said…
Thank you Karin for a great July 4 blog entry! I agree with you all the way. My grandparents came over from Germany in 1930, didn't speak a word of english and Grandpa Brandt worked in Oakland making furniture, learned OUR language, studied to become a citizen and never took a dime from anyone. My father had just two pairs of shoes, some pants and shirts and a tattered wood sweater but he saved his pennies and after serving in WWII, he got into UC Berkeley and eventually graduated from the School of Business. Again, never asking for help - learned the english language, worked two jobs while going to CAL and became a success. So here's to the Fourth of July, the Flag and everything else this day represents. Right now, as I look in my backyard ready for our annual July 4th bash, I count 25 little Flags, two big Flags, and all sorts of "red, white and blue" to celebrate this great day!
July 4, 2008 at 11:57 AM
Anonymous said…
I like your attitude. It's as simple as that.
July 10, 2008 at 9:11 AM
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