TheBanyanTree: Independence Day

Fri Jul 4 05:42:33 PDT 2003

My four year old grandson doesn’t miss a trick.  He noticed me preparing to
hang our flag outside one morning.  To discourage inappropriate flag waving
(like throwing the flag up in the air or chasing the dogs with it), I
explained what the flag meant.

First, I told him we live in a country called the United States.  Most four
year olds probably know what house or apartment they live in, but have a
difficult time imagining a place which seems to have no boundaries.

Then I told him that the flag meant that he lived in the United States.  I
showed him the 50 stars and the 13 stripes.  I told him that the flag was
very important to people who live in this country.  I told him we love our
flag and give it lots of respect.

“Oh, I see, Grandma,” Boogie would say after each of my statements.  I’m not
sure how much he absorbed from that little lecture, but as we were hanging
the flag outside, Boogie began to notice all the flags in our neighborhood.
And, hopefully, the flag will have some meaning to him today, as he’ll see
red, white, and blue everywhere.

As he gets older, he’ll realize we live in the greatest country in the
world.  We have water to drink, way too much food (notice all the fat
butts), homes, schools, doctors, and colleges.

In spite of prejudice, our nation is woven by the fabric of people from
other nations.  My great, great grandparents came here from Denmark, Norway,
England, and Germany.  Now we have immigrants from Somalia, Laos, Mexico,
and Ethiopia.  These new immigrants are bringing in fresh blood, new ideas,
new ways of living, and yet they are eager to adopt “American ways” just
like my great, great grandparents did.  The melting pot continues to be
stirred.

America’s air breathes in freedom.  We have freedom to protest.  Yes, I
think Bush is a moron.  I hate watching the news at night and seeing what he
’s done to Iraq.  I cringe when I hear about all the money the Democrats and
Republicans are raising for the next presidential election and realize
politics isn’t about living our ideals, but about dollars and cents and who
can buy the most influence.

Where are the weapons of mass destruction?  Where is Saddam Hussein?  Where
is Osama bin Laden?  Why is the jobless rate the highest it’s been in nine
years?  Why does Bush want to drill in Alaska?  Why does our Attorney
General John Ashcroft want to erode our freedoms?  Does Colin Powell really
believe half the crap he says?  And will someone prevent John Rumsfeld from
getting in front of a TV camera?

I can write and say these things without fear of the FBI banging down my
door, because I live in the United States.  The darkest time I can remember
is Watergate.  I was in high school and we watched the Watergate hearings on
TV.  People really felt the country was going to collapse.  But our
Constitution held and the United States went about its business.

My grandson is going to a little 4th of July parade today.  He’ll see lots
of flags waving (appropriately!).  Maybe he’ll even get a little flag to
wave for himself.  And, maybe, just maybe, he has the beginnings of the
knowledge of what the United States really is.  And where he lives.  And how
lucky he is to live here.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at earthlink.net

http://www.polarispublications.com
Be a star!

http://www.skywaybpw.org

Skyway Business and Professional Women

Working women connecting.

http://www.bpwmn.org

Business and Professional Women of Minnesota

Bush is a "President who has no foresight, who cannot think properly, and
wants to plunge the world into a holocaust."

~Nelson Mandela

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