Love Letter

Good Morning, My Country,

How are you? Fine, you say.  I’m not so sure.   Oh, you are still beautiful.  Sometimes you take my breath away, like when I sit here looking up at the snow covered Wasatch Mountains.  It reminds me of America the Beautiful.   That was always our song, wasn’t it?   Purple mountains majesty above the fruited plain.  It always brings tears to my eyes when I hear Ray Charles sing it.  Crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

Yes, I still love you.   I have since I was old enough to know where I lived, when I said the pledge of allegiance with my hand over my heart in first grade and when my Dad used take me to the 4th of July fireworks.  I’m an American, through and through.   Yes, we’ve had our disagreements to be sure … what 70 year relationship hasn’t?   There were times when not everyone was blessed with brotherhood, when minorities didn’t feel blessed at all.  And there was that nasty little war in Vietnam that divided us so badly and cost so many lives.   You seemed to forget that those who didn’t agree with you still deserved brotherhood, not to be shot by the National Guard at Kent State.  But we got through our tough times, which made me love you more.  I knew at your heart you were something special, that you didn’t always live up to the principles of the the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution but they were always there, your goal.   You were the grand democratic experiment, a light to the world.

But we need to talk.   I’m worried about you.   I stayed up late last night, reading the news then couldn’t sleep, thinking about you.  A disease is sweeping across you, 251,000 dead already, and 30% of your citizenry either doesn’t believe it’s real or don’t care enough to take precautions.  So much for brotherhood.  People are more concerned about their own political party and personal opinions than they are about you.   If your citizenry is your lifeblood, it is as if you have leukemia, cells destroying cells with no regard for the body.   Our trusted servants, who are supposed to guide us through hard times in the spirit of Lincoln and Roosevelt only seem interested in perpetuating their power.  The news media, which used to be your conscience, has lost it’s mind, saying whatever it’s listeners want to hear and whatever sells.   And your citizens don’t seem to see what they doing to you, breaking your heart by trampling your principles.

No, I’m not going to leave you.   I do still love you, and besides, I’m too old to start over somewhere else.   But I’d like to have my grandkids know you as I have.   But for the first time in my life, I’m not so sure they will.   Please get well.

Love,
Older Eyes

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Tags: democracy, opinion, patriotism, sadness

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