The America I Know....

Greetings!

I woke up this Sunday morning with my head full of questions about what America has become, and where America's future lies.

I cannot help but wonder where America's courage has gone when the citizenship has been encouraged to be fearful about almost everything. We have been encouraged to buy plastic sheeting and duct tape because our government wanted us to be afraid in our own homes about some "pending terrorist attack". We were constantly barraged with "Terrorist Alert red/yellow/orange...etc" and we became constantly afraid.

In America today, we cannot fly with a full bottle of shampoo or mouthwash because we must be afraid of whats in our neighbors bottle. We must be willing to take off our shoes to get through airport screening because we have been asked to fear what's (possibly) in our neighbor's shoe.



In America, we gladly accepted the infringement of our government's wiretapping our calls to our friends and family while some politicians and old white men and talk radio hosts encourage a lot of citizens to be fearful of positive freedoms a majority of citizens voted to see take place in the last election. The majority wanted to see America have the courage to change, while a noisy, and fearful group wants everyone to be afraid.

"Be afraid of health care reform!!" the old fearful crowd shouts. "Be afraid of the president of the United States talking to your children!!" The old fearful crowd proclaims loudly. "Be afraid of socialism!!" The old fearful crowd shouts while they traverse to the library, public schools, and while they call socialist programs for help...like the fire department. "Be afraid of communism!!" The old loud fearful crowd shouts out while they wear sneakers and pants and t-shirts whose tag reads "made in China".

The old loud fearful crowd proclaims to be "a christian nation" but soon forget the words of Christ "Fear not, for I am with you." No, instead we simply give lip service to "being a brave American" while we cower in our basements with our plastic wrap and duct tape awaiting our "pending doom".

The America I know is not fearful. The America I know had the courage to send men to the moon. The America I know was brave enough to face the challenges of racism in the 1960's and pass a civil rights bill into law. The America I know will pass a civil rights bill for homosexuals in my lifetime.

The America I know has the courage to actually be a free nation. Free from fear. A bold nation who will take the correct action to make certain ALL Americans have available to them an affordable health care system where we are ALL able to maintain our health so we can compete with the world around us. A bold and fearless nation that encourages it's citizens to be brave, to boldly traverse the planet with no fear and with courage. The America I know is an inclusive nation, not an exclusive nation where "if you don't look like us, or worship like us, you are NOT one of us." NO!! we are NOT that kind of nation!!

We welcome ALL people, ESPECIALLY if you do not "look" like us..or worship like us. America wants to know you and love you and welcome you.

Maybe the old loud fearful crowd is afraid of themselves. Maybe they are afraid of their own prejudices, their own inclusiveness, there own self righteousness and maybe the old loud fearful crowd wants the American legacy to be a legacy of being afraid.

As the old loud fearful crowd has the courage to stand up and make all sorts of noise about what to be afraid of...I wish to stand up and proclaim that I WILL NOT BE AFRAID!!

America, DO NOT HAVE FEAR!! Stand up and be brave and be proud of the real America.

A nation that is brave and FEARLESS!!

To a bright future!!