United States has to get back to its roots
More than 500 years ago, North America was a stopover used by explorers. The land was clean and unspoiled. Those people settled here. There were skirmishes as each group asserted their claims, but eventually the English won out. More and more people, not just the English, moved here, escaping the oppression they had in Europe. But, England, as far away as it was, pushed a little too much.
As a separate people in a new country, we sought our independence and fought for it, winning in the process. We were a newly colonized country just trying to find our way. Like most things when they grow, we had growing pains. To show our freedom, the Declaration of Independence was penned and signed in 1776. Now the country needed structure and guidelines.
First there was the Articles of Confederation in 1781 followed by the Constitution in 1787. The funny thing is our governing documents were based on laws from the very country we fought against. But the people weren’t satisfied. We wanted rights and guarantees so the Bill of Rights was added in 1791. This provided the freedoms the people wanted, but we still weren’t happy. We wanted more. And now, the very rights and freedoms that we so desperately craved have caused us to become prisoners in a politically correct environment.
What am I talking about, you ask? Very simply, it’s this.
Take the First Amendment. It guarantees us the freedom of speech, press, religion, and the right to assemble. I may not agree with what you have to say but I will stand by your right to say it. If you don’t want to pray in school, I may not agree with you but I will stand by you and your right to not participate — if that is your choice.
On the flip side, if my children want to pray in school then they should not be persecuted because of it. If my children want to wear a shirt that says Merry Christmas that should be their right, they should not have to wear one that says Happy Holiday, because Merry Christmas offends you. If my children want to bring a Christmas present to their teachers, they should be allowed to.
What has happened to this country? Have we forgotten the ideals it was founded on? Have we forgotten that we are a country of diversity? Have we forgotten that this “melting pot” is what made America so great? We have our own traditions, our own custom, and our own slang. That makes us all unique. Is it fair for someone to persecute me because I say yinz instead of ya’ll. No!
There are so many other important things that need fixing in this country. Why are we so focused on Starbucks using plain red cups without holiday messages? Why do people go nuts if someone has a nativity display in their front yard? Or, heaven forbid, why do people get angry if the greeter at Wal-Mart says Merry Christmas? Don’t post your rants on Facebook. If you’re Jewish, simply smile and say, “I don’t celebrate Christmas but thank you and happy Hanukkah.” Or Happy Kwanzaa or merry mistletoe? People just need to chill.
Life is too short to be angry. If you’re mad because the roads are congested, upset because the aisles in the store are too crowded, you can’t find what you’re looking for or you’re angry because you’ve overspent your budget, I say stay home. Be a humbug and shop online. Or don’t shop at all. Just keep your anger to yourself. The Christmas season brings out the good in people. It reminds us to share. It reminds us to be thankful for things that we have. The lights are dazzling. The food is good. The songs are pretty.
Carolers on the streets used to be such a nice thing. People cared for each other. Now people are afraid to do anything for fear of being shot. It’s a shame what America has come to. When we founded this country, it was based on Christian principles and a strong belief in God. We have lost that. I think it’s time we, as a country, look back to our roots and work on becoming the strong healthy nation we once were.
Kathy Bartolotta is a resident of Tower Hill 2.