Happy Birthday America

As America celebrates the Fourth of July, I can say I’m proud to be an American citizen.  Born in Richmond, Virginia and living in these great United States of America, I count my blessings every day.  I’m  the father of three beautiful daughters ages 10, 8, 5, and I’ve been married to my lovely wife for 11 years.  I’ll turn 55 this month. Life is so good I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m awake and not dreaming.

The Fourth of July is a celebration of our Independence, and the subject that naturally follows is the intense subject of immigration.

The reality is, immigration has been and will continue to be the backbone of our great country’s legacy. That’s both legal and illegal immigration folks. The difference is in the price to gain admittance and the ultimate cost to society.  Nonetheless, anyway you slice it, it’s still immigration, and with it comes diversity of all kinds, multicultural, racial, financial, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

How quickly people forget how we got here? There were “American Indians”, Vikings from Norway, Portuguese, Spanish, Italians, French, African, Dutch, English, Arabians, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Asians, Russian, German,  Australian, New Zealanders, South American peoples and many more.

Throw in a few religions, like Christianity, Islam, Atheism, Hinduism, Chinese traditional religion, Buddhism, primal-indigenous, African traditional & Diasporic, Sikhism, Juche, Spiritism, Judaism, Baha’i, Jainism, Shinto, Cao Dai, Zoroastrianism, Tenrikyo, Neo- Paganism, Unitarian-Universalism, Rastafarianism, Scientology and a few dozen more. Understand why we’ll never all be on the same page?

Mix in some huge disparities in money, financial attitudes, customs and superstitions.  No wonder we have been called the melting pot of the world.
A good friend of mine, tells me I should never discuss money, politics, religion or sex, with our neighbors or friends, let alone complete strangers. Wrong!  That’s exactly what we need to be talking about! We need to know where we stand.  Heaven forbid, someone might get insulted by a personal opinion!

Too much hatred, discrimination, sexism and societal dysfunction exists in the open, as well as privately held beliefs and attitudes. Isn’t it still a sin if you only think it, instead of committing the act?  Hiding it all away under the guise of not providing “too much information” isn’t what the subject of our inalienable God given rights are about!

By bridging our differences with open, honest and courageous communication, we can all be proud to be Americans! Let’s be joyous and free!  Happy Birth Day America!