God Bless America

"God bless America,

Land that I love,

Stand beside her, and guide her

Through the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,

To the oceans, white with foam

God bless America, My home sweet home."

 

When I was a kid I was told it was against my religion to pledge to the flag but I should always respect it. I did as I was told.

Until I was in the 5th grade I had thought God Bless America was our National Anthem. Being the 80s I was told by all my adult figures how I was suppose to hate Russia. One teacher even told me those dirty Russians wanted to kill me, a kid, because I was a free American.

I learned to love my country, take pride in her, and know in my heart we lived in the best place in the world.

When we did "Duck and Cover" drills I was scared but my teacher would sing, God Bless America, and it soothed me like a protective blanket. I don't know if it was the lyrics or her voice but the song ALWAYS chokes me up to this day.

When I think about the lyrics today, however, I'm filled with a mixture of pride and sadness. My child will not know the same pride I felt at her age. Day after day I see my country slowly dying. She's bleeding out and it seems that no one can stop it.

We were great once so what happened? Where did we go wrong? Standing up to stupidity and bullies use to be a good thing yet now, the cry babies have taken over.

Advice I got from my parents, aunts and uncles use to be to STOP being a cry baby but now that's all we see.

I want my country back. I am an AMERICAN damn it! and that still means something to me.

#IAMANAMERICAN