It's my first Independence Day in California and I can't help but feel a bit cynical.
I'm in my favorite cafe in Long Beach, taking time to actually write in my journal, read and people watch. The word independence keeps buzzing through my mind. I can't shake it. So I get on my trusty BlackBerry and dictionary.com it.
in·de·pen·dence [in-di-pen-duhns]
1. freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.
Really? America?
Then I keep thinking: "Bring me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses." What is that from? Statue of Liberty right?
I'm not sure America truly echoes this invitation as Lady Liberty does. I mean, it was a gift from the French so we probably couldn't take that phrase off of her giant tablet, but seriously people.
I'm sure we wanted to believe we could house the world's oppressed, until we realized our social reform programs were no incentive for them to contribute to the net gross product.
I wonder if ever there was a point when the heart of America beat for those that wanted a chance to dream? Were these words representative of the desires of our founding countrymen or merely token phrases to make ourselves feel better about who we are?
To dream.
It's a luxury I often, ignorantly, believe is at the forefront of the human imagination. And then I remember my friends across the world who find this day of no significance. Those who, perhaps have never had a dream of becoming an astronaut or rock star. Those who, instead of dreaming, are merely trying to survive.
Where dreaming is for kings and queens.
I sit today feeling a bit bitter sweet to be celebrating a right to question the motives and policies of the nation that gives me the freedom to dream.
I joined thousands of others, who have come from all parts of the world in hopes of a better life, to watch fireworks and I wonder ...
How free are we ... really?
3 comments:
The line, "dreaming is for kings and queens" gave me chills. This was provocative and insightful. We have the freedom to think and to dream and yet consider the millions who do not. You SHOULD challenge and question the status quo because you have the right to. Americans fought for these rights, many others are denied them daily, you should use them! "The unexamined life is not worth living." - Socrates
I get some of these same feelings - glad to live in a country with freedom like this, but to what extent and to what end? To get fat and use others? It just feels wrong on too many levels, and then it tips to being unpatriotic if we question any of the sacred cows. Thanks for posting your dream here, to some extent at least.
thanks for your comment rick! i usually have a problem withholding questions that i feel others are thinking, but are all to often afraid to vocalize in fear that it won't invoke conversation, rather judgment and strife. i think it's important to talk about things we don't understand and that we struggle with. it doesn't mean we don't appreciate (in this case)our troops or our country, it means we respect them enough to actually use the freedom they fought for (even if it deems us as unpatriotic). it's all relative i guess. :)
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