Growing up, we never went on normal vacations. We went to battlefields,
old war zones, different terrains, museums and all corners of America.
My dad is a history buff and my mother is a teacher, so they felt the
best gift for vacation was that of culture and education. I'm so
thankful for that. They never sugar coated the murky, violent history of
our country. They exposed us to the victories and the disasters, the
cruelty and the humanity that America has faced. They told us about
awful presidents and noble ones, much like the varying degrees of
humanity seen in individuals in general. As we walked across western hills, burnt grass from the summer heats crunching below our feet, you could almost smell Native American blood soaking the land. You could almost taste the gunpowder. In the north, we learned about the Revolution and new settlers forming together to rise up and overcome. You could feel the revolutionary ideas still whipping in the wind. In the south, in the blood-soaked, tear-drenched fields of labor, I could almost hear the somber gospels of past slaves echoing in the distance. It was melancholic, beautiful, hopeful. These were my spring breaks. I never came back tan from a house on the beach or dehydrated from riding countless rides in Disney Land. My vacations shattered me. They opened my narrow mind to the history of this country, the sorrows of our people, the triumphs over evils.
When I came back from the Philippines, I was overcome with emotion and
gratitude to be on American soil. I remembered the history lessons
imparted to me on my vacations, the new lessons I learn everyday, and
the ones I learn internationally: we are privileged. If you don't
believe this, please, volunteer overseas or simply visit a developing
country. We are not perfect and have a long way to go in terms of
equality and we must not forget this, but I implore you to truly
experience life outside of America. This is not me saying that the home
issues we are experiencing are trivial, but I am suggesting that a wider
perspective is vital (in literally all aspects of life).
I am beyond proud to be an American, I am proud of our flag because it
is a symbol for such beautiful ideals, ones that may have been
occasionally shit upon by the chosen leaders of our land, ones
occasionally shit on by the people who CHOOSE to live here. Please have
faith in your fellow citizens to help make this country better than
yesterday. Have respect for a flag that STANDS for something, but only
if you maintain and uphold those ideals in your daily living. I'm not
"with her" and I'm not "with him". I am with all of you, because
together we can uphold values people have died for and still die for
(not just speaking military). We are all living on this planet, doing
the human thing the best way we know how--sometimes, it's sadly the way
we were taught. Help educate your friends in a compassionate way if you
disagree with their views. Stand up when you see a stranger treat another fellow human poorly. Be humble. Be gentle. Be kind. Always be
searching for solutions, after seeking the wider perspective. Give
thanks for every breath taken. Befriend someone different than you...
hell, become friends with someone you might find vile--and then listen
to them. You might find you share common ground. You might find they are exactly what you thought--vile. Love them anyway.
Do we not destroy our enemies when we make them our friends?
