America,
whatever our crimes have been, your justice has made attempts to make it right.
Whatever wrong paths we have taken as a nation, you have always tried to get us
back on track. Whatever misguided, immoral, and cruel acts we have committed,
you have sought to have us correct our wrongs and provide a more superior kind
of behavior.
I
remember your goodness.
America,
when other countries have needed our military to help defend against tyranny,
oppression, and the evil of ruthless dictators, you sent our troops, not to
indiscriminately kill civilians, children, or the old, but to break the spirit
of the enemy into surrender. You never advocated actions that betrayed the
meaning of our flag or violated the value of our Constitution.
I
remember your goodness.
America,
you intended our political system to be one of honor, a process that operated
in the advancement and respect of our freedom, that held our public officials
accountable to high standards of conduct, that asked people to serve in
Congress in order to make our country a safe and productive place for everyone. Across the
years you brought us men and women who became heroes of hurting Americans, contenders
in the fight for justice, humanitarians with deep hearts, brilliant minds, and
indomitable spirits—Lincoln, M.L.King, FDR, JFK, Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony,
Hellen Keller, Einstein, Dwight Eisenhower, and hundreds of others.
I
remember your goodness.
America,
you taught us to work together, to find ways to understand and cooperate with
one another. In your wisdom, you reminded us that we cannot defeat our enemies
if we refuse to defend each other, and that any oppression, any injustice, any
hatred between us is a wedge used to divide and weaken us as a nation.
I
remember your goodness.
America,
you always urged us to protect the children, to provide them with excellent
education, to give them models of virtue, to offer them principles of decency,
to guide them toward a full, mature life of personal responsibility. You have
always said they are our first duty, our most precious assets.
I
remember your goodness.
America,
you have gifted us with profound writers, stirring musicians, remarkable poets;
you have given us actors, dancers, and artists who have mentored and moved us
and have enlarged our humanity. We cannot allow their enlightened insights to die.
I
remember your goodness.
America, you allowed immigrants into our country and they helped build our infrastructure, serviced our factories and fields, bought homes, invested in our economy, and created useful and fulfilling lives and established healthy, contributing families. Immigrants have always been a vital part of our history.
I remember your goodness.
America, you fought for civil rights, for women's rights, for Gay rights. In spite of ingrained racism, savage prejudices, and white supremacy, you stood against those oppressions and worked endlessly to overcome them. We do not forget. We cannot stop now.
I remember your goodness.
America,
you built churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, and monasteries, not as
places of entertainment or political campaigning, but as sacred spaces for
quiet worship and reflection, for prayer and meditation, for the creation of a
spiritual life and active compassion in the world.
I
remember your goodness.
America,
what amazing landscapes, you created. How can we be negligent of the priceless,
stunning resources in our land? From the State of Main with its beautiful rocky
coastline, to Florida’s endless miles of white sand beaches, across the south
to Georgia’s Stone Mountain, to Louisiana’s cypress trees and magnolia flowers,
to the Big Bend in Texas and its plains and plateaus, to California’s pristine
coast and its majestic ocean views, to Oregon’s Painted Hills, to Montana’s The Rocky Mountains, forests and highlands. And so much more--Yellowstone,
the Grand Canyon, Alaska’s breathtaking scenery and Mount Denali, the Hawaiian Islands, Pikes Peak, Niagra Falls. And, our grasslands, rivers, mountain ranges, forests, wheat fields, and giant trees. The list is
endless. America has always reminded us of the wonder of its land and our duty to protect it.
I
remember your goodness.
As
the poet Rumi once said, “Beauty surrounds us.” It certainly is here, in our
nation, in our land, and in our people.
Let’s
not forget its goodness. It is what keeps us free. It is what makes us America.
©
2019 Timothy Moody
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