The America I knew was won through war
From gallons of bloodshed to conspiracies deeper than the Atlantic
A kingdom of dirt was turned into a white stoned democracy
The America I knew had expanded through trades and finance
Without considering those who were originally there
An entire people were murdered and displaced in the process of other people’s growth.
The America I knew was made from labor
And from the crack of the whip, millions would be dehumanized
while laying the groundwork that made this nation grand
The America I knew was challenged by innovation
So when all found the industrialization of a nation so fascinating
It is important to recall the workers and children who weren’t given many other opportunities outside of the factories
The America I knew always brought in foreigners
No one said, though, that they would be treated respectfully
And for that reason, a cycle left generations, heritages and cultures hardened in their soul
The America I knew used to take a gilded position
And convince people for an entire decade that everyone could be rich
When really no one could afford it, eventually leaving everyone poor and powerless
The America I knew would find itself entrenched in policies
While forgetting what its greatest forefather had said
Government has forgotten in a countless number of situations that being a politician didn’t always mean their work was political
The America I knew sometimes mixed their wars with racism
Causing thousands to millions of deaths of people of a foreign land
When really they were civilians who had no say as to whether war was their desiredchoice or not
The America I knew has made many wonderful inventions
But they were turned into killing machines that would revolutionize
And leave devastating results in the century to come
The America I knew would claim itself, a countless number of times for that matter,
To being the free democracy of the world that paved the path towards freedom
When really people within the country of “the free” were oppressed by unjust traditions of their own people
The America I knew would compare itself to other nations and governments
And selfishly act in order to gain the bigger stick of power
So that other governments and peoples could only look to America as a legitimate source
The America I knew would find itself toppling entire governments
and in doing so would have the nerve to find itself satisfied with holding a militarized stronghold
On various parts across the world
However this weekend makes history. Granted, this weekend doesn’t fix all of the mistakes and scars cast upon this nation but it certainly gives hope that all can find a sense of resolution and happiness. Yesterday, I stood proud within the crowd of beating hearts that set the new standard for the future. A new sense of equality was established among the land allowing all U.S. citizens, no matter what their sexuality was to marry under legal contract. I was among the crowd and I helped contribute to history. In many ways, this new sense of love will change many things. I know it.
The America I know is one of much diversity and change
Everyday, I see it coming closer to its goal
Given that just yesterday a groundbreaking moment in our history took place
The America I know is one that tends to contradict itself
But despite others efforts to terrorize and oppress
The voiceless are becoming more vocal and effective
The America I know is facing a new reality
And in seeing so they have been able to unionize, globalize and conquer the task at hand
While allowing everyone a fair say in the matter
The America I know may be made with a bunch of stereotypical hicks
Who deep fry their oreos, bacon wrap their milkshakes and commercialize this shit out of food
But we still love ’em, don’t we?
The America I know just completely changed its image
It redefined the fundamentals of the legal contract of love
And from here I see a spreading chain of progress
People look at the country in a pessimistic light which is understandable yet sad. They don’t see any hope or any realistic answer to any of the problems facing our nation. From politics to morals, the challenge seems so great that no one strong enough dares to stand up to them and those who do are no prepared. But people forget the common pattern of human knowledge:History shows that when humanity looks to the metaphors in nature we learn the best. The Wright Brothers looked up to the sky one day and saw the aerodynamics and structure of the bird. From this, they created the airplane. Scientists observed how light was captured by trees and plants thus creating their inner life that leads to their existence and they ended up creating the concept of solar energy. This list goes on and on and if you really wanted to hear a series of these metaphors just watch House of Cards. Kevin Spacey delivers them so well that it becomes a motif throughout the series. The one metaphor, however, that applies most to America is how as you climb higher to the top of the mountain the air becomes thinner and more windy. Everyday, we face the traumas of school shootings, natural disasters, car accidents, murders, political setbacks, network hacking and many other tragedies. It’s easy to get depressed these days but in a weird way I believe it means progress. To every great checkpoint there are a series of setbacks that often appear greater than the very goal accomplished. These tragedies are setbacks and gay marriage being legalized was the checkpoint.
In a funny way, gay marriage, or just marriage now, put my faith in humanity and our nation in a better place. I am proud to say that I stood among history and will continue to do so as America progresses in the right direction. Today, I am proud to be American.
