I Am America

I AM AMERICA (c)2002
July 4th, 2002
Eric Shore

I am America.
My name is recognized by people of every nation on Earth, no matter their language. Some see me as the coming of age of Humanity in freedom and prosperity. Others see me as “The Great Satan;” to be feared and kept at bay because contact with my culture causes their anachronistic parochialism to crumble.

I am America.
I am the unthinkable for some, and the unimaginable for others because I am all colors, all beliefs, all ages . . . there is no “them” and “us” to me. I embrace all people because I am all people. I am the “One” that arises from “many.” I am the first republic since Rome, and the first in recorded history to embrace the “Rule of Law" and the certainty that government rules only by the consent of the governed. I am the first to ever be born of “We the People.”

I am America.
I am more powerful than the next five nations on the planet, yet I do not conquer. I have an economy that dwarfs those of the next ten countries’ combined, yet I do not dictate. I give more of my wealth to the needy of the world than nearly all other countries combined, yet never publicize it or seek praise. When others are in pain, I am there. When tragedy strikes, I am there. I had the power to rule the world when no one could have prevented it, yet chose to spill my own blood to protect others from losing theirs to tyranny. I die each year to feed the hungry, heal the sick, and free the oppressed.

I am America.
I am not perfect, but I correct my mistakes. I have enslaved the helpless, but then set them free, and offered a hand as they rose to equality. I have brutalized and taken lands from Native Americans in my rush for expansion, yet honor them today for their character and heritage, and leave them with a degree of sovereignty and independence reserved for them, alone. I have taken part in atrocities around the world in the name of freedom, but have arrested and imprisoned my own people when they were shown to have been responsible. I am the only one to have ever used atomic weapons in anger, yet even then, only to end a war I did not start.

I am America.
My belief in my future gives me faith, my dreams give me hope, and my history endows me with charity. It is my diversity, though, which provides the strength to realize these ambitions; and my desire to change the world for the better that directs my destiny.

I am America.
I am the Last Best Hope of Humanity.

LIFE AND MEANING

   Franz Kafka once wrote that “the meaning of life is that it ends.” Many have speculated upon his meaning, but the words are simple and their meaning clear. We have a finite time from birth to death, and it is this finite quality that makes each day between these events supremely valuable. Each day is meant to be enjoyed or, at least, made the most of.

   Today I visited an old friend whom I had not seen in years. We are both a little older, a little heavier, and a little worse for wear. We are both in similar life situations yet, after spending some time talking about old times, he told me that upon reflection, he had reached the conclusion that ultimately, nothing he did made any difference; good, bad, right, wrong . . . it all came out the same in the end. He asked me what I wanted from life and, “happiness” aside, I told him I wanted to feel like when I die, the world will have been a better place because I was here. He asked me; “why?”

   I thought about myself, with at least as many problems as him, yet facing each day with hope and excitement. I revel in challenges, he avoids them anymore. We both have sons, yet I talk about mine with love and pride, while he is happy with his son, yet doesn’t speak about him at all unless asked.

   I am sad for my friend. I’m sure he’s depressed, yet I cannot make him see it. He was larger than life growing up, but has become a shell of himself; a sad man, in a sad, dark little apartment with no feeling that he has something to look forward to.

   I am sure he is wealthier than I, yet there was a poverty of his soul that no amount of money, power, or even other people can erase. I hope my friend rediscovers his place in the world, and I hope it’s in the sun.