GIG LINE
By Marsha M. Brown
To everyone who loves this country, it might be especially important to really embrace this 4th of July and its profound significance. It is a monumental celebration that earmarks our nation’s Independence but as time goes on, we can only wonder how long it will continue as we know it.
What has happened to people of this great country? All of us who were born here were so blessed; those who acquired citizenship through the legal process were blessed too and for those who still want to come…we want them to come and have the opportunity to achieve the ‘American dream’ right along and beside the rest of us.
Through the years, my husband and I accommodated exchange student young adults from Spain, Denmark, Germany, and China who loved America and who found our beautiful country to be as magnificent as we do. I’ve known folks from Mexico and Honduras who were in the process of acquiring legal citizenship so in love with where we live and take for granted every day and theyjust couldn’t wait for that very special time in their life…when they could be acknowledged as a resident citizen of these United States.
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What is going on across our nation right now is heartbreaking and sickening, honestly. And while I fully understand and respect the differing views of political figures, I wonder often anymore, their real goal in serving “We the people”. Have we all gone mad? Entire sections of cities shut down to everyday life to accommodate ‘peaceful’ protestors…r-e-a-l-l-y? Isn’t that what they call them? During the riots and demonstrations and overtaking of city blocks, the look on the faces of many was that of hate, anger and even laughter as they busted, burned and destroyed…what did that really accomplish except make uninvolved onlookers less sympathetic to their mission? Family businesses from one generation to another having already lost serious revenue due to COVID then destroyed as if the perpetrators were burning a pile of rubbish…r-e-a-l-l-y? Why? Sections of cities literally closed for weeks with no regard for the public, safety, pain and suffering it imposed on innocent people just to prove a point? The acts that have been front and center for weeks now have been hard to take in…difficult to digest and even more shocking than words can fully express. It is overboard…it is unbelievable that cities, mayors, governors or whomever would not only allow but support the disrespect shown to residents and business owners but to our law enforcement officers as well. It is simply unbelievable.
I personally do not care what political party someone is affiliated with…there is no excuse for the violence, killings, looting and destruction that has taken place before our very eyes. No sets, no props, no play acting…erratic violent behavior and no restraint permitted…r-e-a-l-l-y?
My husband is in Heaven…like many veterans who lost their life serving our country at war or who brought illness and death home as a result all to protect our right to survive as a united, free and independent nation…who could peacefully state our case, carry our signs and say our piece. Many believe there are no tears in Heaven…I hope they are right because it would break our veterans’ heart to see the tyranny, hostile activism, fighting, and death going on right here at home and they might wonder why they even bothered. They might think again about losing their limbs, eyesight, hearing, independent life, loss of memories of their babies’ birth, spousal anniversaries, and friends funerals…they sacrificed all of that…for this show of gratitude?
Professional, kind, and truly dedicated police officers have been victimized in too many states because the officer carried out a horrible, brutal act that resulted in Mr. George Floyd’s death that we will always grieve – a death that happened before our very eyes and as much as I believe and hope his life has and will inspire good for this nation, more carefully scrutinized law enforcement hiring, training and scrutinized employment for a better tomorrow, it is important to remember that countless police officers across our country have died in an attempt to save someone else’s life.
What’s next? Statues have been torn down, busted and dragged through the streets; innocent people attacked, injured or killed; police vehicles/stations paid for by our tax dollars destroyed; churches where believers go to worship God our Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, vandalized, spray painted as if it gave a sick satisfaction to those doing it…like the walking dead on steroids and threats of violence and attempted attacks against War Memorials in Washington, D.C.? R-e-a-l-l-y?
History with all its glory also has its downsides but removing semblances of people who did great things who also made big mistakes does not change our history…nothing will ever change that.
I have an idea…what if we maintained not only President Abraham Lincoln’s statues but established more and more statues of others who recognized the value of the human race; talents in all people and of those who used their funds to invest in the lives of sports figures, entertainers, singers, medical professionals, scientists and who pulled up, defended, supported and encouraged people of all nationalities, races, creeds, religions…what if statues of Jesus and Mother Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu and others who have shown the love and care to this world that is what really keeps us going and that we need more of…not less of, as examples to all of us – visible stimulants that would help inspire children (and adults) to be more like them. Figures of people who have loved everyone God created despite their mistakes and who helped to heal the sick, the unwanted, the oppressed…and what if…we celebrated life as true red, white, and blue Americans. What if we stood against violence…in all professions? What if discrimination is not only about the color of our skin but the size of our bodies? The disabilities we have? The mental capacity we have or lack?
What IF? This 4th of July 2020, we made a stand…to stand-side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder, hand-in-hand to love our nation…love our God and love each other as never before? We can do it…we can set prejudice aside forever…we can if we really want to…it is not impossible. And just imagine for a minute…the nations who want to overcome us, beat us down and see us fall to our knees but instead saw that patriotic strength that is within us…just imagine.
As always folks…I love you all, I pray for a safe and blessed holiday for everyone and I pray that we live our life but carefully…masks aren’t all that bad and their benefit in exchange for a little bit of inconvenience far exceeds the alternative.
Until next week, take care, love one another, wave or blow kisses to our veterans and our police officers until you can hug them again, be happy, safe and proud as citizens of the greatest nation on earth, the United States of America! If you know a veteran who needs help, call me (252) 202-2058 or write to me: editor@giglineheroes.com or contact our Dare County Veteran Service Officer, Patty O’Sullivan (252) 475-5604 or write to her at dcvac@darenc.com Take care, God bless you and stay tuned!