It is the Fourth of July, the day that we call Independence Day in the United States of America. For me, normally, it is a day where I thank the troops, hang out with my friends, cook some food, and go to bed early. Today, for the first time in years, this day depresses me. America is a great idea, maybe one of the greatest ideas in human history. The brilliance of Thomas Jefferson, and the idea of America, is beautifully summed up by the first sentence of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Throughout our history we have, as a people, worked to improve the lot in life of every American. We have cured disease, visited the moon, cultivated the greatest movie and theater cultures in the world, educated our populace, and spread Democracy to the far reaches of the globe. The idea of America has always been one of equality, of opportunity, of inclusiveness. I have never felt further from those ideas in my lifetime. The America I wake up to each day now is one of divisiveness. The America I wake up to each day now is one of anger, hatred and bigotry. Lady Liberty has, since 1886, lifted her lamp beside the Golden Door, asking the world to send us her tired, her poor, her huddled masses yearning to be free. That's the America I dream of, the one welcoming to immigrants once more, for we, almost all of us, are immigrants or born of immigrants. America is the great melting pot, and the divisive political rhetoric of our time fails to acknowledge that America has always been strong because America has always been welcoming.
Albert Einstein was born in Germany.
Irving Berlin was born in Russia. Hakeem Olajuwan was born in Nigeria. Joseph Pulitzer was born in Austria. A great scientist, a great musician, a great athlete, and a pioneer in journalism. America wouldn't be the same without these immigrants, and today, I believe that immigrants are still coming to America that will shape the history of this country in beautiful and positive ways... If we let them... So today, while we celebrate our Independence, remember the words of Thomas Jefferson; "...all men are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights..." A great America is an inclusive America. A great America identifies and fixes problems without placing blame. A great America is a place where ideas are debated openly, and debated honestly. Let's make America great again...
