I'm with Walt

I'm with Walt Whitman:

I love America. I love its beauty, its vastness, its diversity, its history, its system of free public education.

I am not one to often wish for the "good old days," but today I am remembering the America of my childhood and before when:

our jaws dropped in awe at the mention of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin
we were taught respect for the flag and our country
America welcomed people of every nation to share in our wealth and security
Ellis Island was not a historic monument to visit, but was the doorway to
freedom for millions.

When:

we prayed for our country, not cursed it
God Bless American was not an epithet, but a true longing of the heart
people remembered and gave homage to those who fought for our freedom, rather than marched against them
people saluted the flag, not burned it
America's government was a model of decency and order rather than a quarreling gathering of pork-barrel politicians on the take
when people gathered on the 4th of July to watch patriotic parades, hear rousing
speeches, and eat hot dogs in most every little burg in the U. S.

When:
the pledge of allegiance was not fodder for lawsuits, but was something we couldn't wait to teach our children along with the alphabet and numbers
we respected our president and the dignity of his office rather than made fun of him and it
our left hand automatically went to our heart at the playing of the Star Spangled Banner and the passing of the flag.

Yes, we have had our failures, made mistakes, and conducted ourselves shamefully at times. But as Walt Whitman wrote, "The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem."

America! America! God shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea. Katharine Lee Bates