I was in a
card shop the other day looking for a birthday card for you.
I saw cards
for kids, 20-year-olds, 30-year-olds, and 60-year-olds.
But none for a
238-year-old.
That’s too
bad. I don’t think there’s a person who
has an uncle who has done what you, or endured what you have. Even though your
image didn’t permeate America until 1916, your message, which is your heart and
soul, is 238 years today.
So Happy
Birthday Uncle Sam.
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I imagine with
each birthday you look back on your nieces and nephews that make up this great
country and you laugh, cry, worry, and beam with excitement at what lies ahead.
What a family
you have.
A family that
has loved, hated, fought and made up.
This has been
a heck of year for you. Just last week
you celebrated the 50th anniversary of the signing of the civil
rights act. Sure, there is still hatred
among some people, but at least we recognize the rights of all people.
Last month you
beamed with mixed emotions as the allies recognized the 70th
anniversary of D-Day. You beamed with
pride because the America-led coalition stormed Normandy in the name of freedom
and peace. However, you wept as you
recall the many nieces and nephews who perished on those distant shores.
You continue
to be filled with anguish because we’re still sacrificing our troops – the purest
form of American heroes – on distant shores – whether Korean, Vietnam, Iraq or
Afghanistan. You wish the rest of the world would embody some of the
fundamental freedoms and principles that you have tried to instill in your
American family.
You’ve been
busy for 238 years making sure the welcome mat to United States is clean and
the doors open for those who come here seeking a better life. No doubt you grouse when newcomers expect us
to speak their language, as they overlook the fact they came here to experience
freedoms and opportunities they’ve never had before. But still, you do what you can to accommodate
them.
And while you
clean the welcome mat, you make sure the door is kept open for persons who may
have been our enemies at one time. But
you try not to live in the past, you are quick to forgive and quick to welcome,
perhaps, some may say, to a fault.
As you look at
the family album for the past 238 years, you probably beam with how the family
has overcome obstacles. You recall with
bittersweet tears how we overcame the Civil War to be united. You smile with amazement at how during the
depths of the Great Depression men were selling apples on the streets to
survive, but yet in what seems to be a short few decades, men and women were
selling Apples because they were a pinnacle of American technological know-how.
Long before
you turned 200 you looked on with horror as JFK and MLK, two voices of hope were
gunned down because of what they believed.
You probably panicked in 1968 as the major cities erupted in violence,
adding to the turbulence that was rocking America.
But, dear
Uncle Sam, you beam with pride at the resilience of your nieces and
nephews. With a heavy heart, you point
to Sept. 11, 2001 when more than 3,500 family members died because insurgents resented
our freedom and success -- Freedom and success for everyone regardless of their
race, religion, creed, sexual orientation.
And while the sense
of ensuing unity brought insatiable pride to you, the opening of the 9-1-1 Memorial
made everyone realize just how lucky we are.
You’re a great
teacher, Uncle Sam. You teach by
example.
I wonder how
many people spend part of your birthday cheering for their favorite baseball
team with little thought the traditional American pastime is truly American – the
rosters of Major League Baseball teams are filled with players from more than
10 different countries. It’s hard to
believe that it seems like only yesterday that Major League Baseball teams were
limited to white players only. It’s also
hard to believe that you were only 132 when the Cubs last won the World Series.
It’s fitting,
in some ways that your birthday this year is on a Friday because it’s the start
of the weekend when your nieces and nephews will take time to worship in
synagogues, churches, temples and mosques – a guaranteed freedom missing in
many countries.
But not
here. Through it all, the pride and
independence that you represent resonates across America for better or
worse. We’re not perfect, but we’re
light years ahead of most countries thanks to you and your unwavering support and guidance.
So to my
favorite uncle – Happy Birthday. And
thank you.
Because of what
you stand for, it’s easy to say “God Bless America.”
Signed,
A grateful
nephew
