So, I woke up this morning and did the usual. Flipped on the news, went through some emails and comments and responded to a few. I haven't been as prolific recently on covering the issues, but have felt more compelled to cover my thoughts on them in detail over the past few days. From Mel Gibson to the Israel-Lebanon conflict. I usually stay away from these subjects mainly because -- while I'm well informed on them seeing multiple sources of news coverage from all sorts of places -- I just don't feel compelled to write on them because it seems like everything has been said already.
Today though I got a touching email from a reader named Larry. He had stumbled across the website in his search for information on MS-13 and ended up over at our family trip across America. He related to it because he had taken similar trips with his four girls that are now grown. I'm always grateful when I receive comments like these. Someone who finds things relative enough to themselves that they take the time to write and share their similar experiences.
It's been nearly a year since we took that trip and it has been a routine conversation piece around our house since then. Things like "Hey dad remember when we were at ... and we saw ... that was so cool!" or "we're learning about ... in school and I got to tell them I've already been there and all about it!". These kids even know more than the teachers a lot of times.
But Larry's letter got me to thinking about America and the trip and I'd like to publish the full email I sent him below. I don't think I could write it any better as a post and have decided to print it as it was written, a letter from one young father to a more experienced father. A person whom I will be in the future. It tries to answer the question "What's so great about America anyway?"
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Hi Larry,
I'm glad that you enjoyed our cross country trip recap. I dearly miss those days already and it's only been short of a year. They've grown so much even in just those 12 months and I quickly see them changing even closer into full blown adults. Then I'll be sitting at home wondering when the girls are going to come and see their crotchety old man.
It's one of the reasons I write on the subjects that I do. While our world growing up wasn't perfect, I want them to have the America we had, not the America we are headed towards. The America we are heading towards seems to be some sort of "part is America part is third world communities within American borders where the laws are constantly ignored because they're inconvenient". No matter how people try to spin it there's nothing racist about it. We want those who come here to be legal and embrace America, not try to change America completely into what they've left.
I wonder what my kids cross country trips will be like. Will they have to tell their kids that they can't visit Hollywood, but here's some nice pictures of what it used to look like. Or that they used to keep things in Dallas preserved, but after a few lawsuits it was determined that keeping the spirit and history of John F Kennedy alive offended too many people and was closed down.
Arlington Cemetery? Well it used to exist, but was closed down after it was determined that it too much glorified war. All of our founding fathers memorials? Too patriotic... and they weren't perfect anyway, I mean Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner and George Washington promoted whiskey!
Driving across America really opens your eyes to the beauty and diversity of America and what makes it great. I have been around the world, lived in Japan, visited dozens of countries, but there's nothing out there quite like America. I was patriotic before, but even moreso now. America is something worth fighting for. Both it's flaws and it's great things.
Sorry for such a long rant, but your email got me thinking on all that is at stake.
Thanks again for reading.
Digger
http://www.diggersrealm.com
