Land of the free

Public confidence in the integrity of the Government is indispensable to faith in democracy; and when we lose faith in the system, we have lost faith in everything we fight and spend for.

Adlai E. Stevenson Jr.

We the people do our best to speakunitedly and in one distinct voiceThe Democratic process that we have ensures voters have a choice.

We the people are sharply dividedon issues that we constantly debateAnd in the realm of public opinionwe the people can sadly relate.

We the people can remain idleas traditional values become rareWe can pretend what happens toone happens to us because we care.

We the people are sometimes like atapestry that is now a tattered clothThat treasures that were once storedup are consumed by rust and moth.

We the people have had to show aremarkable resilience to changeWe have had to adopt some lifestylechanges and our priorities rearrange.

We the people who have been givenliberty and freedom as an inheritanceMust remember all those who havepaid the ultimate price in its defense.

We the people do our best to speakunitedly and in one distinct voiceThe Democratic process that we have ensures voters have a choice.

We the people are sharply dividedon issues that we constantly debateAnd in the realm of public opinionwe the people can sadly relate.

We the people can remain idleas traditional values become rareWe can pretend what happens toone happens to us because we care.

We the people are sometimes like atapestry that is now a tattered clothThat treasures that were once storedup are consumed by rust and moth.

We the people have had to show aremarkable resilience to changeWe have had to adopt some lifestylechanges and our priorities rearrange.

We the people who have been givenliberty and freedom as an inheritanceMust remember all those who havepaid the ultimate price in its defense.

And that's not all,” said the cabbie, nowsounding like he was a hired tourist guide“There are lots of national treasures here”not shy about showing his sense of pride.

“Some are natural like the Grand CanyonNiagara Falls or forests of Redwood treeOthers are in museums that save historymillions of visitors worldwide come to see.

You can see natural geysers shoot jets ofsteam and water into the air like a fountainAnd there's a place that honors the men whoformed this nation carved into a mountain.”

Finally, it dawned on the man and he saidto himself, :”the cabbie must be confused.Then the words to a song came to him andhe understood, and was suddenly amused.

The trip was nearing its destination and nowhe realized what the cabbie did not mentionThe cabbie didn't say anything about thebrotherhood sea; that caught his attention.

He readied the exact fare plus a special tipHe, who had been silent, started to speak.“You so eloquently describe this land of oursand I would also say My Land is quite unique.”

This is the story about a cabbie and a man,a stranger that he picked up as his fareAnd during the time that they rode togethertalked about something that we should care.

The cabbie had been hailed at the airportand noticed the luggage bore a foreign tag.When he gets to share his beloved countryBeing a cabbie, he naturally likes to brag.

“You know said, the cabbie to the man, ashe begins to paint with words a landscape,“I know wondrous things you should seewhile here that can leave your mouth agape.

When I go home to Nigeria, the childrenwant me to tell them the same old story.About America's fight for independenceThe founding of what you say is Old Glory.

There are places with seas of pasturelandwith nothing but waves of golden grainOthers are green with harvesting theabundant bounty from a fruitful plain.

There are majestic purple mountains thatreach down to white beaches on the shoreThere is vast unexplored wilderness andother open spaces where the eagles soar.

The Supreme Court has spoken on the issues ofvoting rights and gay marriage, not Immigration.The rights of residents whose status is in question isof interest to those awaiting answers in the nation.. The shifting sands of time has changed a lot ofattitudes towards concerning marijuana use todayThe two states that voters voted to legalized it are facing showdown with the Government’s DOJ.  The things that America does best are to respondto natural disasters and other types of adversity.There are times when it recognizes and celebratesits heritage with emphasis on heritage and diversity.  What’s trending from day to day reflects what is hot for the moment, although by nature is subject to change.Convincing arguments do not always win the day andwhen it is contrary to popular belief can be very strange. We can be enriched or cheated depending upon whoseopinion you consider to be most representative of you.The Constitution protects the freedom of speech and it’sbecause of that there will always be another point of view, Regardless where you stand on any given issue, you mustrespect that of another and try to always agree to disagree.Perhaps that is the secret to being “indivisible” when itreflects the attitudes we hold both publically and privately

America is a land full of promise with hopesand dreams and rich in cultural diversity.It is the most powerful single nation on earthand still it struggles with equal opportunity. The groundwork that the Founding Fatherslaid was to secure the rights of all minorities.On the subject of how some of these mentreated others, history sometimes disagrees. The “Pledge of Allegiance states that weare a country indivisible with justice for all.Some have decided America even when drawn together divided we will always fall. No house can be divided against itself thatWill not stand; So goes to reason today.Even the Pope seems to recognize that The Church has to accept priest that are gay. The response to adversity, like the tragedieslike Sandy Hook and the Boston Marathon vary.The nature of the crimes was bad enough, butpeople’s reaction to them is what is truly scary. The Government is equally divided, usuallyalong partisan lines on everything under the sun.Even on issues such as gun legislation when thePublic has spoken, they can’t get. anything done.

For the many whose lives were forever changed that fateful day in September.That the “Peace and Security” we tookfor granted was violated the worst way.

America always had its enemies whotargeted for a brand new devastation.Praised, be Allah, they shouted in unison.And wrought death upon on this nation.

Nearly a decade later, we still wonder if it can happen again, as we are at war.During this ensuing decade we have hadno further attacks; but, never again sure. Is there any citizen who does not believewe have profoundly have forever changed.That what an illusion “Peace and Security,”by terrorists whose motives were deranged.

How does this nation, “The Shining City”that was part of the American Dream—Move forward into an uncertain futurewhen it is coming apart at its very seam?

The “Primary Target” is still out thereto recruit, train and continues to taunt.And the emotions that has degraded intochaos, hate, fear, and tragedies that haunt.

“Rogue” nations who give assistance toTerrorists are no less guilty than others.Who cannot recognize and refuse to seethat among all nations we are brothers.

It has been the same since the early daysof civilization that people will make war.The support given it by religious leaderswho bless the cause they are fighting for.

Something different happened to AmericaThis was about half-way through the decade.When the much feared, “worst case scenario”happened with the impact that Katrina made.

How can anyone forget the images of thosebleak days of much human suffering and misery.Was this the America that took the lead after theIndonesian tsunami of '04 for the world to see? Then the history-making celebration for all ofAmerica and around the world in the year 2008.My, were we proud of ourselves “that special day,”Only to become the Man America seems to hate.

Inexplicably it vanished like smoke, the dreams,the hopes, and idealism that I thought with dismay.So sad that I have to whisper the words, so theywill not be overheard, “America changed in my day.”

Some old hardliners think things were actuallybetter during the period known as of the Cold War.They readily point out that America had only oneenemy which was Russia and what they fought for..

The U.S./Soviet relationship has shown tensionwhich may mean it's headed downward as of late.The Soviets have shown they may not be the fullpartner that it has been in the past the signs indicate.

President Obama has a lot to do if he is to shore uprelations with the Soviet Union and reverse this trend.It will require reaching out to renew old agreementsand to convince them that America is still a true friend.

He must reassure the current Russian President and theman who some say is the real person who holds the power.That this is not the time to return to old ways when the twonations were sworn enemies before Perestroika's finest hour.

So far, everywhere President Obama has been, he has beenenthusiastically received and well reported on by all he saw.But some experts continue to assert that the Soviet Union'spast makes it impossible for the nation to completely thaw.

In multiparty talks the Soviet Union has not sided with theU.S. in some key areas, especially about N. Korea and Iran.It is important for the President to have the support of keyplayer as an ally to negotiate or enforce sanctions if he can.

The President has publicly commented that they seem tohave “one foot in the old ways and one foot in the new.”There will have to be a serious meeting of the minds if thepresent situation can be addressed to change this point of view.

The palpable fear may be justified seeing that the Soviet s haveseemingly taken a backwards step lately towards Democracy.In restricting free speech and cracking down on protesters andvoices of opposition is acting more like the old ways under the KGB.

There are troubling stories about religious intolerance that will notcome to the world press because of pressure on of egregious of flawsAlso extreme resistance perpetrated by the Russian Orthodox Churchdespite court cases that have been won and changes to existing laws.

The stories of the Russian people are compelling and heart-breakingin their reality as to what the face of the “new” Soviet Union stands for.The climate of fear and espionage that was a part of the ways shouldnever be repeated and there can be no chance to ignite the Cold War.

Glistening snow covered the old battlefield like a gilded silver blanket.Its weight causing small trigs and tall grasses to bow in obeisance

Only the hearty ones stood in irreverent defiance.What was once a sea of green and brown was now a vastness of white

A snowfield stretching as far and wide as the eye can see—The burial ground of dormant seedlings and bulbs.

Trees stand naked and proud, outlined in stark silhouette.against the canvass, the bosom of its cold branches, lonely for the

company of those that used to reside and sing joyously among them.

The footpath, now deep with snow obscures a fixed direction.The trees that once provided the shade on both sides are now joined

together to form a perfect glimmering archway.No sound can be heard other than the trickle of a tiny stream

in search of its source—for all is at rest here.Awaiting the signal to play in concert at nature’s grandest hall.

This pristine place of blinding beauty is a private sanctuary,

A Requiem of Silence for those who care to hear.Howling winds are like songs, compositions of lamentations—

mourning the death of yet another season.Untouched by human intrusion, it welcomes but one visitor

to be the first observer to behold this wondrous sight.

To commune one-one-one with nature in this chapel ofcrystalline flakes that sparkle as dancing lights.

Today, I shall be that first one to see this hallowed place—Reading the signs that say no one has come before me.

The cool air makes my eyes tear, appropriately so, as Ihumbly anticipate permission to pass by.

The beauty welcomes me, but warns me to observe only,for to touch anything would be to show disrespect.

I cannot help but take pleasure in nature’s handiwork.My steps are tiptoe soft, chosen carefully so as not to

disturb not even the tiniest detail of the scene before me.

I stop and stare in awe, grieved over the sound that myown footsteps cannot help but make, breaking the ambiance.The sun lights up the stage as already melting show sloughsfrom the boughs above, as sextons announcing my arrival.

Noiselessly providing visual drama—“The End of the Watchman.”

Yet, it is a hallowed celebration of the promise of regeneration.A cloister of fallen trunks provides my cathedra to delight in

the serenity of this quiet repose, and so I sit and enjoy.I allow myself to be attuned to the performance—

As I sit and meditate in its tranquility of quietude.It serves as the perfect elegy for the souls asleep in

hibernation, awaiting the resurrection of Spring.

As darkness descends, I feel its essence beginning to fade.A Winter’s Solstice draws the curtain on this Kyrie celebration.

One cue, the finale begins, signaled by the voices of othersapproaching from the distance—drawn here too.

As I stand to leave, I look back at my own footprints whichserves as a reminder that what was once unspoiled has now

been ruined, at least until the next snowfall when—I shall once again visit This Requiem of Silence.

Unlike the American Revolution, the Civil War foughton American soil between the states was like no other.This war was for the very soul of the country dividingit in half and often times pitting other against brother.

The Emancipation Proclamation was the trigger thatfueled the controversy giving this “Great War” its start.Many elite southerners did not want their lifestyle to bechanged which ultimately tore the fabric of society apart.

When southern states succeeded from the Union,wanting the right to exist and have self-governance;It became contentious and President Lincoln knewhe would have to take action using military ordinance.

Slaves were literally kidnapped and shipped to foreignlands and did not any longer enjoy basic human rights.They were denied the most basic necessities, treated asmere property the basis for disputes and violent fights.

When the call came to take up arms to quell the fastgrowing defection of southern from the Union, so it began.At the heart of the matter was the rightful continued ruleof the dominion of slaveholders of man over another man.

From those first shots to the epic Battle for Gettysburg, thewhole nation was forced to reconcile what it meant to be free.Lincoln's words spoken in his Gettysburg Address were simpleyet elegant in substance so as to be reread throughout history.

One undisputed truth concerning human governance remainsa constant now as it has always has pertaining to matters of race.No man can keep another man down it a ditch without remaining

there with him裕 he struggle for freedom ensures this is the case.

From the inception of the Pony Express to theCreation of airmail service times have changed.The things the Postal Service does routinely mayneed to re-evaluate its functions and rearrange. It has also had an identity crisis when the term “going postal” was a commonly used phrase.The term came to mean a violent workplacemeltdown by an employee anywhere these days. An end of an era might be here as the ServiceHas closed many small town offices everywhere.It is an issue that includes whether Saturdaydelivery service will continue that we should care. Despite “forever stamps” and commemorativeStamps that people collect, which it does well.How the future of the Postal Service as an iconicinstitution will one day look, only time will tell.

That everyone is familiar with the Postal Service’screed, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloomcan keep the couriers from the completing their appointed rounds is reasonably safe to assume. What cannot be safely assumed is that the PostalService will continue to operate as it did before.This is not the first time that it has had to gothrough drastic changes and more are in store.  The United States Postal Service is at a crossroadand its future as an institution may be in doubt.The days when the postman always delivered maybe coming to a close or at least are running out. People refer to the postal service as “snail mail”because compared to electronic mail it is slow.Whether or not the postal service will remainrelevant is something no one seems to know.