This story was published in Medium’s Six Word Photo Story Challenge.
Help make America Be America again.
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America was never America to Langston Hughes, an African American born in 1901. That’s why he wrote one of the most famous American poems, Let America Be America Again, in 1935.
O, let America be America again —
The Land that never has been yet —
And yet must be — the land where every man is free
The land that’s mine — the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME —
who made America
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Yesterday, I walked along the Upper Iowa River that runs through our northeast Iowa community burdened by last week’s re-election of Donald Trump and his promise to round up and deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
Suddenly, I spotted a Bald Eagle, a symbol of my country, taking flight. After a few seconds, it disappeared.
Was the America of my 75 years fading away?
I’m a fifth-generation Irish-American born in 1949.
Even before John Kennedy reached the pinnacle, American public school kids joined their Catholic counterparts in eating fish sticks on Friday.
From paddy to breaded fish to President in a century.
Unlike Hughes and millions of others, America has always been America to me.
Full of promise and possibility.
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Throughout my lifetime, my country has inched closer to Hughes’s “every man is free” ideal. This included welcoming millions of newcomers from south of the border, many doing jobs Americans won’t.
This is MY America — the imperfect place defined by its equality aspiration.
At this moment, America is in retreat from its most admired ideal.
It needs us — to BE again.
Reader Comments
But, Paul, how do we “be” in this new reality? That’s the dilemma. Be well, friend.
Terri
Terri, by doing whatever we can. Every morning, I start by reading Robert Hubbell’s newsletter. You can sign up for freehttps://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/we-must-build-our-own-media-ecosystem?utm_campaign=email-half-post&r=3hfqs&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
He writes a lot about what ordinary people like us can do. Thanks for the comment.
Paul I was a student of yours and a Luther graduate of 2008. In the wake of the election I thought of your and the coursework I received in political science. It was devasting, but a feeling I experienced before in 2004 and 2016. While it some how feels worse, politics moves fast and never really settles into finality.
Poetry wise I’m dwelling on Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, Bryan by Vachel Lindsay
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/bryan-bryan-bryan-bryan/
Thanks, Gavin. It is good to hear from you. Thank you for getting back to me. I’m looking for solace as is my partner Rebecca. She reads a lot of poetry. I will read Byran.