In My Own Shoes: Listen up: I want my America back! - The Westerly Sun

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I want my America back!

I want the America I grew up with back again, the one where people were kind to each other; and although happily ever after was never promised, it often happened anyway because people worked hard to make it happen.

I want my America back, the one where people were happy to have jobs, where wearing a uniform meant you were providing service, not that you were any less in stature than anyone else and one where we all pulled together for a better life.

I want my America back, the one where Election Day meant Republicans and Democrats would compete fairly and honestly with grit, intelligence, and humor to win an office, not battle viciously to “get” each other.

I want my America back, the one where hard work was appreciated and those who performed it well were respected, not one where “reality show stars” became millionaires through disgusting and embarrassing behavior.

I want my America back where a certain amount of censorship was not a bad thing. Where people weren’t allowed to freely curse on the radio or in classrooms or barrooms because they thought it was their right to do so, regardless of the other guy’s right to hear it.

I want my America back, the one where a protest meant you had a strong position to take and you did so peacefully and respective of other’s rights, where people knew all sides of the issue and understood exactly what it was they were protesting before they did so and didn’t engage in crowd violence.

I want my America back, the one where there was respect for property, where campaign signs were not stolen, where graffiti was not written on personal property and neither paint nor mud splashed on the belongings of others or on public statues and monuments.

I want my America back, the one where we gave each other a hand if someone needed it and not a finger if they made a mistake.

I want my America back, the one where the leaders of the country looked, dressed, spoke, and acted like leaders, where the leader of the free world wouldn’t lower his image and ours by calling others names and taking cheap shots; and where the third in line to the Presidency, wouldn’t tear up a State of the Union speech on television like a petulant child.

I want my America back, the one where I first proudly voted as a teenager in a voting booth that had a curtain on it, and the only people who voted by absentee ballot were those unable to appear at the polling place due to sickness, disability, being away from home, the tenets of their religious prohibiting it, or those in the service.

I want my America back, the one where we felt safe in school and never gave it a second thought, the one that only had fire drills and nothing else to disturb our joy in being young and learning.

I want my America back where families ate together, where holiday meals were special and everyone sat at the table and laughed or giggled or fought, but no one had their head buried in a telephone or other device.

I want my America back where we dressed appropriately for school, for church, for theatre and other events because they warranted it.

I want my America back where people valued older citizens, held the door open for strangers, smiled at each other, the one where we felt we were all connected.

I want my America back, the one where we had a sense of humor about life and weren’t afraid to make fun of things or each other without reprisal of a lawsuit or worse.

I want my America back, the one where people learned to temper anger and listen to other points of view before damning them in judgment.

I want my America back, the one where we had the utmost respect for the flag of the United States; where we would not think twice about not standing to pledge our undying allegiance to that flag, nor hide out in a locker room so we wouldn’t have to stand proud on a field before a game.

I want my America back, the one people around the world used to envy and now point their fingers to and laugh at in derision.

I want my America back!

Rona Mann has been a freelance writer for The Sun for 19 years, including her “In Their Shoes” features. She can be reached at six07co@att.net or 401-539-7762.

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In My Own Shoes: Listen up: I want my America back! - The Westerly Sun
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