Tioga Herald

Born in the USA, Born in the USA; Why Did I Continue to Live in the Country I Love?

In 1977, I was offered three music teaching jobs.  One was on Long Island.  One was in Upstate New York.  The third was in the Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada)  public schools.  I ended up teaching in Upstate New York, completing my graduate work in Upstate New York working at Griffiss Air Force Base, and then taking a job in Florida where I remained for 38 years.

One reason I chose to remain in the USA was due to the land  where I was born, raised, and appreciated for giving me a jumpstart on life.  In spite of all the imperfections about America and its democracy, I still appreciated what was given to me as a result of my dad and mom and others who lived through World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam Conflict, and others. 

I may have found it disgusting to live through the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and others.  I may have found it disgusting to watch Upstate New York riots due to taunting of black folk by white folk.  I may have found it disgusting to witness “the whole world watching” as college students rioted in Chicago (1968).  I may have found it disgusting to witness the Ohio governor and President “Tricky Dicky” send National Guard troops to Kent State and shoot down students throwing rocks, in cold blood.  So on and so on.  In 1977, I STILL decided this nation was worth remaining here so we can work together to make it better.  “United we stand, divided we fall,” were words we understood.

And then I watched as Reagan, the “Reverse Robin Hood” movement with billionaire wealth, late 20^th-Century “Gilded Age fat cats,” worked for deregulation so as to cause supply-side economics which destroys capitalist competition and monopolize business in the hands of a few people (oligarchy), and “trickle-down strategies.” Reagan and company worked to overturn the accomplishments of my Dutch relatives, the “Trust Buster,” Teddy Roosevelt, his niece, Eleanor Roosvelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. These folks worked to bring down fat cats from the Gilded Age who had put monopolization into practice. With the lack of capitalist competition and centralized monopolistic control, the economy looked more like that of a communist state than true supply AND demand capitalism. 

Today, there are many times I think about the possible mistake I made in turning down a job offer in Canada.  But I continue to think about the country I grew to love and to make better, even if people are now losing the sense of “united we stand, divided we fall” and are leaving this nation in large numbers, due to the election of the Man-baby with his disgusting cold ICE arms which are needlessly reaching too many American citizens, as well as the immigrants, and putting America on an offensive path with a department called the “Defense Department.” 

I still maintain hope.  My Scottish family motto is “as I breathe, I hope.”  I encourage everyone who is eligible to register to vote and get to the polling places this year and vote to put non-Republicans in power as leaders of our nation.   To overturn what the late Lee Iacocca titled his 2007 book, “where have all the leaders gone?”