I Want My Country Back

I was fortunate enough to have the following published recently in my local, weekly newspaper.


I Want my Country back...

I want my country back from people who believe President Obama hates America.

I want my country back from those who use religion to foster hatred.

I want my country back from people who believe that repeating a lie often enough makes it true.

I want my country back from those who decry the tyranny of the majority, until they become it.

I want my country back from people who use profit as their only yardstick.

I want my country back from those who think Charlie Sheen and the Kardashian sisters are role models.

I want my country back from people who believe that the loudest opinion is correct.

I want my country back from those who forget that everyone in America descends from immigrant ancestors unless they are Native American.

I want my country back from people who believe that might makes right.

I want my country back from those who are very religious but not nearly spiritual enough.

I want my country back from people who believe that compromise is a sign of weakness.

I want my country back from those who deny the pleasures of marriage to the gay community while ignoring the 50% plus failure rate of marriage among heterosexuals.

I want my country back from those who believe that profits are more important than people.


I want my country back from people who believe that their religion is the only true religion, their politics the most patriotic, their color the superior race, their sexual orientation the only moral perspective and their nationality the only exceptional heritage because it is divinely blessed.


America is a great country! Despite the fact that your opinions may reflect some of mine as detailed above or are more in tune with one or all of those with which I disagree, we are able to voice those opinions, debate the merits and flaws of our various ideas and do so without the violence and unrest that is currently taking place among people throughout the world. Unfortunately, we sometimes forget that it is the very existence of this diverse and sometimes incompatible range of viewpoints, and the freedom to express them that makes America so great. Our ability to resolve the disagreements among ourselves, without rancor, is the most powerful example we can present to those protesting, fighting and dying for the rights and freedoms that we so often take for granted.