Thankful for my Freedom

Blogging from Bruce
November 22, 2009

Vonda Keon

This is the time of year when people start thinking about what all they are thankful for in their lives. Thanksgiving is something that is truly unique that we Americans can claim as our own. I‘ve been involved in several discussions with different exchange students lately about why we do things the way we do in our country because they come to our country sometimes with a very romantic idea of what life will be like in America. Sometimes they are disappointed after they arrive because life here is not quite what they expected. But I can give them all kinds of reasons why it is good to live in the United States.

There are some things in America that give me cause to shake my head in wonder as to why our elected officials act the way they do. And there are times when I have to wonder if things will ever really change among people of different races and ethnic groups; i.e. the group of hooded protesters on the Ole Miss campus on Saturdays game day. I was glad to see photos of another group of protesters that chose expose their faces and to turn their backs on the hooded ones. The kids that turned their backs on hate were not hiding their identity. Those kids are the true future leaders. In America we have the FREEDOM to peaceful protest. We may not agree with each and every group that is protesting but at least we can protest something and make ourselves be seen and heard.

In the United States we can travel from east coast to the west coast and from the Canadian border to the Mexican border of this huge country any time we choose and we don’t have to have papers or pay bribes just to go from one state to another. We have the FREEDOM to hop in the car to go to an amusement park in another state or to travel to our nation’s capitol to see the sights.

In the US we have all extremes of terrain from the deserts to the beaches and oceans to snowcapped mountain peaks and volcanoes. We have vast rolling hills and forests and wide open spaces of green grass and fields of grain and fruit orchards. We have enormous rivers and the delta land around them and deep canyons and inland lakes.

We don’t have to worry about someone on the west side of the county shooting a rocket at the east side of the county. We don’t have to worry about land mines or suicide bombers. Let’s hope and pray that we never have to worry about that.

In the United States a kid can grow up to be anything they dream of if they work hard enough because the opportunity is there if the desire is. We aren’t stuck in some caste system where you are what your father and grandfather was. Everyone has the FREEDOM to get an education.

No, life here is not perfect by a long shot. We don’t live in Utopia. We have hungry people and homeless people and people looking for jobs. But we also help the homeless and the hungry and the unemployed. We have the FREEDOM to help those that might not have much to be thankful for. We have the FREEDOM to worship in the church of our choice. (Or for some, the FREEDOM not to worship.)

The bottom line is, in the United States of America, We have a great many things to be thankful for. But the one thing that sets us apart from other countries is that we have FREEDOM. As you gather round your Thanksgiving table look at all you have; your feast, your family, a roof over your head, a clean bed to sleep in, clothes on your back, the relative safety you live in. Be thankful for your FREEDOM.