Growing up, I always looked forward to the Fourth of July and Memorial Day celebrations. I particularly enjoyed the parades and fireworks and the red, white, and blue bunting and flags along the parade route and surrounding the fireworks venue. I can remember the pride I felt when I looked at our nation’s colors. It was a warm and gratifying feeling. I was proud to be an American and proud of what she stood for.
I never lost that feeling as I grew older. I remember the goosebumps I felt while attending the Fourth of July celebrations at the Esplanade in Boston. I was among a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life, from every country of the world, from every race and religion, and every gender identity. I can’t describe how proud I was at those moments living in America.
Our country’s colors, including the stars and stripes, remind me that we are a nation of immigrants. Except for Native Americans, every citizen of this country can trace their ancestry to every country in the world. Some came looking for religious freedom or to escape war and famine in their home country. Sadly, some were forcibly taken from their homes in Africa and the Caribbean and became part of the slave trade.
Americans and people living outside of our country have always viewed this country as a melting pot where citizens from all over the world can become Americans. I have always loved this concept, but is it still valid?
Since Donald Trump came down that escalator at Trump Towers, the meanings of our country’s colors have changed. Trump’s MAGA crowd has taken over the Republican Party our parents knew. Those colors that once stood for liberty, freedom, justice, and equality no longer do so. They now represent white supremacy, Christian nationalism, and anti-immigrant and LGBTQ hatred.
Where we once saw flag-lined streets of American flags proclaiming our traditional welcoming and supportive values, we now see oversized pickup trucks adorned with the American flag but the Confederate flag, the ultimate symbol of white supremacy and hatred.
We see tee shirts emblazoned with captions stating “America for Americans,” “White Lives Matter,” “Mass Deportation,” and “Go Back to Where You Came From,” printed in red, white, and blue and the American flag.
We see similar tee shirts attacking the LGBTQ community, with some prominent politicians supporting the complete elimination of gay rights and imprisonment or even death of those who are members of this community. Disgustingly, the leaders of the anti-LGBTQ community are also leaders in the Christian community.
The current Republican candidate for President, Donald Trump, who is the child of immigrants and who has two immigrant wives, has promised mass deportation of migrants in the first days of his new administration if elected. The Trump platform, otherwise known as Project 2025, will destroy what’s left of the rights of those migrants who have come here legally. Project 2025 will also destroy all rights and freedoms gained by the LGBTQ community, as well as women and other minorities.
When I see what is happening in our country today, I am amazed that so many people abroad do not share the same feelings. Millions of people in Central and South America, Asia, and elsewhere still see America as a place that promises rights and freedoms to those who have been denied them in their home countries. This is why so many people risk their lives to come to this country.
If these people can see the beauty and the wonder of American values so much that they are willing to die to attain those freedoms for their children, why can we, who have been born and brought up in this country, see the value in protecting those freedoms for ourselves and future Americans?
