Like many my New Year’s Day starts with the Rose Parade. Watching the Rose Parade started when I was a child and those days it continued with my Dad watching all the Bowl games. I use to watch the games with him although I was more of a professional football fan then a college one. I loved today’s parade because it reminded me what is good with this country. In this day and age of negative reporting and politicians and their followers resorting to the lies and deception and plain viciousness it was good to watch something that represented what Americans have accomplished and to be reminded again that we live in a beautiful and diverse country.
The float that touched me the most was the one dedicated to the Tuskegee airman from World War II. These men fought Hitler in the face of racism and a country who thought them second class citizens. I doubt if any of them thought they would see the day when this country would elect an African-American President. It was sad to see how few of them are left. We are losing our generation of men and women who fought in that war. It was wonderful to see the joy in the faces of those men as they waved to the people lining the streets.
There were floats from China and Mexico celebrating their heritages. Their was a band from Guatemala. Their were Native Americans in full ceremonial dress on the most gorgeous horses. Their was a band of women in the rhinestone cowgirl outfits who had donated over 1,000 volunteer hours to various charities. Their was a band made up of blind people and a Lion’s Club float that the visually challenged had helped to decorate.
Under blue skies people from every race, color, creed, and religion came together to put on a display of beauty. The Grand Marshall this year was Captain Sullenberg, a true American hero who saved lives. I watched the parade on NBC just so I could listen to Nancy O’Dell and Al Roker trying to top each other in bad puns. For a couple of shining hours I was able to watch America at its best. I saw the America that embraces its diversity. I saw an America honoring true heroes.
The float that touched me the most was the one dedicated to the Tuskegee airman from World War II. These men fought Hitler in the face of racism and a country who thought them second class citizens. I doubt if any of them thought they would see the day when this country would elect an African-American President. It was sad to see how few of them are left. We are losing our generation of men and women who fought in that war. It was wonderful to see the joy in the faces of those men as they waved to the people lining the streets.
There were floats from China and Mexico celebrating their heritages. Their was a band from Guatemala. Their were Native Americans in full ceremonial dress on the most gorgeous horses. Their was a band of women in the rhinestone cowgirl outfits who had donated over 1,000 volunteer hours to various charities. Their was a band made up of blind people and a Lion’s Club float that the visually challenged had helped to decorate.
Under blue skies people from every race, color, creed, and religion came together to put on a display of beauty. The Grand Marshall this year was Captain Sullenberg, a true American hero who saved lives. I watched the parade on NBC just so I could listen to Nancy O’Dell and Al Roker trying to top each other in bad puns. For a couple of shining hours I was able to watch America at its best. I saw the America that embraces its diversity. I saw an America honoring true heroes.
It is this diversity that makes America the unique country that it is. This is the America I believe in and the one I fight for. I want an America that doesn’t discriminate for any reason. I want an America that treats everyone fairly. My New Year’s resolution is to continue to put the pressure on my Congressmen to see that everyone in this country has a chance to live the American dream. I want to try and show that the fight for justice can be done in a positive way. I want to continue and improve as an artist and share my art. I try and create beauty, a beauty that I saw today under blue skies amid flowers of every color and hue. A beauty of seeing so many people come together and celebrate their heritages. A beauty that honored heroes who gave of themselves to help others. This is my America.
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