This Land Is Your Land And I Can Hear It Singing

The Boss performing This Land Is Your Land in 1985

Here we are, election time again, and every four years it seems we become more and more polarized. Political derision in this country is nothing new, but I fear it is leading to vitriolic hate and I wonder if it won't tear us apart. I often find myself saying, "I don't care what political beliefs you hold, as long as you can back them up with facts," but facts seemed to be filled with truthiness and it gets hard to define what is actually true. So, calling a simple poem like Whitman's "I Hear America Singing" or Springsteen singing "This Land Is Your Land" to your attention is more of a plea for understanding. In both works we have a statement that pinpoints a simple truth, by being born into this country, it is yours for the taking; make of if what you will. Does this mean you will get what you want? Of course not, but you should always get what you need. That is what the American Dream is. It is a promise to every American citizen that you will be able to have the best life you are capable in this country. There will be winners and there will be losers, but they are Americans. I am a fairly liberal minded person, and often conservatives will make my blood boil, but I keep myself from forgetting that they are my brothers and sisters in this great land. They deserve to have their opinions spoken, and with reason, they deserve to have them debated. I would ask the same from them. It is time though, that we remember that we are all in this together. We each benefit from the actions of one another, and thus we become a stronger country because of it. It is why this great experiment stands out. Would I like to see this spread to the rest of the world? Of course, but that will take humanity to realize many harsh truths, and I doubt I'll see that in my lifetime. So remember that those people you hate because they are foolish, or because they don't see eye-to-eye with you, that they have families, and somewhere they struggle. Know that hate mostly comes from ignorance and should be pitied. Never turn away those who you can help, because that is who we are supposed to be. We are the Land of Hopes and Dreams. We are the land of equality. This is your land and it is my land. Let us make it as close to perfect as we have always dreamed. Lets make sure people have some form of roof, and access to healthcare that won't enslave them with bills, and to healthy food and water. Let us be the pinnacle the worlds wishes to strive to. Let us respect each other. Make the United States the country of the history we tell ourselves.

Works Cited: 
Booth, Alison, and Kelly J. Mays. The Norton Introduction to Literature. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2011. Print.