By Thomas Richard | Sun City West
Imagine being inspired in 1893 to write “America The Beautiful” as Katharine Bates did after gazing upon Pike’s Peak in Colorado; the beauty, splendor and promise of America filling her heart.
First verse: “O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!”
We are recklessly using and wasting our resources while polluting the air, water and soil. Brotherhood is now divisiveness; we focus on our differences, not our similarities. Tragedies like fire, floods and hurricanes leave victims suffering while the government withholds needed assistance. Weaponizing politics over compassion.
The 48 contiguous states from sea to shining sea, now defined as red and blue. States where political differences make it impossible to enjoy the brotherhood.
Final verse: “O beautiful for patriot dream, that sees beyond the years. Thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed his grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!”
A dream manifested by our forefathers, a democratic republic for all time. A country of laws, buoyed by a Constitution and three equal branches of government. Through wars, market crashes and catastrophic events, we have endured for 250 years. Yes, tears have flowed, but through it all we have stood for brotherhood.
It is impossible to see the America of Katharine Bates’ poem today. The U.S. military is deployed in L.A. to suppress freedom of protest, masked ICE agents are kidnapping individuals off the streets and a king-like president is wielding unabated power because he can.
As we devolve into a dictatorship governed by the impulsive directives of a select few, one asks what happened to Congress, the Supreme Court and brotherhood in America? I imagine if written today, Bates’ poem would be much different.
This July 4, pray that God’s grace, brotherhood and the patriotic dream will soon shine from sea to shining sea once again.
Editor’s note: This writer is using a pen name. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
