We live in the greatest country in the world. No question about it.
It’s a place where we don’t have to agree on everything. We don’t have to eat the same foods every day or work in the same jobs our entire lives. And we certainly don’t have to think the same way politically.
But here’s what we do. We decide how to spend our lives and we prove that hard work pays off. We enjoy the right to express our true feelings without fear of retribution. And when it comes to the political process, we have a say about who serves in local, state and national offices.
We sometimes take these freedoms for granted. For many, it’s the only lifestyle they’ve ever known. And we sometimes forget that those freedoms we enjoy on a daily basis come with a hefty price tag.
If you don’t believe that, just ask anyone who serves in the military. They take an oath to do whatever it takes to protect those freedoms. And when they’re challenged, it should be comforting to know that the most elite fighting force in the world stands ready to defeat anyone who has the nerve to challenge what we stand for and hold dearly.
If you’re still not convinced, talk to someone like Villager Ann Pelle, who as a child in Germany was adopted by an Air Force family and became an American citizen. The well-known captain of The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps is about as patriotic as it gets. And she’ll quickly tell you that the annual Fourth of July show her red-white-and-blue-loving team puts on at all three town squares ranks among her favorites.
If you still aren’t sure, we’d suggest you spend a few minutes chatting with someone who is going through the process to become an American citizen. Listen closely as they tell you about the arduous steps they had to go through to get a visa to come to the United States. And watch closely at how fast their eyes tear up when they talk about the day they’ll take the Oath of Allegiance that validates them as true American citizens.
By the way, don’t be surprised if tears also run down your cheeks as they explain what it means to them to become an American citizen and to have rights those in other countries only dream about.
Here in The Villages, we see wonderful examples of freedom of expression every day. Close to 1,000 area residents proved that point recently during a “Yes We Care” rally at Lake Sumter Landing to protest how immigrants and their children are being treated at the border.
Various speakers took the Pavilion stage to express their displeasure with the current administration and immigration policies they believe are disgraceful and immoral. And the crowd – many were holding handmade signs showing their support for immigrants trying to enter the U.S. from Mexico – cheered loudly throughout the event and chanted things like “We won’t stand for that” and “Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here.”
“This is why we’re here today, because every one of you show that you really do care,” said Villager Cindy Grossman, the organizer of the rally and a board member of The Villages Democrats Club. “This country is our country and we care when our country does something that violates our moral code.”
In a similar vein, members of Villagers for Trump gathered recently at SeaBreeze Recreation Center for a monthly “rally” to show support for the president. They cheered for the policies and changes he’s bringing to our country. And the applause rang out long and loud when State Sen. Dennis Baxley took the stage, greeted them as patriots, asked if they’re glad to get their country back and then compared Trump to President Reagan.
“We’ve got a new day,” he said. “It’s another morning in America. There’s hope again. There’s a sense of future, a sense of excitement.”
There’s also people in this community like David Gee, founder of Trump for Villagers, who would like to get both sides in the same room to talk peacefully about the issues – an idea we think in these volatile times would be a fantastic occurrence.
“We start the meeting by saying, ‘Here are things as Americans we can agree on. And here’s some things that we can civilly disagree on,’” Gee said. “I want to promote that kind of a fellowship and that kind of a dialogue if we can.”
As you probably know, freedom of speech also is near and dear to those of us in the media business. We enjoy the chance to tell your stories and to keep you informed about things – good and bad – that are happening in your communities. And we always encourage you, our readers, to let us know what you’ve got going on. And please, don’t hesitate to share your views with us through Letters to the Editor. We love getting those and they really helps us keep a pulse on the community by knowing how you feel about a variety of topics.
As we said earlier, we live in the greatest country in the world. We should never take the freedoms we enjoy for granted. And we should cherish the ability to say what we think and participate in the political process on a daily basis.
We certainly appreciate all of those things. And we know that you do, too.
