Is America Ready to Change?
Even though Barack Obama’s inauguration is history, it may still be too early to tell whether the surge of patriotism we saw will still be alive and well. This election was unprecedented because of President Obama’s African American lineage, but only over the long haul will we know whether that will be enough to garner peoples’ ongoing interest and support.
It would benefit everyone in the United States if that happened, because we’ve been divided long enough. Take for example, the plight of American veterans. Many were wounded in American wars and in the case of the Viet Nam war, sometimes they were met with less than full appreciation for their contributions when they returned home. That is the reason I created some free Veterans Day clip art that promotes the idea that we should honor veterans. Using the clip art in crafts and on Web sites or print pieces is just one small way that we can pay homage to them. That show of support could mean a lot to veterans who feel their country has forgotten them. But we need to pay attention to veterans by doing more than just sending yearly vintage Veterans Day greeting cards. Americans need to value them all the time. They certainly have earned it. If we don’t support them; who will?
On the other hand, every American –- not just veterans -– would benefit from the unification of the U.S.. I would love to see people saluting American flags when on parade, because they genuinely believe in what the flag stands for. Hopefully, that outpouring of feeling will help Americans achieve peace. But it’s up in the air whether this reuniting will take place. There are some people who are having a bad reaction to the president’s actions. But that’s to be expected. In many ways, having differences ensures that imprudent ideas don’t just get rubber-stamped. We hope so anyway. The people of the United States will just have to keep their fingers crossed and wait.