Walt Whitman wrote over 150 years ago in his book Leaves of Grass that the United States: is not merely a nation but a teeming nation of nations. It seems like a good question to ask ourselves: How well does each of us hold to the idea we are a nation of nations? It’s also interesting that the first word in our Constitution is we. Which leads to another question: how and who defines “we”? Yes, I’m a thinkin and asking questions again this morning. Hoping you have a wonderful weekend!
4 Comments
Joe
I always remember this quote by Shelby Foote from the Ken Burns “Civil War” series:
“Before the war it was always the United States *are*, after the war it was the United States is… it made us an is.”
Monte Stevens
Wow! That’s powerful! Thanks.
Tom Dills
Too easily we forget this ours is a nation of immigrants. Those who seek to change that are short-sighted. We as a country need to do a better job of allowing those who wish access to do so legally. Yes, there are those who we should not welcome, but we don’t need a wall as much as we need a government willing to permit and properly fund the process. Ooooh, stepping pretty close to that political precipice, sorry. 🙁
Lovely photograph, by the way…. 🙂
Monte Stevens
Short-sighted is a good word. I also see it as self-centeredness. I’m leery of how we can effectively decide who we should or should not welcome. I am bothered by those who are violent and hateful about it when in reality we are are immigrants.