my country.
today is thanksgiving, and i have a lot to be thankful for. i have enjoyed coming up with a new topic every day for the last few weeks to talk about, a different thing that i am thankful for every day. and all of those things that i am thankful for, i have because of the wonderful country i live in.
like many others, i tend to take for granted the freedoms and rights that i have as a citizen of the united states. the right of life, of liberty, of the pursuit of happiness. the right to free speech and expression. the right to peaceful assembly, the freedom to choose my own religion. my legal rights, the right of a fair trial (should i ever need it), the right to an attorney. the right to bear arms. the right to vote. the freedom to marry whomever i want, the freedom to have as many children i want. the ability to be involved in local governmental decisions. the ability to go to school, to study, to get a college education. the freedom to choose what i wear, how i want to do my hair and my makeup. so many people across our world do not have the freedom to choose these things. they do not have the rights and protections i do.
our country is not perfect. our government is riddled with corruption, with self-serving leaders. at times the system fails us. many people have very few chances to improve their lives and conditions. but the thing about this country is that as citizens we can change it if we choose to take an active role.
when i look back on our history, i am proud of the way our country has grown and changed. of course we still deal with issues like racism, homophobia, and sexism. but when you think about how our country started out with slavery, and see how far we have come, i am amazed. and i am grateful for those who have given their lives to allow us to move toward equality, for those who continue to give their lives to protect our rights, and our safety.
i am grateful to live in a country where i know i can be whatever i want to be. i am grateful to live in a place where i can say what i want, worship how i choose, and express myself artistically without fear. i am thankful that i was able to choose to marry my husband, and that we have two beautiful children. i am grateful for the constitution and those inalienable rights i have as a human being.
god bless america, and god bless our troops.
i hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving, full of good food and family, love and gratitude.
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