Proud to be an American
By rl murdoch
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Proud To Be An American
As a young teenager in the early 60’s I was inspired by John F. Kennedy to the point that on Halloween I dressed as a clown, and wore a sign on my back with a flashing light that said Kennedy/Johnson in support of John F. Kennedy running for president. John F. Kennedy inspired young people to love him, and what he stood for. The most important thing he offered us was hope. Hope that the future was going to be better. Hope that the world was going to be better. Hope that we as Americans were going to be better.
This all changed in the flash of a moment in Dallas, Texas 1963, when all the hope was taken away. Before Pres. Kennedy the only man I put on a pedestal was my Father, and now I was back to only one living idol. When I listened to Pres. Kennedy talk it was like he was placing a map in front of me showing me the way to go, while my Father always taught me how to read the map.
When John F. Kennedy died I was lost without a map. Over the years I found my own way, but I was never as proud to be an American as I was when John F. Kennedy became president. I thought maybe Bobby Kennedy would be able to make a new map, but he never had the chance.
Discouraged, I lost interest in the direction of our country, and when I came back from the Vietnam War in 1969 and saw people who would spit on the soldiers I lost faith in those who called themselves Americans. On vacations in foreign countries I saw Americans that were boisterous, and looked down on the host nation and their people like Americans were better than the people who were catering to their every need. They acted like rich snobs, and it was very embarrassing.
Over the years I would vote for a President by choosing whoever I thought would be the best President for me, until I heard Barack Obama speak in 2005. It was then that I told my wife May that he would be the first African American President, probably wining the 2012 election. I was wrong he won the 2008 election.
He has given the country hope again, and I think he is showing me the map that I thought I lost. He is definitely showing young people the map just as John F. Kennedy did for me. By a map I mean that he is showing people a new direction for the country to go, by thinking first of what is good for everyone, not just what is good for one individual. This time I voted for whom I thought would be best for the country, not just what was best for me.
John F. Kennedy’s assassination brought me to tears of sorrow, and Barack Obama becoming the President brought tears of joy. Barack Obama has made me “Proud Again To Be An American”.
Robert L. Murdoch 01/24/09
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Hi Thanks for posting this.
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Hi Robert. I really enjoyed
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