I was born in Louisiana and remember doing the pledge allegiance to the American flag in grade school. I remember feeling proud to be an American, home of the brave, land of the free. Growing up poor in the deep south, I dreamed of my future and knew that being an American meant I had the freedom to make dreams a reality. I must admit I really didn’t know or care much about politics. It meant nothing to me and I didn’t know what being a Democrat or a Republican meant?

I was told we were Democrats because they were for the poor people and that I should vote Democrat, if I even cared to vote. I felt confused about politics very much the same way I felt confused about religion growing up Catholic. I wanted to make up my own mind and not be told what I should or shouldn’t do and that’s exactly how I’ve lived my life so far. Being American meant I had a choice as a free woman in a this patriotic land of the free and the home of the brave. Men and women died to fight for the freedom I have today and being an American meant being proud of those freedoms.

Freedom of speech, the right to bear arms and my choice in an election was my American right. In the past, I have voted for both parties in elections and didn’t consider myself dominate of any political party. I didn’t consider myself only Catholic either. I explored other religions, other countries and cultures and other points of views to come to my own conclusions as to what I believed in.I left myself open to explore other opinions in conversations even if I disagreed because that’s what makes us all unique.

I left the deep south of Louisiana because I saw the hypocrisy in many people and I was curious about the rest of the world. Today it seems like everything I left in Louisiana is being magnified worldwide as the left verses the right in political debates continue over an election? Families and lifelong friends are at each other’s throats on their point of views and waging war against each other? No longer are kids pledging allegiance to the American flag and the news media spews hatred and negativity daily to fuel the ongoing war in America.

Today our country celebrates Independence day and it is my wish that we mend our differences and start coming together as one nation, under God, indivisible, and justice for all and start pledging allegiance to our flag by standing together and remembering those who lost their lives in the past fighting for our freedoms today. This is what being an American means to me and what I always thought meant to everyone in America!