OK, we made it 250 years as a country since declaring we were a free and separate republic on July 4, 1776. Now as then, living in freedom seeking the American Dream.
Not through mob rule, where the rights of the few are not protected, but through an ingenious plan of checks and balances on our government through the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Where one dictator or party does not rule, but change can occur. Problems? Yes, as Winston Churchill said because of the disagreements, Democracy is the worst form of government until you realize that there is no other form of government that has been tried is better. Disagreements yes, but in a one-party system there are certainly no disagreements but look what you get…stagnation, no growth, no desire to work and succeed and the erosion of personal freedoms often with persecution.
This is why my family, both on my father and also my mother’s side, came to America. The chance for freedom from oppressive governments, freedom, plan to work, achieve personal happiness.
Getty Square in Yonkers New York in my grandfather’s 1930s
I was lucky enough to be born in America, the land of the free and the home of the Brave. Born in Yonkers, New York and now happily residing in Scottsdale, Arizona the land of sunshine, wide open spaces and the Grand Canyon.
My grandfather John Masich (Masic) came to America in 1910 from current day Slovakia to gain freedom and work at the Alexander Smith Carpet Factory, after living under the control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During this period the Slovaks had very little political representation and the government in Budapest enforced strict Magyarization policies intended to assimilate the Slovak people into Hungarian culture. He entered the US at Ellis Island in New York where an immigration official listened to his name “Masic”, with the accent symbol over the “c” and heard phonetically “MAS-ICH” so the name was spelled that way. If that was how the American’s spelled the Slovak name that was good enough for John Masich. He wanted to be an American.
My grandfather John met his wife Dorothy, also from Slovakia, in the US. My father Edward was born in the USA in Yonkers New York, the second to youngest of 6 children.
Dorothy Masich and 6 children, Edward Masich, my father, is second from right
Ed loved America, never missed a day of school, loved the Brooklyn Dodgers, went to Officers Training School at Texas A&M University but was called up to the front in Europe in 1944 during World War II.
I was raised to love America and what it stands for. We stood for the national anthem and said the pledge of allegiance and I still do today.
My father would sing to us songs like the old Army song “Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground” from the days of the Civil War recalling his personal experiences fighting for his (and my) country. and freedom.
Tenting Tonight On the Old Camp Ground
I love America and what it stands for. So do most in the world where peoples from all over our globe dream and do come to our awesome country. Are we perfect? No. Do we strive to be better? Yes, to form a more perfect union. United we stand, divided we fall.
Thank you to Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Real Estate Svcs. and Kathy Streib with Active Rain for helping inspire me to write this post.
God Bless America!