Freda Mooncotch member for 1 year 20 weeks Send a message

Here we are the Friday before Labor Day and I ponder what exactly this holiday I celebrate every year means to me. In light of this years presidential election, 'Proud To Be An American,' has been challenged and criticized several times over by political figures and American Citizens alike, each claiming how "ashamed" of America they are. It is tortuous for them to claim American citizenship and call America their country.

As hard as I try, I don't understand this mentality. I don't understand how people can feel this way about a country that offers so much to so many.

As an uneducated single mom it bothers me to no ends why people feel this way about a country where people are literally dying to get into. I say "uneducated - single mom" because I want to stress the fact that at one time in my life, for all of my twenties, I was a white collar American (making $20k and less a year) and yet today, I am running my own company, speaking freely and benefiting from my blood, sweat and tears. I didn't ask for hand outs. I didn't ask for food stamps and nor did I have child support or financial support or any help from my ex. I chose a tough road but I made the best of it and here I am today. No body owed me anything, and as angry as I was, I didn't feel entitled to anything and couldn't blame anyone but myself. What I was left with was to try and be thankful and grateful and change my situation because the way I saw it, so many people around the world have it really bad. I knew I could get out of my situation, I just had to figure out the plan. And I did. It took ten years, but I did it.

America is the one place where you can go from zero to sixty in 60 seconds, from poor to rich back to poor back to rich. It is a country that allows, supports and encourages entrepreneurs, small businesses, family businesses, women run, owned and operated businesses to thrive. In addition, anyone: Spanish, Mexican, Black, White, Yellow, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese have equal opportunities to create their own wealth, to create their own "American Dream!" In fact there are more foreign born millionaires in the United States than American millionaires. I don't know about you, but that is a place that I am honored to be a citizen of.

So I sit here and scratch my head at these people who seem to be so angry and disgraced to be associated as an American or to be a proud American citizen. I for one am proud to be an American. Where else in the world do people have so much freedom. Freedom to make their own choices in spite of their obstacles or challenges? Freedom to open their own doors? Freedom of speech. Freedom to vote. Freedom to start their own business. Freedom get paid a fair wage for the work that they perform based on their education and vocational choice?

I turn on my T.V. and I see horrific stories of women and their children in India being burned by their husbands/fathers because their dowry has run out and they are no longer useful. Or in DARFUR where people are starving to death, women watch their husbands and sons brutally massequred and then have no recourse, no justice as they and their daughters are repeatedly raped day in and day out.

Socialism never worked. Marxisim was a complete failure. America is messed up but it took us many centuries to arrive at this place and as many presidents were involved in getting us to this point, it is safe to say that not one man or one four year term is going to change this mess that we are in. Second, as messy as it is, there is no other place that I would rather be or live than in the United States of America.

America is the land of opportunities. What I have done, anyone can do for themselves if they have the desire. Immigrants who speak very little English, have little education, and no money come to America and many achieve their American Dream. I think it is because there is nothing for them back home. They know what it is like to starve, to want, to need and when they get here they have what their countries lack.....opportunity.

Anyway, I looked up the definition and history of Labor Day today and I found this on the U.S. Department of Labor's website:

Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

This is what I loved the best:

"The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker."

I am proud to be an American citizen and am a little nervous at those who aren't.

Have a Great Labor Day Weekend! What does this holiday weekend mean to you?

xoxo,
Freda
Founder