Dear America

A letter to America

Dear America

At first, I felt it was time for you to apologize for your mistakes. For all the sacrifices families made to come here believing old tales of rags to riches. For all the promises made and tarnished by neglection comforting the rage of fools. I imagine you despise purity as you lack the power, to tell the truth. What happens to other nations becomes nothing of your concern even though it was you who made the decisions to invade, defeat and conquer not.

Once upon a time, I knew nothing of discrimination. I grew up where all is love, one love was not the anthem but an embedded sacrament honoring a legend six below my feet. I felt cursed, confused to know that the country I first laid asleep was raging with civil rights movements for me to matter and not weep. But I do, I do mourn, at night when my eyes are closed I can not dismiss the cries of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Keith Childress, Bettie Jones, Roy Nelson and the others who have been shot by your madness. Suddenly I can't breathe, I can not inhale the disease.

You now possess the ability to patch old wounds with salt without flinching.

You stand proudly with the people you have disgraced. Cries of mercies pour out from their mouths, but you believe you are great beyond perfection no need for change. Once I heard you say “When we talk about war, we talk about peace.”

If that is really what you believe, maybe we need to make you great again.

But that would mean at one point in time you were at the highest pinnacle of greatness.

That's not true.

From the time you were born the deception started. July fourth, 1776, that day gave you power, 240 years of bitterness. You owned people, neglected those who served you and separated families at the borders.

So much for religion not playing a part.

Tell that to the community of individuals ridiculed for love. December 18th, 1865, was a day to at least try and pretend you cared but that is as much as you did, just pretend nothing else to it.

You talk about peace, but it means nothing to you. You don't even know what that looks like. The fallen heroes are remembered with their names engraved into walls and a burial ground for families to visit and while that is nice and all, the survivors, our dear veterans are left to beg along the sidewalks or roam cart to cart on a train seeking a dime or a quarter.

America I am not writing to scold you. I just needed you to know I forgive you.  I forgive you for all the lies, your failure to keep promises, the hurt you inflict on innocent nations and your decision not to help those in need. I no longer feel angry or resentful towards you anymore. I pardon your flaws, offenses, and mistakes. Bryant N. Mcgill said it best “There is no love without forgiveness and there is no forgiveness without love.” So instead of beating you with hate, I will learn to love you America.

It is often said, “What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.”  So for the many, you have killed I have grown stronger. For the tears you have caused, I have the gain compassion to flourish and soar higher than you desired. I am no longer afraid to be a woman. No longer terrified and ashamed of the skin I am in. I realized we have all faced your retribution. Africans, Europeans, Chinese, Indians, Latinos and every nation that makes you a nation. I am proud of the fight. The fight that brought us here together in one room both males and females, Black, White, Latinos, all in one space, under the same roof gathered to learn.

Dear America

At last, I think it's time to say I am sorry. I am sorry I am of African descent, I am sorry I am a black woman, I am sorry I am a black woman with immigrant parents. I am sorry I am a black woman with an Immigrant parent within the middle class. I am most deeply sorry that I am not sorry at all. I should not I apologize for being a descendant of a slave brought from Africa. I should not apologize for being born a woman, one who continues the existence of man; I should not apologize for being an immigrant because its ambition that allows us to seek better opportunities and I am not sorry I have fallen within the middle class because that status merely motivates me to do more.

It was the struggle that made women like Rosa Parks sit down for what she thought was right. Her oppressors' actions gave her voice to speak up and rebelled against obstructive rules. The neglection you have shown our veterans, a depiction of the harm you have done.  The scars the war left on our men and women is guilt only you can face. The mass incarcerated victims, innocent on death row are the years you will never get to give back.

But I forgive you, that may not mean much, as the as the world still lives in fright and blames you. But forgive you even though our soldiers are suffering from the break of war. I forgive you even though the nation cries to protect one race.

I forgive because I must.

I need not become like you so I will do just the opposite. I will help, I will fight, and I will love outside of my race. I will see only the human race, one undivided mankind fighting to restore faith. History will not define me. I will become the future. I need to forgive you because I dare not to let you bring me down. Forgiveness from all is what I wish for you. Because if we do not forgive we all will fail. We will never be great.

Dear America!

We are all America.

By Toni Gray-Hazlewood