Where I Came From America

From my earliest recollection of where I came from becomes clearer the older I get. As a child we heard, but did not quite understand.  I can recall on more than one occasion hearing my Grandfather say, “I came to America to be an American, I left my German in Germany!!”  This had very little meaning to my brothers, sisters and I, as I did not put any realization into this statement until much later in life. My father and I were talking about what and where he fought in WWII.  Dad said he asked his father to teach him german just in case he was captured during his tour overseas. He told me Papa’s reply was you are an American and you will be just as equal as every one else.  Again, I did not quite understand what his father had told him. I also recall hearing customers in my grandfathers shop talk to him in a language I did understand, and my grandfather would answer them in english. Now the gears were rolling. The words that I had heard from that very early age were beginning to make sense to me, ‘I came to America to be an American, I left my German in Germany.’

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As I got older and started studying history and learning about how this country was founded and the fundamentals for which our forefathers based the Constitution on, things were making more sense to me.  Wow!! I am an American.  Our forefather’s words meant something.  My father always told me, a man is only as good as his word is.  I asked what he meant by that, he told me no matter how rich or poor a man is, if his word is good then he is good, and if a man does not stand behind his word then he is no good.  That has stayed with me ever since.  The first hourly paying job I had at the age of 15 there was a hand written note on the wall from the owner which read ( “raises become effective when you do”.)  That has also stayed with me ever since.

When I became a father, which is now of 4 boys.  I have tried to pass on to them what is means to be an American first, what it means to give an honest days work for a decent pay, and if you give a man your word you had better be ready to stand behind it.  It does not matter if you are white, black, or Mexican; if you were born here you are an AMERICAN first and foremost.

What has happened to the love of Country?  Our young people have no clue what the real world is about.  Every thing has been handed to them with out their having to lift a finger. I too, want my kids to have it better than I, but nothing is free including freedom.  Now my kids have kids and I can only hope and pray that we get this country straightened out or they will never survive.

My point is, our leaders have forgotten how and why our forefathers built this Country.  To be Americans.  The principles for which we built this country, hard work, a man’s honesty and his word that you could count on and the truth.

How can our politicians forget so quickly that it was also their forefathers who wrote our great Constitution and set the corner stones of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness that we have lived by since this country was founded. I simply do not understand. The insanity of these protesters that they are owed something that they have not worked for.   Who gave our founders anything?  What, how and who taught these people?  I do not have an answer for what has caused the downfall of this Great Country except honesty, integrity, faith in God have been replaced with the almighty dollar.

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