God Bless the Middle East

That?s a phrase you don?t hear too often. How had it come about that America is so blessed? Who decided that God only blesses America? Why can?t God bless everyone? You must think to yourself that if you were God, that of the Judeo-Christian, you might find it a little upsetting to see all these so-called believers walking around with a cross around their necks. If you were America herself, as people claim America to be a woman, wouldn?t you find appalling to see that after one tragic event, you find yourself posted on the back of your people?s rear car bumpers?

I find it strange to be patriotic to a country, a land, a place that I was merely born into. As if I had a choice in where I was born. If a child is born in Pakistan, does he or she grow up wishing they were American? Does everybody want to be an American? Yes, the same country that found a black man to be worth only three-quarters of a person. And the women didn?t count until the twentieth century.

What is it that binds Americans together? Is it geography? For an event that took place over 3,000 miles across the land, it made quite the impact on the residents of Sacramento, which are the same residents who give the blind eye to the burglars, beggars, hagglers, rapists and thieves that enrich border cities 500 miles away between U.S. and Mexico.

Perhaps it?s something of an ideal? The American Dream: to live successfully, become wealthy, and stay healthy-at the expense of others. Unfortunately, Americans were beat at their own game. For one moment, take a look at 9/11 from Osama?s point of view. Doesn?t it please you that for once, the rich finally lost? This is not to say that his acts of disdain are justified, but even in American culture, we love to see the underdogs win. Of course, there are flaws to this conclusion. People do not deserve to die because of their extreme wealth, nor for any other reason. Another man?s life is not to be decided by someone else. In contrast, for some reason Americans believe this rule does not apply to them ?because of? their extreme wealth, so revenge becomes the natural instinct of a God-fearing president rather than forgiveness.

So where do Americans go from here? One year later and the bumper sticker market has jumped sky high and the band wagon has long traveled every highway in America. Meanwhile airport security has been several times multiplied and politicians finally have real jobs. But has there been a lesson learned? Do Americans value life any more than they used to? Maybe it?s time to understand our own cultures within our own walls? After all, we have students attending Sac State from nearly every part of the globe. You might find out that they too have family, family that lives in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, or Iraq.

For some reason Americans have trouble with applying life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness among all people. First, it was for white male land -owners in 1776, then soon reached it?s slogan among anyone regardless of race, sex, religion, or economic status, but only within the US boundaries. However, it is now that time to go beyond the boundaries and extend this proposition to the world-whether they accept it or not -just as it is our choice whether or not we decide to vote. Therefore, may the choice be for all.