America is so divided today, especially politically, we might think there are no ways in which we are united. Well, I believe we have at least a few symbols of collective purpose. Our National Park Service celebrating its 100th anniversary is one. More than 95 percent of Americans love our parks and one in four families visit them every year. These visitors don’t want to see them overrun by oil and gas development. They want to see trees, mountains, clean rivers, breathe fresh air, and a place where birds, fish and other wild animals can live.
Another symbol of our collective purpose is” the right to bear arms.” However, our forefathers didn’t understand the need for restrictions. We do. Most Americans today are looking for effective gun control. Allowing people who are on the FBI’s watch list to ever purchase a gun-or permitting the sale of an AR-15—which is not a weapon used to kill deer—is wrong. Laws must be passed ASAP to prevent this.
The last collective symbol we have before us is our flag. What the red, white, and blue represents is liberty and freedom, not repression and targeting of others. Our country needs to keep its doors open to those people who want a chance at a better life. The two- to three-year vetting process by the U.S. Immigration Service allows for that. Newcomers should be welcomed.
It is a shame that homegrown terrorists do no understand the values that we cherish. In my opinion, fear and hatred should not rule. We should continue to embrace our notion of “Sweet land of Liberty.” Remember that to keep our country safe and healthy—as we want our beautiful land areas and cities to be—we must renew our determination to keep our collective purposes at the forefront.
—Elaine Peters
