God Bless America

Memorial Day has just passed.  This is a day to remember and honor our veterans and those who didn't make it back from the fight.

I had the opportunity to attend the rally held for several thousand motorcycle riders who were leaving from Northern Virginia to ride into Washington, DC for the 800,000 strong Rolling Thunder experience.  This was my first time being involved with this event sponsored by a local Harley Davidson dealership.  The local marching band marched over and played a few songs.  The firefighters' bagpipe band played.  And numerous local politicians, veterans' representatives and motorcycle enthusiasts appeared on stage.

There were several moving speakers, including a former soldier who represents the Wounded Warrior Project, as well as the former commander of the USS Cole. They spoke of courage and American bravery.  They spoke of America's greatness and commitment.  They spoke of POWs and MIAs.  They spoke of Freedom.

I am a proud American. My father fought with the US Army in World War II in Europe. I was raised to understand that there are few places in the world where everyone really does have the chance to live, worship, learn and teach freely.  And this after my parents experienced religious discrimination personally in the Good Ol' US of A.  Through the years how many soldiers have fought bravely only to return to find certain jobs, schools and neighborhoods out of reach because of their religion or race?

Religious freedom means different things to different people.  It can mean the freedom to believe or worship as you wish.  The freedom to not be coerced into a particular religion.  And in this country it also means the freedom to not believe, to have the ultimate freedom FROM religion.

Based on this, I found the speakers on Sunday a bit hypocritical.  With all their talk of freedom, including the freedom to ride motorcycles, they seemed to have forgotten one.  As the politicians and others followed one after another to greet the crowd and say inspiring words, they picked up a motto which was repeated like a drumbeat throughout the morning:  "God Bless America".

What happens if I don't believe in God?  Or don't believe in the same God?  Or don't worship the same way as you?  I only ask that people really think about what God Bless America means. Let's not use it to stir up patriotic fervor which doesn't represent the real freedom that America stands for.