When I was a kid, I was told stories by my Mom and Pop about a man named Mussolini. He was the dictator in Italy when they were young and newly married. Mussolini would stand on his balcony and speak for hours to the Italian people. He would strut up to the rail, jut his chin out and assume an arrogant stance. His manner was very clear - he wanted what he wanted and the people were to provide it. He was a true dictator.
My parents told me of his plan to conquer the nation of Ethiopia and that he would need money for his plan. He told the people to help him by sending him large amounts of their money. He also demanded that every married woman must send him their gold wedding bands. Although they had no idea why Italy should invade Ethiopia, they complied or faced punishment.
It was an easy decision for my parents to emigrate to the USA. I can only imagine how frightening it must have been to take such a huge risk. They gathered as many belongings as they could, along with their new baby, Margaret (my sister) and with a giant leap of faith set out to an unknown fate. But, they did know a few things about America.
They knew that in America, they would be free from tyrants and dictators. They knew that the government was prevented from intruding on the lives of their people. They longed for the freedom that would afford them the opportunity to pursue a happy life. In America, they could work as hard as they wanted and to earn whatever they could. This made it possible to become as wealthy as they were capable of becoming. And they also knew that all of these rights were God-given and that the government could never take them away. So my Mom and Pop took the very courageous risk and sailed to America.
My Pop and Mom both worked hard, and were able to buy a house after only a few years. They raised a fine family in a happy household. How they loved America! They taught me and my seven siblings to be grateful to live in such a good and beautiful country.
When World War II broke out, my brothers and my cousins went off to fight for the country. My four sisters went to work in the factories that were helping the war effort. Two of the gals were "Rosie the Riveters". We were all so proud to be Americans.
The entire family is gone now, but my love of country has never died. There are some who feel that America is changing, that the freedom and opportunity to succeed is being limited, somehow. They feel that the leadership of the country has been redefining some of those rights that have always been considered to be God-given. If that is true, then I will treasure, more than ever, the memory of my parents' love of country, this incredible nation that the founders created and the hope that it can long endure.
God bless America
