THANKFUL FRIDAY
Cindy Maddera
"Berry cherry"
Last week the Supreme Court officially backed the Affordable Care Act and legalized gay marriage in all fifty states. These are things I am extremely thankful for. First of all, I know a lot of good hard working tax paying citizens who would not have health care without the Affordable Care Act. Or they would have health care and not be able to afford anything else, like mortgage or food. I'm grateful that the burden of how they were going to pay to see there doctor is no longer a burden. Secondly, I don't even have to say it, but I know many good hard working tax paying citizens who have not been able to make their commitment to their loved one valid for so many years. That they have been denied home loans, had adopted children removed from their homes and not eligible for spousal benefits for all this time seems pretty dang awful. I am thankful that they are no longer considered second class citizens. I know this is old news and that is was something I should have talked about last week, but I struggled with being happy for all of these things while black churches were being burned in South Carolina. I guess maybe it felt like a misdirection thing. Hey look over here! Don't look at the race problems we're having over that a-way! But good things and bad things happen simultaneously. I get that. So I'm thankful for those good things, but I want people to know I'm paying attention to the other things.
Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, a day we where we celebrate this great country. A few weeks ago, I was watching an old episode of Under Cover Boss. The guy under cover sat down to take a lunch break with the one of his employees. This employee had immigrated here for a better life. His wife was pregnant with their first child and he said it was really hard making ends meet and doing this without support from their families in Venezuela. The under cover boss asked him why he did it, why would he move his family here. That employee said that he believes in the American Dream. This is 2015 and people still believe in the American Dream. Part of that American Dream is affordable health care and equality. We're still working on the equality thing. We've made great strides forward which is why those steps back, raising the Rebel Flag, unnecessary force against our black citizens, just awful hate against races and religions that are not your own, are glaringly awful. We can and are better than this. We are the land of the American Dream. I am thankful and proud to be part of it.
There is an abundance of stuff to be grateful for this week from squash and tomatoes in the garden to peaceful evenings. It has been a good week. I hope all of you have had the same and a safe and wonderful Fourth of July. Here's to a weekend of fireworks and truly Thankful Friday.