Happy Birthday America

Happy Birthday America. You are facing many challenges today but you’ve seen worse since your birth. You have survived the murders of 4 of your presidents. Abraham Lincoln was the first. A shocking act that couldn’t have come at a worse time. Honest Abe’s death left you in a turmoil, carpetbaggers and reconstruction fanned the flames of hatred between North and South. Lincoln never had the chance to “bind up the nation’s wounds”. But you survived.

A lesser known President

Not as well known as Lincoln, your 2nd president to die from gunshot was James A. Garfield. Only 4 months into office he was shot for revenge. Who knows what he could have done had he lived.

And then there were three

William McKinley had led you to prosperity, added territory in the form of Puerto Rico and the Philippines. He should have been well loved but a disturbed individual who adhered to the doctrine of anarchy took his life as he reigned triumphant in his 2nd term! 

And John Makes Four

John F Kennedy was the fourth successful assassination. Kennedy had guided us to the moon and prevented a third world war with nerve wracking brinkmanship over the Bay of Pigs. And then he was gone. War raged in Vietnam and our commander in chief was dead. And yet, you survived.

Today is an uncertain world

I am no historian but in my 60 plus years I do not remember a time when we were more divided. Can our polarizing president overcome today’s divisions and, to borrow from Abraham Lincoln, “bind up the nations’s wounds?”  Only time will tell.

The best country in the world

You have hard times ahead I’m afraid. America , you have been through worse. This too shall pass and you will be stronger for it. Happy Birthday America. Celebrate!