Cross posted at Peace is Active
I heard a story the other day that reminded me why I'm proud to be an American.
A person I know volunteers at a literacy center where she helps people from other countries learn how to speak English and how to read.
She met a woman from Africa who had fled her country with her daughter. She didn't want her daughter to experience the practice of having her genatalia cut off as that was common in her country.
She also was living a long way from her husband because he has a good job in Saudi Arabia as a driver. She wants to be with him, but it is unreasonable for her and her daughter to live in Saudi Arabia due to the restrictions placed on women in that country.
When asked if she liked living in the United States, the woman got really excited. She said she was amazed that she could ask for directions on the street and people would actually help her even though she was a black woman. She said she was not used to being treated as someone with any type of value. She was used to being ignored or spit on for most of her life.
The woman couldn't believe there were places where she could learn the English language with the help of volunteers. She was so grateful for the opportunities she had now that she lived in the United States.
Hearing stories like that really makes my day. It reminds me about how great the United States is and about all of the things many of us take for granted.
It also reminds me why so many of us work so hard to uphold the values of the United States. It was a non-violent and democratic struggle that ultimately gave blacks the legal right to fair and equal treatment in this country. It was a non-violent and democratic struggle that gave women the legal right to fair and equal treatment in this country.
The best way to lead the world is by setting a positive example. This woman is one of our best ambassadors when she writes or speaks to people in her home country or to her husband in Saudi Arabia.
Examples of peace can change the world much more effectively than examples of war.