The Elderly Patriot

       What makes you interested in learning about history? Is it to study the advancements of your society? Maybe you wish to bond with your country just a little bit more. Or quite possibly, you are really curious to explore the slang and fashion trends of past generations and compare them to your own. What even defines America, the United States? We have seen over the course of history that no one group of people ever maintained their grip on it for too long before someone else came and ripped it out of their hands. Even the Native American Indians who once migrated from Europe before the Great Ice Age had separated them from the world for an extended period lost their oversight. Great Britain colonized the country and pushed back the Native Indians, but they eventually lost that power as well in the Revolution. While it’s not to say that the American Indians or the British have any lesser value or role to America, it goes to show that the country’s roots are so deep in immigration and the passing of power that there really is no real founder whose reign and legacy evaded extinction. There were also cultural revolutions that took place to overthrow existing norms. For example, when slavery was outlawed it initiated the incorporation African Americans as having an equal place to Whites in America, later continued in the Civil Rights Movement. How about another example: the LGBTQ+ movement, pushing away laws and fear that denied them equal rights? The real question here is, what will the next passing of power be? Will it perhaps be another cultural movement, a religious movement? Only time will tell.

            Jason is living in a period of time where he’s in the middle of a melting pot of diversity. The remarkable thing about melting pots is that all the ingredients can contribute something unique to the overall flavor. The same thing goes with combining colors. Mixing red, white and blue results in a pinkish hue, something all three bases have in common. The truth about America is that it is beginning to reach that common shade, but there are still bits of red, white, and blue scattered in the mixer, waiting for their turn to be incorporated. No matter how stubborn they may be about remaining independent, their turn must come eventually if the pot is to continue being mixed.

Here at the Museum of the Great History of America, Jason was presented with magnificent displays of ideas and representations that were introduced into his country at some point. They varied from Rock and Roll to the Civil Rights Movement. Many famous figures such as Elvis Presley and Martin Luther King Jr. grazed Jason’s peripheral vision in their moment of spotlight. However, one that stood out amidst all of these flashing exhibits was the life-size portrait of an elderly man with a great smile on his face. He had his arms crossed, his hair almost glowed like silver, and his tie matched the intensity of his baby blue eyes. He couldn’t understand why, but the moment Jason noticed this exhibit he knew it was the one he wanted to see first. Excitedly, he hopped off the flat escalator onto the maroon carpet right in front of the LED lit entrance and walked in. 

            The first thing Jason noticed upon walking into the gallery was a classic country rock song playing softly throughout the room, enclosing it in a warm sound blanket. There were a few medium-size TV screens hanging up in the corners showing clips of some sort of ceremony. Jason also observed there were several legendary singers that were among those present at the event. There was not an audience, interestingly enough, as Jason learned this was the year a terrible virus ravaged the country, taking many innocent lives. Looking around the room Jason also noticed glass displays filled with different objects from this man’s time, such as a flag that was flown during the ceremony. One of the other objects that drew Jason’s attention was a smaller TV with a button below it. Jason pressed the button and the TV turned on, showing some kind of statistics. “81 million people voted for the winner and 79 million voted for the runner-up. This was absolutely historic.” This gave Jason the impression that the man was some kind of leader who won his position by vote of the people.

            “Wow, that’s not that many!” Exclaimed Jason. “Ha, in your time it might not be, but back in my day that was the biggest voter turnout in history,” someone responded in a lowly but sharp voice behind Jason. He turned around and noticed an elderly woman leaning on a cane. She had a rainbow-colored scarf wrapped around her neck, and a tiny worn-out black bracelet around her wrist that seemed to have three faded letters imprinted on it. She had a proud look in her eyes, and Jason could feel her excitement about this exhibit. “Let me tell you something kid, that didn’t just represent an exponential population increase. It showed that many people in this country were ready for a change. Many people who were not directly affected by the outcome also stood up and decided something must be done. And above all, it was a great feat to confirm that even though we may not agree on some things, we can all agree that we love our country.” Jason sensed great relief in this lady’s voice, almost as if she was reliving the moment right on the spot.

            “Did you vote for him back then?” Jason asked the lady, pointing to the portrait of the man. She responded saying “It’s much more than that. I was voting for a change, a reversal back into the way things were developing before. Do you know of the events leading up to the moment? A civilian was murdered by a man who was supposed to protect him, out in the streets under broad daylight. A woman was murdered in her own home in the middle of the night, also raided by men who were supposed to protect her. A whole swarm of people saying that viruses are a joke because their leaders said so. Countless other horrible instances because the order of that time allowed for it. My vote, as well as the vote of many others who were not necessarily supporters of one group or another, was to reject all those evils. These votes were to send a clear signal that enough is enough, to remind the country that actions have accountability, and that fear of diversity has no place here. It was a desperate attempt to restore the values of truth and freedom. Perhaps if the build-up was for nothing and the right candidate had not won you would be living in a very different time, where discrimination and violence are running rampant alongside a corrupt system built on lies.”

            Jason was shocked at hearing these things. He had learned a little bit about this historical time in school, but hearing first-hand what people experienced was entirely refreshing. Jason asked, “Did most of the country vote?” The lady responded, “Not even close, but 62% was still historic. And I’ll tell you what the numbers mean, that the country was almost perfectly split in half during that time. But in the end, democracy outweighed just a tiny bit more. It was the result of the four-year build-up of tensions and oppressions that called to the country for a revolution, to return to its progressive ways.”

            The elderly lady looked up at the timeless giant display of the man, who seemed to be smiling back down at her, telling her everything was going to be alright. A tiny tear creeped out of the corner of her forest green eye and trickled halfway down her beautiful hazel cheek before she wiped it with her scarf. She looked back up at him, shakily lifting up her right arm with all the effort she could muster and saluting him, firmly and patriotically. She then looked back at Jason and softly spoke. “You are the future of this country kid. Never be ashamed of your past, or who you are. Keep the torch of America bright and furious with the love and acceptance of all people. Embrace your uniqueness. And above all, keep the faith.”