Will America Change Under the New Administration?

Now that the upheaval of the 2009 election is over, it will be interesting to watch whether the surge of patriotism we saw will still be alive and well. Obama’s African American heritage was history-making, but we have yet to see if that interest will translate into anything long term.

It would be nice if that were the case, because it’s finally time for us to be unified as one nation. Take for example, the plight of U.S. veterans. Many gave their youths to serving in wars and in some cases, they sometimes didn’t get the appreciation they deserved when they came back to the U.S.. That is the reason I created some veterans day clip art that promotes the idea that we should honor veterans. Using the clip art in crafts and on Web sites or print pieces is just one small way that we can pay homage to them. That support just might renew the spirit of veterans feeling disenchanted with their country’s response to their military service. We need to honor veterans more often than just sending occasional vintage patriotic greeting cards. We need to appreciate their contributions every day. They’ve earned it. If we don’t support them; who will?

Yet, it’s not just veterans who would benefit from the reuniting of America. I would love to see people saluting the American flag when on parade, because the sight of the flag moves them to express themselves. With any luck, that genuine emotion will help us unify. But it’s up in the air whether this unity will take place. There are already some people who are having a bad reaction to the new administration’s proposed changes. But that’s just the way American politics works. Dissension in the process can actually help keep the process balanced. We hope so anyway. Americans will just have to see what happens.