A Challenge to my Homeland

Please note that this will not be a traditional Tracey blog post.  This is a challenge to all of you, and my impetus for this challenge comes from no particular experience of recent but rather a culmination of many experiences I have had working as an educator for six years.

Do not take for granted the inherent benefits that come with being an American citizen.  Daily, most of us do not fear for our safety or the safety of those we love.  We do not feel want in our homes- most of us neither want for food nor drink nor clothing nor the love of our families.  We can go about our day without fearing violence or scarcity. Employment may be difficult, but not impossible.  And the money we earn we can invest towards better opportunities, better lives, because we do not fear for the insolvency of our government.  We can practice faith, openly, without fear of retribution. We can love whomever we want, and though we may not have all the rights we deserve, we can openly speak out about our want for change. And my friends, in America, we have the right to a SOLID PUBLIC EDUCATION, and the opportunity to seek WORLD CLASS HIGHER EDUCATION.  If we cannot afford higher education, our government will assist us in funding our higher education. These are all, in my opinion, blessings.

Living in Caracas has not blinded me to the amount of suffering in my own country, but it has given me another litmus to measure suffering. Just as there exists a privilege of skin color, there exists a privilege of passport, and an American passport gives you rights that I didn't even comprehend until I moved abroad.  

We are lucky, and I challenge you to keep that in mind as you consider your day to day.  As you consider the immigration issues facing our country.  As you consider our role in world affairs. Be grateful. Question. Seek to understand, as I will continue to do everyday.