Born down in a dead man’s town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that’s been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up
Most people seem to have missed the deeper and darker meaning to Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ Far from a celebratory anthem, it’s more of an indictment for our country and some of the atrocities its committed over its history. That feels more relevant than ever, as our Supreme Court recently robbed our women of their right to choose, gutted our environmental protections, and allowed for guns to be all but given out to any and all white supremacists who choose to carry. (It appears white men can choose, but no one else can.)
While I remain quietly hopeful that our country will do the right thing, and that this relatively small group of hateful people with hypocritical and heinous ideologies doesn’t end up running America, I’m also realistic, and I’ve seen how selfish and awful people can be. So I will celebrate America in a quieter way today – the America my parents taught me about – where freedom and acceptance are the true orders of the day – and I will pray for her speedy recovery.
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