By
Jerry Bowen
Fly-Over-Country,
IA, USA
The heat index stood at 110 on Fourth
of July morning before the honor guard stepped off to start the Independence
Day celebration in Exira. The small farming town in west central Iowa that
grows, for just this one day, by 10,000 people who drive from all over to
witness the annual festivities.
This year the theme was “Heroes.” A
salute to the more than 40 volunteer and town
fire departments from miles
around that raced here last July when half of the north side of Main Street
burned down. The inferno started at and destroyed Jerry’s Place, the
town’s primary watering hole. Investigators know it was arson. They just
haven’t revealed who they believe did it.
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| Jerry Bowen |
The four-man honor guard marched in
sweaty lockstep and the fire rigs soon
followed. Audubon. Atlantic. Harlan, and more. Sirens
blaring to onlookers under the town square shade trees. Except for the
kids. The kids hug the curb and race out to grab candy thrown from the
passing parade. Fire rigs, old cars and older tractors: John Deere,
Minneapolis Moline, Massey Ferguson.
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| Exira Fourth of July Parade (2018) |
It was a step back in time when
collective memories recall that life was simpler. Less
complicated. Even if it wasn’t. It seemed to me, with flags flying
and the high school band wearily tooting by, a good time as any to take stock
of who we are. And who we are not.
Mind you, this musing was before the disgraceful
Helsinki Surrender. The summit where an American President on foreign soil
failed to protect and defend our national interests and gave comfort to the
enemy. A profile in courage it was not.
Still, I firmly believe America stands
for many good things. Even when our President does not know or does not
understand what it means to be an American.
Firstly, America does not separate children
from their parents when they flee to our border to escape persecution and
danger in their homelands. That is not who we are. Americans are
bigger than that. We are more compassionate than that. We extend the
open hand not the back of the hand.
People who live in luxury towers
isolated from the reality on the streets below may not understand that. People
isolated from reality have no business deciding who should come here. Or
how the rest of America should live.
America takes care of its own. I
believe this. I believe that among the families benefiting from government
healthcare, nutrition programs and emergency shelters are many, if not most,
who would desperately rather be somewhere else making it on their
own.
I believe, I know, that among these
families are young people who will escape their dire lives and emerge to be
teachers, mechanics, doctors and nurses who will save others. One among
them could even become President. Imagine a President grounded in
reality!
We Americans help our own. We are
stronger for this. And we are weaker, weak in character, when we turn our
backs on those who need an open, helping hand.
America celebrates diversity. This
I believe. It explains to me why the two most popular restaurants
equidistant from our old farm house, 17 miles either direction, are both
Mexican.
Eateries that are always jammed with
small town folk and farm families. Created by immigrants needing jobs and safe
lives who brought a taste of home to the Midwestern palate. These newcomers
have kids in local schools. They pay taxes.
These brown people with heavily accented
English have resuscitated dying towns. As I wrote previously, so many have
come that one local high school started a mariachi band to join the jazz,
concert and marching bands.
I believe it is better to embrace what
is different than to live in fear of it. Political fear mongering to the contrary,
we are all the same. With universal needs. A need for acceptance for
one. And understanding for another. I want to believe we are still
mostly a people who accept this idea. And celebrate this idea. One
quesadilla at a time.
Finally I believe we will survive all
this. Battered and bruised by political extremists using anger and fear to
motivate their followers. We will make it. We are not one nation
under Fox with justice for whites only and liberty and prosperity for the one
percent. That is not who we are.
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| Exira Fourth of July Parade (2018) |
We are something better. We have
to be. The rest of the world really does look to us for leadership and
stability. They look to us to do the right thing. So we shall. In
spite of our morally compromised leaders in the swamp we know as Washington.
We are Americans. One day each year
it is good to remember that. Every day each year it is vital to reaffirm
it.
Next year Exira. Nothing
like small town America to remind us who we are...and who we can be.
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Jerry Bowen is a three-time Emmy Award-winning news correspondent now in retirement after 33 years with CBS Network News. He lives in Los Angeles but escapes regularly to commune with the coyotes and cougars on his family farm in southwest Iowa.