Celebrating America: Then and Now

Mitch Morrison’s letter of Aug. 18 reminded me of my family’s migration to the United States from Eastern Europe in the early 1930s. I am a first generation American. Like Mitch Morrison, I am grateful that America provided a secure, stable environment, rich in opportunities for my family. But I am troubled that today’s America no longer provides the opportunities for my kids that I had when I was growing up. My father used to tell me that I could be anything I wanted to be in this wonderful country. I became an English teacher. My children are not so lucky. My younger son wanted to be a history teacher. Budget and tax cutters on the right, however, have minimized opportunities for future teachers, and the lack of opportunity has turned him away from this kind of public service. And unlike my parents, I am worried that Social Security and Medicare will not continue to provide my wife and me with the benefits we relied on and paid for during our working lives. So while I join Mitch Morrison in his celebration of America, my heart is troubled about the direction in which America appears to be heading. Jerry Sattin Sparta