In the back row of Renaissance Coliseum’s floor seats was a young girl in a pink coat, poking her father’s arm in anticipation of monumental moment. It was one in which a crowd would recite the Oath of Allegiance, followed by 11 words from a federal judge.
“Congratulations. You are now citizens of the United States of America.”
When the moment finally arrived Thursday, the little girl climbed on top of her chair and began waving a mini American flag back and forth, as her parents embraced and cried in each other’s arms.
We talk about the “Bradley Bubble” a lot here on the Hilltop, and sometimes that means we fail to remember how good we have it. As a result of the ceremony, however, we were sent a reminder that citizenship is a gift.
It’s something we rarely, if ever, take a moment to reflect on. So take a moment now and realize something: you are a citizen of a country that was founded on the principles of equality, opportunity and liberty.
You—yes, you—are guaranteed and entrusted with the rights of free speech, press, assembly, religion and petition. You are endowed with the right to vote for who and what you want. You are entitled to a prompt and fair trial by jury. You are empowered to speak up and speak out.
There are many times we take these freedoms for granted by either not using them or overtly abusing them. In moments such as those, we’ve forgotten what a treasured and valued gift we possess.
Citizenship is something people have risked their lives for. Citizenship is something some people, like Al Mesa, have worked for 45 years to achieve. Citizenship is a gift that will benefit families for generations to come, including every one of our own families.
We are citizens of a country that emboldens us to attempt whatever we can dream up. Opportunities are countless. However, as was reiterated over and over again at the naturalization ceremony, with great opportunity, equality and liberty comes greater responsibility.
Freedom is not about being able to do whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want. Freedom is about making a conscious choice to pair good intentions with sincere purpose and deliberate action.
You have these freedoms every moment of every day, even here on the Hilltop. It could be something as simple as standing up for what you believe in during a class debate or something as public as participating in a “die-in” protest or shaving your head for St. Baldrick’s. You have the power. You have the ability. You have the freedom.
As the Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Your gift of citizenship is not your own. It serves no purpose if it is not shared. Reflect on how incredibly fortunate you are, and pass that good fortune on to others.
