I Stand Up For America

I was born December 5, 1941 on the eve of Pearl Harbor
And I remember the aftermath of the Great Depression,
I remember the horrors and anxieties of World War II,
This generation has little more than a vague impression
Difficult, dangerous, oppressive times we’ve come through
No matter what we endure now, I recall times harder.

Downturns, inflation, social unrest, rioting in the streets
I recall in the fifties, sixties, seventies, and eighties, too,
Decades of political and social division over segregation;
In fact, current disenchantments are hardly anything new,
Even the cry over outrageous gasoline prices and inflation
Our federal government has always had deplorable cheats!

I lived through the Cold War when Russia was the U.S.S.R.
Kids were schooled about bomb shelters, and other fears,
Hey, our government has always favored the upper classes
While we’ve had some orators who could bring us to tears
We’ve also had Gaetzes and Greenes showing their a**es,
And enemies who would destroy us both at home and afar.

And through it all, America has remained the best on earth
If you don’t believe this, then I suggest you travel a bit
Find that place on earth where you’d have a far better life
And when you find more freedom, please tell me about it,
A place with no social, or political, or civil unrest or strife
Take pride in America, many want to call it land of their birth.

Why do thousands flee to our country to better their life?
Coming from depressed countries where life is meaningless,
Seeking basic freedoms, life, and the pursuit of happiness
Because they value things some folks here berate, I guess,
Of course, we have those here who revel in pure nastiness
But I stand for America, beating my drum and playing my fife