July 4, 2006 - Proud to be an American

Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays because I get to reflect on what it means to be an American, how I became an American, and why I’m honored to be an American. Today, I had the opportunity to visit different communities in Assembly District 21. From marching in parades to listening to music in the park to tasting chili at a chili cook-off, we all celebrated Independence Day and had a lot of fun! Early in the day, I had to stop by my home. Right at that moment, as I pulled into my driveway, a Hispanic gentleman was dumping my trash into the trash collector’s truck. I greeted him and commented, “Wow, you’re working on July 4?” He replied with a smile, “There’s no holiday for trash.” I was at a total loss for words and graciously thanked him. I sure hope this fellow gets compensated handsomely today because he was doing work that no one else was doing because we were all celebrating. However, I can’t help but think that he must also feel lucky to have the chance to live and work in America. I feel good for him because if we are providing opportunities for him that he otherwise might not have, then his life is better, and that’s what America is all about.

Independence Day... sometimes, I don’t think people realize just what that means. One of my favorite books is Founding Brothers, by Pulitzer-prize winning author, Joseph J. Ellis. This book is a wonderful reminder of the struggles that America had as a young country, trying to gain independence from England. After more than 200 years of being a country built on the principles of freedom, sometimes I feel we have taken this freedom for granted. Voting in an election is an excellent example of how we have taken our right to vote for granted. In the primary on June 6, voter turn-out was dismally and embarrassingly low-- less than 30%. That is less than one-third of our state (the 5th largest economy in the world!) voting for elected officials who will represent the people. Other countries fight for the right to vote, and not too long ago, we, as a country, also fought for that same right, especially women and people of color of which I am both. I have heard that voters are discouraged about whether their vote really matters. In a state like California, everyone’s vote should matter. I hope that my candidacy will give voters a real choice and break the complacency in Sacramento. We cannot afford to continue down the path of a perceived one-party system because no one thinks his/her vote matters. In November, I hope to earn your vote so that you will have common sense leadership-- for a change.

As I watched the fireworks with my fellow Menlo Park residents from atop a hill in Menlo Park, as usual, it was a spectacular sight. We could see firework displays from Foster City to Shoreline in Mountain View. What a privilege it is to celebrate freedom! We look forward to Cinco de Mayo, Mexico’s Independence Day, and celebrate with mariachis, delicious Mexican food, and a few drinks without a care in the world. We also celebrate our Independence Day with wonderful community events, such as barbecues, parades, music, fireworks, etc. Inevitably, amidst our July 4th celebrations, I always hear grumblings of what our country isn’t doing right, and my heart aches because I know America is still the best country on the planet! In fact, it is because we enjoy freedom as a people that we can voice our thoughts about what our government is or isn't doing. That's the privilege of being an American! As Winston Churchill observed, “Democracy is the worst form of government except all those others that have been tried from time to time.” God bless America!