Fish Sauce by Anhthao Bui

Fish Sauce by Anhthao Bui
Fish Sauce is realistic fiction, and Anhthao’s second anthology collection.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

The Fourth of July

By Anhthao Bui


When I first came to the United States, I was jealous of the United States because I thought God was unfair: God took away the other countries’ blessings and poured them into the United States. Therefore, the United States possessed prominent characteristics: prosperity, wealth, abundance, peace, benefits, and top-notch qualities. God was known as the sovereign of justice, but was not fair to the other countries. How can we expect human beings to be fair in the earthly world? However, the longer I have lived in the United States, the more I have learned about the United States, and the more I understand that the American people have sacrificed a lot and have fought against evils day and night to become a fabulous country and bring people around the world together: “One Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."

Two hundred thirty-five years ago, the American people fought against the British Kingdom for freedom, so the United States was born. The Founding Fathers’ goal of liberty was exchanged for blood and invaluable losses: nothing was as valuable as freedom and independence. Liberty was not only the desire of the American people, but it was also the wish of human beings around the world. Thus, the Founding Fathers declared their Independence and guaranteed “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” to all the people who live in the United States.

The United States has opened her arms and heart to welcome all the people who seek freedom and protection. The United States is a magnet country that hypnotizes people around the world to settle there for many reasons. The United States is the universal land where human values and talents are accepted and rewarded. In return, the newcomers contribute and devote their potentials and capacities to the United States in order to pay tribute to the ideals represented by the Statue of Liberty. The United States has speedily expanded, grown, and improved, the way a young tree feeds in a fertile land.

The United States builds and creates a liberal environment, a democratic atmosphere and an independent community to guarantee all her citizens the equal rights to express themselves and to practice their cultures and religions in harmony and respect for one another. In 1791 the Constitution enacted the First Amendment to guarantee freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion in the United States. The First Amendment provides citizens the authority to freely express themselves and practice their ideals in safe environment without harm to others. Unfortunately, some people misunderstand the Constitution; they noisily and excessively proclaim their thoughts and opinions, causing insult and damage to America, and comfort to contradictory individuals and controversial federations.

The battle between good and bad never ends. Human history proves that justice and injustice will fight against each other from Alpha to Omega. Other countries are jealous of the United States’ virtues and sovereignty; they cunningly undermine the United States’ ideal systems. They spit verbal venom to confuse and brainwash innocent citizens. The United States encounters human disasters, from the Nine Eleven tragedy to the current recession, and challenges untrustworthy countries. Moreover, the United States is like a fresh salad bowl with a huge variety of ethnicities and peoples. The government hardly satisfies their multicultural demands. The United States stands strong: strict castigation is a must.

Although the United States is confronting rocky tempests, many peoples continue to come to the New World, guided by the radiance of the Statue of Liberty over the horizon. Holding each other’s hands, together they sing aloud to reinstate their faith and trust:

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.
God bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home
God bless America, My home sweet home.

Los Angeles, July 4, 2011