US stands for the United States

Two hundred and forty-five years ago the founding fathers of this great country gathered to declare independence from Great Britain.

It’s ironic, but when most people think of these true leaders and visionaries, they imagine older men gathered around a table. The truth is that the average age of the founding fathers was only 44 years!

These were not old men, but young men, united against a common enemy and, perhaps more importantly, united by the common dream of creating an unprecedented republic that would guarantee to all what we know today as fundamental human rights or freedoms .

Unfortunately, as with all revolutions, our men and women, young and old, called for the highest sacrifice to be made for the ideals in which they believed. But as we have proven, their sacrifices have not been in vain. And always, always, despite our differences, when it comes to a common threat to our existence, be it enemies threatening our freedom or diseases threatening our existence, we come together as a nation. We are connected by more than just the name.

Today the descendants of our Founding Fathers and the millions who sacrificed to come to these shores have built a land alone at the head of the family of nations. Why? Because we are really “one nation, under God, indivisible, with freedom and justice for all”. No, we are not perfect. We are people and people can always improve. But what connects us makes us invincible; what separates us is impermanent. In the end we always come together.

Americans, women and men, people of different religions, nationalities and beliefs always come together for the common good and to defeat a common enemy. We are proud of our scientific achievements. We are the ones who are exploring the galaxy. We are the ones who turn science fiction into science facts.

And we are the ones who have worked together, the private sector, nonprofits and governments, in record time to defeat our latest enemy, COVID-19. Our frontline workers, nurses, doctors, technicians, pharmacists, scientists, engineers, supermarket clerks, delivery staff, police officers, firefighters and more have risked their lives to make sure we get the care and supplies we need and the safety that was essential for us to reach the end of what appeared to be a very long tunnel, at the end of which there was only a hint of light. Now this light has become bright. We have safe vaccines that will allow us to return to the prosperity we knew a few years ago.

We defeated the invisible enemy not because of our differences, but in spite of them. We have defeated the invisible enemy not because of what divides us, but because of what unites us: our values. We were ready to make sacrifices so that everyone would be safe.

That is the legacy of our founding fathers. We are not a people of “I”, “I” and “you”, but of “us” and “US” stands for the United States. The United States is blessed with many things, not the least of which is its volunteer military. On this feast day we must not forget their victims and the victims of their families, without whom we have neither the freedom nor the freedom to appreciate and celebrate them. We owe them a debt that can never be repaid.

May this 4th of July usher in a new era of peace, prosperity, security, and most importantly, good health for the people of McAllen, all Texans, and all of our fellow Americans.

Editor’s note: The above guest column was written by Dr. Shahid Rashid, President of the South Texas Clinic for Pain Management. Rashid ran for Mayor of McAllen in the recent city commission elections. The above column appears in the Rio Grande Guardian with permission from the author. Rashid can be reached via [email protected]

Editor’s note: The main photo of the above guest column shows Dr. Shahid Rashid, MD when visiting Rochelle, Illinois to help with relief work after a tornado.

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