本文作者：美国穿越团成员、新东方前途出国咨询有限公司外联部副总监 萧明颢
Day 18: Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Days left: 12
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
It’s hard not to think of The United States of America (U.S.) and not think of freedom. These words have been interlinked and interchangeable since the beginning of this nascent country over 235 years ago. Growing up in the U.S., school classroom lessons are filled with reciting the country’s famous speeches and studying the details of the country’s foremost documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
With stops this week in both Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia – two major historic landmarks and instrumental cities that birthed this nation – symbols of freedom, independent thinking, and personal choice are visible everywhere.
Earlier this week, on a morning run around the historical part of Washington, D.C., I stopped in front of the immaculate and gleaming White House – home of POTUS and FLOTUS*. It was a quiet and cool autumn morning, and I just soaked in the view, and stood in awe of what this stoic symbol of the U.S. represented.
I turned around and saw this…
And, while for many, an image like this might scar an otherwise sereneness, for me, I realized that this is quintessential America. Whether or not I or you agree with this individual’s point of view, in our expanding world and communities, it is inevitable and unavoidable that we will face clashes and conflict due to differences in dogmas, ways of living, political structure, and so forth.
Yet, what one can experience in the U.S., and sense almost immediately is the persistence of the notion of freedom of speech and individual thought. It is everywhere in the U.S. – formally in the legal and governmental structure, and informally in cour daily lives. This ownership of individual rights and decisions is expected and demanded. It should not come as a light decision, but it should be acknowledged as part of America's fabric of life...
*POTUS = President of the United States/FLOTUS = First Lady of the United States
Writer: Ming-Hao Shiao
