The eagle is a symbol of freedom in the U.S., here in sculpture form at small town Minnesota memorial. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
IN CONSIDERING AMERICA’S 249th BIRTHDAY, I decided to write down words that immediately popped into my mind relating to this holiday, America and the current state of our country. I limited myself to 20 individual words or phrases. Here’s what flowed from my brain to pen to paper before I typed this list into my computer for you to read:
freedom
democracy
liberty
voting rights
free and fair elections
divisiveness
fear
deportations
due process
freedom of speech
freedom of the press
protests
my voice
threats
intimidation
injustice
checks and balances
life
melting pot
history
I could easily take each word or phrase and expound on how I feel about these topics in current-day America. But for today, I will allow the words to mostly stand alone while you ponder their meaning or create a list of your own. I will only state that I am saddened some of these words found their way into my brain as I think about our country on its 249th birthday. What words would be on your list?
This shows a portion of a photo by Steve Somerstein featured in a 2015 exhibit, “Selma to Montgomery, Marching Along the Voting Rights Trail,” at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. (Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo)
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, I voted early, in person. I waited in line for 30 minutes to cast my ballot. I didn’t mind. And I’m not a patient person. But this, this election, especially, I wanted to ensure that nothing would stop me from voting. Because we never know what life will throw at us at the last minute, I decided voting early was the right choice for me.
Genola City Hall, where I found a sample primary ballot posted on the door in September. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
A woman staffing my polling place shared that “busy” and “a steady stream” have been the norm at this location since absentee/early voting opened in Minnesota. It’s clear that people are invested in this election, more so than any I can ever recall. There’s a lot at stake. And we have a voice in the outcome.
A close-up of the sample primary ballot on the door of the Genola City Hall. Genola is a small town in Morrison County in central Minnesota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
My ballot included not only the all important Presidential race, but also voting for those who will represent me in Washington DC, St. Paul and locally (school board, city council, mayor, etc.). There were additional questions on the ballot about a local sales tax and about continuing to fund environmental programs with state lottery monies.
I attended local candidate forums sponsored by the American Association of University Women, read newspaper Q & A’s and more to learn about people and issues on the ballot. The forums proved especially eye-opening. Audience members were able to anonymously submit written questions to the moderator and you can bet I did. People don’t always come across the same in person as they do in print or other media. The value of forums/debates/whatever you want to term them is in the unexpected. Being put on the spot. Hearing questions that may otherwise not have been asked. Listening not only to how a candidate responds, but also observing their body language and interaction with other candidates.
I photographed these ballot instructions inside an historic building at the fall 2024 Rice County Steam & Gas Engines Show, rural Dundas, MN. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)
When I went to my polling place, I knew exactly who would get my vote. I felt fully-informed. There was never a question about what’s important to me. I value honesty, integrity, compassion, a candidate who cares and truly represents the people he/she serves. An individual who works for the common good, not for himself/herself and his/her personal agenda and power. An individual who listens, to everyone. An individual who does not degrade others. At the local level, I want someone who keeps politics out of places they don’t belong. I value that. I value truth.
The American and Minnesota state flags fly on the campus of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
I value freedom, democracy, the right to vote my conscience.
Please exercise your right to vote if you haven’t already done so. It’s your responsibility as an American.
NOTE: This post is not meant to spark political debate or discord, but rather to share the importance of voting and what centers my vote. As the creator of this blog, I moderate all comments. The decision whether to publish a comment or not is my choice.
My dad carried home a July 31, 1953, memorial service bulletin from Sucham-dong, Korea. In the right column is listed the name of his fallen buddy, Raymond W. Scheibe. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
MEN AND WOMEN have fought and died for our democracy.
A chair placed before a Stephen Somerstein photo offers visitors a place to sit and contemplate. This photo was taken at the “Selma to Montgomery: Marching Along the Voting Rights Trail” exhibit at St. Olaf College in 2015. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
Men and women and children have marched for equality. And they still are.
A portion of a photo by Steve Somerstein, from the exhibit at St. Olaf College. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo 2015.
There was a time not all that long ago when people of color and women did not have the right to vote.
A message posted on a house in Dundas. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo August 2020.
It is our responsibility as citizens of the United States of America to vote. To let our voices be heard. To exercise our freedom. To cut through the political rhetoric and untruths to make informed choices. To recognize that in a democracy, every vote matters.
This folding polling booth, patented in March 1892, is on display at the Village of Yesteryear in Owatonna. It comes from the Meriden Town Hall, where voters used it until 2009. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo July 2012.
If you have not yet voted, then get to your polling place today and cast your votes. I voted early, via mail-in ballot. And, yes, I hold full confidence in that system.
Randy put this sticker on his sweatshirt after voting in the 2010 election. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
And then, like the rest of you, my dear Americans, I will wait, recognizing I have done my part by voting, by exercising my democratic right.
IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, we have much to be thankful for, most notably our freedom. Have a wonderful Fourth of July and enjoy these photos, my gift to you as we celebrate the birth of our great nation.
My great nephew Hank, born on June 20, is celebrating his first Fourth of July.
My daughters light the southwestern Minnesota prairie sky with sparklers at a weekend pre-July Fourth family gathering.
The flag which flies at the home of my middle brother.
Flags line the park area along Highway 169 through St. Peter.
One of my favorite patriotic songs, America the Beautiful.
AS I CLIPPED freshly-washed laundry onto the clothesline with 35-degree temperatures nipping my fingers under a heavy sky this morning, I contemplated what I would write here about Osama bin Laden. I could not not write something.
But what could I, an average American in a mid-sized Minnesota community, write about the death of this al-Qaida leader, this terrorist, this murderer, this most-wanted fugitive, one of the most-hated men in the world?
What profound words could I pull together that would express my gratitude to the U.S. intelligence community and military?
What could I say to those who lost loved ones in the bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa in 1998, in the attack on the USS Cole in 2000, during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks?
I could write nothing that hasn’t been spoken, written or thought.
And then I remembered a photo I took about a week ago of a billboard while traveling along Interstate 90 east of La Crosse, Wisconsin. I have no idea who posted the patriotic message.
But today, for me, this image summarizes how I feel as an American, as my country, the United States of America, stands, united and free.
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
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